Orientation: All clients participating in the student clinic will attend or receive an orientation prior to the initial clinic session. This process gives the client the opportunity to understand their role as a participant in the student’s learning process. Clients will speak with the clinic supervisor and will sign a participation agreement indicating agreement with the following guidelines:
What makes an excellent client in a student clinic?
- Please come to your session with an open mind. Students will be presenting a style of their own based on their level of learning. You may experience a type of massage or bodywork with which you are not familiar. Regardless, your student therapist will do his or her best to meet your goals and needs.
- Please be on time for your session.
- Please do not wear perfumes or other heavy scents, makeup, etc. Be as clean as possible.
- Please remove all jewelry, watches, etc.
- Please turn off cell phone, pagers, etc.
- Please do not tip your student therapist; this includes no gifts.
- Please let us know at least a day in advance if you must cancel your appointment.
About your treatment session:
- Please inform your student therapist of any changes or updates in your condition before we begin.
- You will undress in private, and can undress to your comfort level.
- You will be draped throughout the session, and exposure will be limited to the area being targeted.
- We are happy to adjust the room conditions to suit your needs.
- We value you as a client. Your feedback is welcomed at any time, but conversation will generally be kept to a minimum during treatment.
- Please let us know if anything about your experience is unpleasant in any way.
- Please tell your therapist immediately if you are experiencing any discomfort or pain.
- Please do not bring children to your clinic appointment.
Student Clinic framework:
- Sessions are approximately 60 minutes in length including time for talking with your student therapist.
- You will be asked to complete an evaluation form immediately after your session. This form takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
- Your sessions and treatment record will be kept completely confidential.
- Your privacy and rights will be upheld at all times by the clinic students and staff.
- You have the right to refuse treatment at any time; this includes any part of the body or the entire treatment. The student massage therapist or supervisor can also refuse treatment if they have a concern. For example, a client with a bruise on the arm may be told that the arm will not be massaged; a client with a fever may be told that massage is contraindicated and the treatment should be canceled.
- The clinic supervisor is available at all times, and will be entering the treatment room approximately twice during the session. Any concerns that you or the student has should be addressed at that time.
- Please do not tip students or offer them gifts. This is against Missouri Law and places the student in an uncomfortable position of needing to refuse.
Ready to sign up? During each 8 week session we have between 3 and 5 students seeing clients in the student clinic. As such we can only accommodate a certain number of clients at any one time. Priority is given to existing clinic clients and clients willing to become Session Participants by receiving weekly massages from the same student on a set schedule during a 6-week period.