WellSpring Healing Arts Policies
Tiered Pricing Model
As of January 1st, 2023, WellSpring Healing Arts is implementing a tiered pricing system for all clients. The three tiers are Reduced, Standard, and Supporter. Please refer to this document to assist you in discerning which tier is most appropriate for you.
Individuals who are marginalized based on identity (including but not limited to people who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIAP2S+, disabled, fat, neurodivergent, trauma survivors, veterans, sex workers, individuals with chronic illnesses, unemployed or underemployed, senior citizens, single parents, unhoused individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, etc) are also invited to utilize a reduced rate. Those who find even the Reduced Tier inaccessible are encouraged to reach out for additional accommodations.
Ultimately, we trust each person to choose which tier is most accessible to them. No documentation of financial need is required. Clients may change their tier at any time, and may also pay an amount between the tiered rates.
Some clients may even feel that they are able to offer compensation beyond the Supporter rate, which we welcome, as this will offset the needs of individuals for whom even the Reduced tier may be inaccessible. Some individuals may also choose to include a tip in addition to their tiered rate.
Please note the pricing difference for cash vs. all other forms of payment.
Tiered pricing per 1-hour session is as follows:
CASH PAYMENTS:
Reduced: $75
Standard: $100
Supporter: $125
ALL OTHER PAYMENTS:
Reduced: $100
Standard: $125
Supporter: $150
Payment options are as follows:
Cash/check
Zelle: dana.christy@gmail.com
Venmo: @wellspringhealingarts
PayPal: 773-573-9109
Many thanks to Culture of Safety (www.cultureofsafetychi.com) for this sliding scale model!
Appointment policies
- Masks for both client and practitioner are required for all sessions.
- Sessions are performed fully clothed. Please bring stretchy, comfy clothes.
- Appointments are scheduled for 1 hour unless otherwise discussed between the practitioner and the client.
- Clients may arrive up to 5 minutes early to use the washroom and get settled in the space.
- Each session begins with a 5-10 minute verbal intake during which the practitioner will assess the client’s current needs and formulate a shared goal for the session. For first-time appointments, a longer intake, up to 15 minutes, may be required.
- If a client is late for their session, the session still falls within the 1-hour allotted time slot.
If the practitioner is late, the session still lasts the full 60 minutes, or the session rate is discounted.
- Clients who cancel within 24 hours of their scheduled appointment time are responsible for the full cost of the session. Exceptions are made in the case of emergencies or illness.
- The practitioner will reach out to the client the day before the session to confirm the appointment.
- House calls are available for individuals with accessibility or mobility concerns.
Client rights and responsibilities
- Agency and consent are core values in this space. The client has the right to direct their treatment plan and to determine what they would like to happen or not happen in each session. The client may opt in or out of any therapeutic practices at any time.
- The client is responsible for letting the practitioner know when anything happening during the session does not feel supportive, so that the practitioner can adjust appropriately. The practitioner will regularly seek both verbal and embodied consent from the client.
-The client is responsible for completing an intake form prior to the session. Online and hard copy forms are available.
-The client has the right to choose which intake questions to answer, except for the ones that are required for the practitioner to offer safe and ethically sound care.
-The client has the right to choose whether to talk, ask questions, or remain quiet during the session. The practitioner will follow the client’s lead.
-The client is responsible for respecting the boundaries of the practitioner’s ethical code and scope of practice. The practitioner has the right to refuse requests that fall outside of their ability or professional scope.
-Clients of all bodies, identities, and conditions, including BIPOC, disabled people, people in larger bodies, members of the LGBTQIAP2S+ community, and people in other marginalized groups, have the right to feel safe, welcomed, and respected in this space.
-Clients who identify as survivors of trauma, especially those who experience acute flashbacks, are encouraged to engage in talk therapy or other forms of therapeutic support in conjunction with shiatsu. This helps the practitioner stay within their scope of practice.
-The client has the right to terminate the session or the therapeutic relationship at any time.
Practitioner rights and responsibilities
-The practitioner is responsible for staying within the bounds of their scope of practice. If the practitioner discerns that the client needs support that exceeds the practitioner’s scope, the practitioner will offer an appropriate referral.
- The practitioner is responsible for treating each client with respect and dignity. This includes using people’s correct pronouns and preferred names.
- The practitioner will thoroughly explain all techniques, treatment modalities, and therapeutic practices included in the treatment, so that the client may give informed consent to receive these services. This includes any and all techniques related to bodywork, shiatsu, massage, Chinese Medicine, cupping, moxa, gua sha, etc.
- The practitioner is responsible for checking in with the client regularly to ask whether the client is still comfortable, and what can be altered to further support their sense of safety and ease.
- The practitioner is responsible for doing their own personal work around anti-racism, anti-oppression, and community-centered care, so that they may hold the safest possible space for clients with marginalized identities.
- The practitioner is responsible for providing appropriate referrals if their identity or life experience is not conducive to the client’s needs around empathy and safety.
- The practitioner must respect the client’s verbal and embodied consent, and must adjust their treatment technique appropriately.
- The practitioner will seek consent before applying any topical liniments, oils, or salves to the client’s body.
The practitioner is responsible for keeping accurate records and reviewing charts before each session.
- The practitioner has the right to refrain from working on a client who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- The practitioner has the right to terminate the session or the therapeutic relationship at any time.
- The practitioner also has the responsibility, in the case of treatment termination, to provide appropriate referrals.
Professionalism + ethics
- Shiatsu practitioners and massage therapists ascribe to a code of ethical behavior, which can be found here. Practitioners follow all of the statements in this code, and firmly believe that the values of professionalism, boundaries, and clear expectations support a therapeutic relationship where both clients and practitioners can access safety and trust.
- Personal and professional boundaries are honored and centered at all times. Based on these professional ethics, practitioners do not engage in friendships or other intimate relationships with clients.
- Sexual harassment is not tolerated. If the client’s or the practitioner’s safety feels compromised, the session is stopped immediately.
- Client privacy and confidentiality is maintained at all times.
COVID protocols
One of our intentions as a trauma-informed healing space is to do everything possible to create a sense of safety for our clients. While we will never be able to guarantee a trigger-free zone, we can do our best to remove as many potentially destabilizing environmental variables as possible. We also feel that it is our responsibility to protect our many autoimmune + immunocompromised clients.
For this reason, we will continue require masks for both practitioners and clients in all sessions.