Why is a consultation so important?

By Nicola | 08/05/2019 |

I feel that the consultation is one of the most important things to complete on every treatment but especially important when its a first treatment with me. A consultation can tell the therapist a lot of information about the person and can answer a lot of questions.

It helps the therapist and the client to understand what will happen during the treatment or how the client may react to the treatment. It is an opportunity for the client to ask any questions about the treatments and my qualifications.

They will also have an opportunity to read my privacy policy and sign to agree to me collecting and keeping their data on record for a treatment to take place.

More importantly if a consultation is not completed then the therapist insurance could become invalid.

Questions discussed can be

Do you have any medical conditions? it is very important as a therapist you need to know if they have any infectious conditions or contra indications which mean you can not treat or need to amend the treatment.

Do you have any allergies? For me this is very important as if I went to a therapist and wasnt asked this it could potentially be life threating. I suffer from a nut allergy and many products on the market contain nut oils so if i dont get asked about allergies then I could have a reaction and the salon or therapist could be in a lot of trouble.

How would you rate your stress level? This is very useful to know so that the therapist can understand whether you will be able to switch off and start relaxing

How are you feeling today? This is possible one of the most important questions to ask as a therapist would need to know whether the client has a fever or not feeling very well. This is so that any infections are not passed on to the therapist or other clients due to cross infection. As a therapist if I wasn’t feeling very well I would cancel my appointments to stop anything passed on to any of my clients. Hygiene is very important as well so I always sanitise my hands before every treatment and wash them after every client. Towels and equipment is always changed and cleaned between clients to stop the spread of infections.

How did you feel after the last treatment? If you are a returning client it is always good to know how you felt after the previous treatment so that the therapist can alter the treatment slightly or explain any feelings you may have felt after the treatment. Until you have a treatment you and the therapist do not know how it would effect your mind or body. Any effects of to a treatment like achy, headache or tiredness should only last 24 hours but with regularly drinking water will help stay hydrated and aid the detoxing process

Do you have any problems with the area to be treated? This is important as if you have any cuts, bruises, blisters on the area they would need to be covered up. If the area of particular tender to touch again it would be avoided. It is important to find out any areas that need particular attention during a back massage for instance areas of knots or tension so that me the therapist know which area to work on. Also during the massage the first few movements I would be feeling for areas of tension, stress and knots.

During a Reflexology Treatment

Before a reflexology treatment the consultation is slight longer as we would discuss any medical conditions including any from your childhood, your lifestyle, diet and social activities. This is for the therapist so we can understand why you are seeking reflexology and what areas to massage. It is also so that as an individual you may realise any details in your life that could be effecting how you are feeling.

The photo below give you an insight into some of my consultation forms that may be used at the beginning of each treatment