Dear everyone,

I trust this communication find you well and striding jauntily towards the finish line! My trajectory is looking more like a winding crawl than a light-footed sashay. Predictably the seven days “avoid the car race traffic” leave I just took was not enough to recharge the batteries (especially with one day given over to renewing my Senior First Aid certificate…I swear these courses are always run by wannabe actors!). Therefore, please note that the clinic will be shut from 21^st December 2022 – 10^th January 2023.

GIFT VOUCHERS

If you would like to purchase a gift voucher as a Christmas present for someone, please contact me about this by close of business on Monday 19^th December. I can email the gift vouchers (to you or to your recipient), or print and post hard copy vouchers (though they are more functional than pretty!). Please bear in mind hard copy vouchers may take some time to reach their destination in the old-fashioned snail mail.

2023 SATURDAY CLINIC DATES

The Saturday clinic dates for the first half of 2023 are now on my website (https://veronicashum.com/clinic-information/). Please note that from Saturday 28^th January, the appointment times will be slightly different as I will be running small group stretch/mobilise classes on those Saturday clinic afternoons (stay tuned for further class details…). If you would like to book a few Saturday appointments or a few appointments for any clinic day, please email me.

SALISBURY CHAIR DANCE CLASS

Lastly, after a successful three-week pilot program, I will be leading a new chair-based dance class at the Jack Young Centre in Salisbury, starting on 12^th January 2023. Like the class I teach at Clarence Park, this class is for older people who perhaps have balance or mobility issues or neurological conditions like Parkinson’s Disease, and therefore may not feel confident participating in a free-standing dance class.  If you know anyone who may be interested in attending the class, please pass on the attached flyer.

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear everyone,

Please read on for details about the new clinic!

NEW CLINIC

As of 1^st November 2022, the clinic will be located at…21 Sydney Street, Glenside SA 5065. It is pretty much opposite the Burnside Village loading dock. Large business signage is not permitted by Burnside Council but there will be a sign on the front door to confirm that you are in the correct place!

There are un-ticketed 2-hour street parks in Sydney Street and nearby Almond Avenue and Cator Street. However, it may be easier to find a park in Burnside Village’s undercover carpark, accessible from Sydney Street, Cator Street and Portrush Road. Please allow extra time for parking until you get a feel for this new location. Please DO NOT park directly adjacent to the clinic’s driveway on the northern side. The parking sign says you can, but there is a yellow line there and it is very likely a parking ticket will be forthcoming (the Council inspectors are pretty vigilant!).

Once you have arrived, if I am not ready for you, please wait in the waiting room/eventual exercise room (the room with the double glass doors.) At this stage, for security reasons, the front door will be locked when I am with a client. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early for your appointment, you will have to wait on the porch.

CHRISTMAS BUSINESS HOURS

I am loathe to mention anything Christmas related this early, but I prefer not to bombard clients with too many emails either. Therefore, very quickly, it is business as usual the week before and the week between Christmas and New Year (seeing as I am on leave in the first week of December).

REMINDER – I HAVE A WEBSITE!

If you ever need to check any of this information and cannot find my email, I post all these client emails on my website here, https://veronicashum.com/news

Also, if you ever need to check my consulting days, clinic fees etc you can find that information here, https://veronicashum.com/clinic-information

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear everyone,

Well, it isn’t quite unicorns and rainbows, but there are definitely some daffodils and sunshine to dampen the negatives and irritations of our current world situation. And hopefully facilitate a general decrease in everyone’s hunchy shoulders and crunchy necks!

NEW CLINIC LOCATION

As many of you already know, the clinic is moving AGAIN. As of November, the clinic will be in Glenside. I will provide the address and parking details etc closer to time (wrong address attendance minimisation strategy!)

SATURDAY CLINIC DATES

For my regular Saturday clients, now that I have certainty about my post-October clinic location, I have determined my remaining 2022 Saturday clinic dates, and you can email me to book in. They are as follows…

5^th & 19^th November               10^th, 17^th & 31^st December

Saturday appointments are available at 9:15am, 10:30am, 12pm, 1:45pm and 3pm. If you are on a regular schedule of appointments or would like to be, please remember you can book in two or three appointments in advance, to ensure you secure the days/times that suit you best. That applies to weekday appointments as well.

VERONICA ON LEAVE

I will be taking some leave, 30^th November – 7^th December (inclusive). This is a road rage minimisation/sanity preservation strategy precipitated by the resurrection of the Adelaide 500 car race! It has been a challenging year already and I refuse to incur the time and petrol wastage, nor the highly likely client late attendance that the race road restrictions cause.

MASKS STILL REQUIRED IN THE CLINIC

Apologies, I know we are all well beyond fed up with anything covid-related and I sound like a broken record, but masks are still mandatory in health care settings. Please remember to put one on before you enter the clinic. Health consequences aside, both of us wearing masks minimises the potential significant financial and client (and dance class participant) inconvenience of me contracting any respiratory illness. Even if it is JUST a cold or flu, the current government regulations still require a symptomatic person to undertake a PCR test which means cancelling clients and dance classes until I receive a negative result. Please also remember to cancel your appointment if you are not feeling well/have any respiratory symptoms. You will not be charged the short notice cancel fee if you cancel after 9am the day before your appointment, if it is due to being unwell.

Yours (in good health!)

Veronica

Dear clients,

I trust you are all travelling well. Hopefully, you have managed to find your rhythm over these six months of “living with COVID”. It is also just a little over six months since the clinic moved to Stomping Ground Studios. As they say, “time flies….”

Change To Clinic Hours

Six months of appointment data is telling me that as much as I wish otherwise, it is preferable to offer another later appointment. Therefore, as of the week beginning 6^th June 2022, I will be offering a 5:15pm appointment on Wednesdays and ceasing to offer the 11:30am appointment on Thursdays. For clients who have already booked a Thursday 11:30am appointment after 6^th June, all good, you don’t have to reschedule.

Winter New Client Promo Offer

Unsurprisingly, as a face-to-face, paid per client type of service, this pandemic has negatively impacted my business. Especially since restrictions eased late last year, there has been a marked increase in COVID related client cancelling/rescheduling, making for significant week to week income unpredictability. Therefore, I am asking for your help to build up my client base just a touch.

Here is the deal; any new clients who attend their initial consultation appointment between 1^st June and 31^st August 2022 will receive 10% off their appointment fee. If they were referred by you (“tell her [insert name] sent you!”), you will also receive 10% off your next appointment (limited to three new clients per existing client). Please find a promo offer flyer attached to give to any potential new clients.

1:1 Stretch/Mobilise Option

Since the small group stretch/mobilise classes I piloted last year, I have been exploring including some stretching with some clients during their appointments. It appears this is a useful addition to hands on soft tissue work for some bodies. Therefore, I have decided to officially offer a 1:1 stretch/mobilise option, which you can choose to have as a portion of, or the entirety of your appointment. For example, in a 60-minute appointment you may choose to dedicate 25-30 minutes to massage and then we pause for you to dress and then spend the remainder of the appointment with the relevant combination of hands on stretch and guided mobilisation exercises on the treatment table and/or on a mat on the floor (or other positions as appropriate). I will be drawing on all my learning and experience as a dancer, Pilates participant and mat Pilates instructor, and probably some of my training in Traditional Thai massage and dabblings in Yoga, for good measure. Appointment fees are the same. If there is some information missing here, please contact me to ask. This is not a fully developed idea yet. It will evolve if and as clients take up the option. Of course, it won’t necessarily be for everyone, but we won’t know until we try!

Cheers,

Veronica

Dear all,

Change is afoot! Please read on for further information…

FROM 8^TH NOVEMBER 2021 THE CLINIC WILL BE LOCATED AT STOMPING GROUND STUDIOS, 9 STEPNEY ST, STEPNEY, SA 5069.

Onsite car parks are located by the front entrance on Stepney Street and around the back (enter via Union Street). There are also un-ticketed 2-hour street parks on Stepney and Henry Street. When the reception is unattended, the front door will be locked, please ring the bell to be let in.

Covid-19 Safe Plan Requirements

• Please enter/exit via the front door on Stepney Street.
• Masks are still mandatory in healthcare settings. Please ensure you are wearing it before you enter the building. Failure to comply puts both of us at risk of a $5000 fine, and it puts me in breach of my lease agreement.
• Please scan the Stomping Ground Studios QR code AND my QR code. If your phone cannot scan, please complete my hard copy sign in form.

New Short Notice Cancellation Fee

Please note that as of 8^th November 2021, the short-notice cancellation fee will increase to 75% of the scheduled fee. If you need to reschedule, more notice is appreciated. This maximises my potential to fill the appointment from the cancellation list. The short notice cancellation fee will most likely be charged if the client forgets to attend, or if the appointment is cancelled after 9am the day before the scheduled appointment. You will not be charged if you wake up on the day of your appointment feeling unwell.

Festive Seasons Business Hours

The clinic will be open the usual Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday business hours the week before Christmas, the week between Christmas and New Year and the first week of January 2022. I will be on leave 9^th-16^th January 2022.

2022 Clinic Saturday dates

Saturday clinic dates for the first six months of 2022 are as follows…

January 8^th & 22^nd                   February 5^th & 19^th                 March 5^th & 19^th

April 2^nd, 16^th & 30^th               May 14^th & 28^th                          June 11^th & 25^th

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear all,

Hooray for Spring! Hopefully, the sunnier and slightly warmer weather will coax our collective shoulders down from around our earlobes where they have been Wintering!

New Clinic Location

As most of you know, a few months ago my landlord requested that I find a new clinic space. The hunt is over! As of 8^th November, the clinic will be at Stomping Ground Studios, 9 Stepney Street, Stepney, SA 5069. This space was founded in 2014 by former dancer and Pilates instructor, Rachel Kennedy. Various children’s dance classes are offered in the studios, while Rachel and colleagues lead mat and equipment Pilates in the Pilates studio. As such, there may be scope at some point in the near future, for me to resurrect my small group stretch/mobilise class idea at this new clinic location.

New Business Hours

Alongside the new clinic location there will be a tweak to my clinic days. From 8^th November, my clinic days will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and every second Saturday. There will be the addition of a late morning appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays, no more 5:30pm appointment on Wednesdays, and the increase from four to five appointments available on Saturdays. Full details will be available on my website in due course.

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear all,

I hope this communication finds you well and warm. With the cold weather, annual stiff neck season is in full swing. I for one am currently VERY attached to my wheat bag to maintain my neck in good working order!

REMINDER – Fee Increase

Please remember that appointment fees have increased as of 1^st July. If you are someone who still likes to pay with old fashioned cash, I will be happy to relieve you of some coins!  60-minute appointments are now $92 and $82 for standard and concession appointments, respectively. 90- minute appointments are now $130.

Veronica Leave Dates

Please note, I am taking a much needed break from 8^th – 15^th July inclusive. I will not be using my work phone or checking my work email during this time.

New Clinic Location

After nearly 12 years operating at my current location, the landlord has rather unexpectedly decided he would like me to vacate his back room. Therefore, I am giving advance notice that the clinic will be moving to a new location in the near future. As a result, my proposed new stretch/mobilise class idea has been paused. Thank you to the clients who participated in the 4-week stretch/mobilise pilot program through June. The feedback was positive and all round, it was a useful exercise regarding the content and logistics of running such a class.

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear clients,

Just a quick email to say Big Brother has infiltrated the clinic! Please note the following new requirements when attending your appointments…

QR code Check-in – Unless you DON’T own a smartphone, you will be required to check in by scanning the clinic QR code (sitting on my desk). Apparently, this can be done either just with your phone camera or via the “My SA Gov” app.

Masks – Mask wearing is now mandatory in all healthcare settings, except in some special circumstances such as where wearing one with interfere with treatment. I do not require you to wear one when you are face down on the treatment table as I think this is a breathing risk.

On a brighter note, if you would like to purchase a massage voucher as a Christmas present, please email or let me know during your appointment, no later than 5pm Monday 21st December.

Cheers,

Veronica

Dear clients,

Here it is! The big reveal on my holiday season business hours. Some of you have been keen as mustard asking. However, I have a rule that you can’t use the ‘C’ word until it is November!

Christmas/New Year Period Business Hours

Thurs 24^th – Mon 28^th Dec – CLOSED

Tues 29^th & Wed 30^th Dec – OPEN

Thurs 31^st Dec & Fri 1^st Jan – CLOSED

Saturday Clinic Dates: January – June 2021

For those of you who are Saturday appointment people, please see below for my Saturday clinics for the first half of next year…

January – 2^nd, 16^th, 30^th      

February – 13^th, 27^th           

March – 13^th, 27^th

April – 10^th, 24^th                   

May – 8^th, 22^nd                      

June – 5^th, 19^th

Concession Discount Changes

As of January 1^st, 2021, there will be changes to the $10 concession discount eligibility criteria. From this date, retirees and full-time tertiary students will no longer be eligible for the discount. Those who will be eligible are as follows…

Performing artists/performing arts makers (i.e. dancers/actors/musicians/singers etc whose primary occupation is as a performing artist.)

People receiving the following Centrelink payments;

Aged Pension,

JobSeeker Payment,

Disability Support Pension,

Carer Payment,

Parenting Payment.

If you fall into one of these categories, please provide a photo/screen capture of your most recent Centrelink income statement at your first 2021 appointment. If you do not fall into these categories, but are a low income earner, please feel free to discuss your eligibility for the concession discount with me.

Free Balance Assessment

Lastly, I am considering resurrecting my “Dance-based balance class” idea. If you are curious to see how good your balance is, according to the Fullarton Advanced Balance (FAB) Scale 10, you may like to volunteer. Ten people should do it. You need to be available for 1-1.5 hours on either 14^th December (afternoon), 15^th December (morning) or 18^th December (morning). Please email me if you are interested in this opportunity.

Cheers!

Veronica

Dear clients,

There is light at the end of the tunnel! I mean the Winter tunnel, that is. Blossom is evident, the birds are amorous, and the days are longer. Despite the freezing weather, I don’t think I have had quite so many tight necks presenting for treatment this year. Maybe secretly you have all been doing my neck release movement sequence from the video on the SA Chair-based Dance Facebook page! However, I have been very busy with both the clinic and my dance classes. As such, a rethink of work/life balance is required. This will enable me to continue to provide optimal service and enjoy providing it too!

Appointment changes

Effective immediately, the last appointment on a Wednesday will be at 6pm (excepting those 6:45pm appointments that have already been booked). A 6:45pm appointment will still be available every second Friday (i.e. the Friday before non-clinic Saturdays).

Effective immediately, 90-minute appointments will no longer be available on Saturdays (excepting those that have already been booked).

I am adding an “as needed” 60-minute appointment to my Saturday clinic. This is an “emergency” appointment and not one that can be booked months in advance on a reoccurring basis.

REMINDER – Cancellation policy regarding client illness/COVID-19

If you wake up unwell with the sniffles on the day of your appointment (or with any of the other possible symptoms of cold/flu/COVID-19), please cancel your appointment by phone call. You will not be charged a short-notice cancellation fee if you are cancelling for this reason.

Also, please cancel your appointment if you cohabitate with, or have been in close physical contact with someone who is undergoing COVID-19 self-isolation, while awaiting test results. It would be preferable for everyone, if I can avoid having to reschedule client appointments and cancel dance classes in the event of me having caught a client’s cold, and then having to self-isolate while awaiting my test results.

Yours in continuing good health!

Veronica