09/07/2025
💖Why Independent Massage Therapy Feels So Different from Chain Spas 💖
A new client came in for her first session with me recently. After her 90-minute massage, she was practically glowing and told me, “I could tell you truly cared about what pains I was having and this is the first time someone addressed all of them in one session.”
She shared that she had tried a few appointments at one of the chain membership spas lately but always left disappointed.
Her words stuck with me: “It just seems like they don’t really care.”
I’ve worked at those busy, fast-paced corporate-managed spas, so I know first hand what that environment is like.
This is the behind-the-scenes difference between a franchise spa and an independent massage therapist:
🙅♀️At Chain Spas:
• Therapists are often overworked, underpaid, and scheduled back-to-back with little or no breaks.
• They barely have time to clean, refresh, or even grab water between clients.
• Burnout is common, which shows in the quality of care.
• Services are restricted to whatever is on the “spa menu,” often limiting them to basic relaxation instead of addressing deeper issues.
• Clients can end up feeling like “just another appointment.”
💚With an Independent Therapist:
• My reputation, livelihood, and passion are all on the line so every session matters deeply.
• I create and maintain my own environment to ensure it’s calm, clean, and welcoming.
• I have the freedom to set my schedule so I’m fully present, never rushed, and never burnt out when I work on you.
• Each session is 100% customized whether you need myofascial release, trigger point therapy, orthopedic techniques, or deep relaxation.
• I genuinely care about your body, your pain, and your progress.
When you come to an independent therapist, you aren’t just getting a massage you’re receiving someone’s heart, soul, and expertise poured into a one-on-one experience.
And that’s exactly what my new client felt when she walked out saying, “I finally found my massage therapist.” 💜
