The System is Broken

The Unforgettable Tattoo

At the beginning of 2021, I wanted to commemorate a special milestone in my life with a tattoo. After extensive research, which included reading reviews and browsing social media portfolios, I found “the perfect artist”. After reaching out, I received a generic message outlining the artist’s pricing at $185 per hour, limited availability, and instructions for joining the waitlist. I was directed to a link where I submitted reference images and a description of my idea. All of this seemed pretty on par with previous tattoo experiences. Several months later, the artist’s assistant contacted me to schedule an appointment but informed me that I would not see any artwork or mock-ups in advance.

On the day of my appointment, I arrived on time but was told the artist was running behind and was asked to wait. Over an hour later, the artist finally arrived, but they had not prepared anything in the way of mock-ups or interpretations of my submitted ideas. Instead, they spent nearly four hours tracing an image from Pinterest on their iPad. I sat there anxiously, unsure if I was being charged for the waiting time and the lengthy design process. The uncertainty of the final cost weighed heavily on me. What does this have to do with Massage? Bear with me; I’ll get to the point!

When the actual tattooing began, I was relieved to see the artist’s skill in action, but their professionalism was severely lacking. Every fifteen minutes, they checked their phone, responded to messages, and took calls. After about two hours, their dinner was delivered, and they left me waiting for another hour while they ate. With every delay, my anxiety grew as I imagined the cost escalating with each wasted minute. The artist never reassured me that I would not be charged for their interruptions.

After about four hours of actual tattooing, the artist decided to end the session because it was getting late. Despite leaving the tattoo unfinished, they charged me for the entire duration I had been at the studio, including the waiting time, tracing, and multiple breaks. Frustrated by the lack of professionalism, communication, and transparency, I refused to return to have the piece completed. To this day, I have an unfinished tattoo on my left arm, a permanent reminder of an incredibly disappointing experience.

How Does This Relate to Massage Therapy?

Finding the right practitioner, someone who can work at the frequency your body truly responds to, is a daunting task. Unlike other service-oriented industries, there is little research one can do ahead of time to determine compatibility. Reviews and credentials only go so far; the actual effectiveness of bodywork is deeply personal and often discovered only through direct experience.

I argue that significant barriers will remain unless fundamental structural changes are made to the massage therapy industry. The reliance on time-based pricing, rushed intake processes, and transactional client relationships prioritizes efficiency over true healing. A system that values quantity over quality creates an environment where practitioners are pressured to meet quotas rather than focus on individualized care.

For massage therapy to evolve into a more intuitive and holistic practice, we must shift the focus from rigid time constraints and financial models to a client-centered approach. This means allowing space for deeper connection, personalized healing, and a structure that fosters trust and transformation rather than just another service on the books.

Whether you are sitting in a tattoo chair, receiving a massage, attending therapy, or working with a personal trainer, time-based pricing creates a constant barrier. The focus shifts away from progress, results, and breakthroughs, making the clock the primary concern rather than the experience itself.

Rethinking the Value of Massage

One of my earliest associations with massage, aside from my initial discomfort with the idea of being touched without any clothes on (a story for another day), was how expensive it seemed. Before I understood the inextricable benefits of massage, I couldn’t justify paying “that much” for someone to “rub lotion on me.” During sessions, I would fixate on the cost-benefit ratio, constantly questioning whether I was getting my money’s worth. To maximize value, I insisted on the deepest pressure possible, convinced that if it didn’t hurt, it wasn’t working. What I now recognize as toxic masculinity once seemed like pretty sound logic.

As a practitioner, I encounter this mindset on the regular. Clients often challenge me with statements like, “You can’t possibly hurt me; go as deep as you can,” while their muscles tell a different story, tensing and resisting my work the entire time. Pushing against the body’s natural guarding mechanisms is counterproductive for both the client and the therapist. It leads to unproductive sessions where clients leave feeling unsatisfied, thank me out of obligation, and never return.

The Problem With Time-Based Pricing

Not everyone shares this perspective, but it is a common reality that influences how we structure our pricing and business model. If a client is preoccupied with cost, time, and return on investment, how can they truly relax into the state where healing happens? The simple answer is - they can’t.

Many therapists follow a pricing model similar to my tattoo artist’s, charging by the minute or hour. While this works well in spa settings where the exchange is clear, “I pay you X dollars for X minutes of your time,” it rarely allows the necessary time to address a client’s needs effectively. When a practitioner is racing against the clock to deliver results, the pressure is palpable, and rushed work is the opposite of healing work.

Another major flaw in this model is the way it devalues the intake process. Many practitioners, myself included, have felt the unspoken pressure from both clients and employers to get people on the table as quickly as possible. This often leads to intake conversations that lack depth, intention, and connection. The intake should be a critical part of every session, allowing space to discuss goals, health history, injuries, and contraindications, not to mention the establishment of trust and rapport. Without it, both the therapist and the client lose an opportunity for a more meaningful and effective session.

With an average turnover of just 10 minutes between clients, the post-session conversation is often neglected. This brief window, meant for disinfecting surfaces, changing sheets, and preparing for the next session, leaves little to no time for meaningful follow-up. A responsible practitioner should have the opportunity to discuss their findings, educate clients on post-session care, and provide essential emotional support. However, the current structure does not allow for the depth needed to foster a truly supportive and informed client-practitioner relationship.

Add-Ons

Every spa has one thing in common: add-ons are a significant source of revenue. While some spas push practitioners to act as part-time salespeople, upselling products and services, not all operate this way. However, the assumption remains that extra supplies come at an extra cost.

I have been fortunate to work in environments where upselling is not ingrained in the spa culture, but I have also witnessed clients’ reactions when the front desk suggests additional purchases. The response is often one of subtle annoyance, similar to the frustration of haggling for floor mats after already spending thousands on a car. This energy carries into the massage itself. I recall offering a client a hot towel during a session, only for them to ask how much it would cost. This kind of transactional mindset is prevalent in spa environments where profit takes precedence over the client’s experience, ultimately detracting from the relaxation process.

Tipping

This is a widely debated issue within the massage community. Some believe that tipping is essential for therapists to make a sustainable living, while others argue that the cost of services should already reflect the highest standard of care without relying on additional gratuities as an incentive.

So, who really benefits from tipping? At first glance, the therapist does. However, the real winner is often the employer, who avoids paying a living wage by shifting that responsibility onto the client, who has already made a significant financial investment in their service. This model perpetuates a late-stage capitalist system where businesses maximize profits while sidestepping their duty to provide fair compensation.

My experience working at a well-known national massage chain, which shall remain nameless, highlighted this imbalance. The company paid practitioners less than 20% of the service price while marketing the job as lucrative, claiming that with tips, therapists could earn over 50% of the total charge. In reality, this structure forces workers to depend on unpredictable gratuities rather than receiving fair and consistent pay from their employer. It’s a lose-lose situation for the client/practitioner relationship.

There Must Be a Better Way

Imagine working with a practitioner who prioritizes your needs, experience, and well-being over financial gain. A space where bodywork is intuitively adapted to your body’s energy and the way it prefers to receive.

What if every tool, product, and supply was simply included without the worry of extra costs? What if your session length was not dictated by rigid time slots but instead co-created in collaboration with your practitioner?

Picture booking a time block that allows for meaningful intake conversations, energetic cleansing, intuitive palpation, and tissue warm-up, followed by techniques thoughtfully applied based on your body’s unique needs. Envision a post-session experience where you are given time to integrate, with space for physical, emotional, or spiritual tending, perhaps over a cup of tea.

What if massage was honored as the sacred ceremony as it once was in Indigenous culture? What if you arrived with a deep need for restoration and left feeling fully nourished, like a satisfying meal for the body and soul? Imagine taking the time, alongside your practitioner, to align energetically before any touch even begins, creating a space of trust, presence, and intentional healing.

The New Model

To uphold the true spirit of ceremonial bodywork, Beyond Practices is redefining the way we approach scheduling and pricing. Rather than operating within the constraints of traditional time-based sessions, we have structured our availability to allow for deeper, more intentional work.

Each day is divided into two dedicated time blocks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This ensures that every client receives undivided attention and a fully immersive experience. Your financial investment remains the same, whether your session lasts two hours or extends to four. This approach allows us to focus on what truly matters: the needs of your body, the natural flow of healing, and the space required for integration.

Tips are neither expected nor encouraged. Our services are priced fairly and sustainably without the need for additional client investment. However, if you feel inspired to contribute, we accept additional donations, which will be redirected to our charitable partners. These contributions support both local and international Indigenous communities, as well as underserved populations in need.