Dear clients,

Just a quick communication to inform you about a change to my appointment cancellation policy. As you are aware, the current policy requires cancellation by phone call or text message no later than 9am the day before your appointment, or you may incur a short-notice cancellation fee of 50% of the scheduled fee.

Something is not working with my work phone, regarding receiving text messages promptly after I turn it on in the morning. I don’t want to assume a client has not adhered to the cancellation policy because a text sent the previous night has not come up on my phone until 9:30am the next day (or later sometimes!). Therefore, from now on, please cancel your appointments no later than 9am the day before your appointment, by phone call. All good if I don’t answer. At least there will be a time coded voice message for me to retrieve.

Lastly, I will take this opportunity to tell you all about a couple of videos I made and posted on the new(ish) SA chair-based dance Facebook page. These videos are neck and upper back release movement sequences. They are good for most necks and upper backs (not just chair dancers), and especially now that the annual Winter stiff neck outbreak has started. If you are finding your neck and upper back are a bit more stuck with the colder weather, you might like to have a look and try these movement sequences. They are in the video section of the page, if you don’t want to scroll down through all the posts (not that there are that many really). Here is the link…

https://www.facebook.com/SAchairbaseddance/

Cheers,

Veronica

Dear everyone,

I hope this communication finds you as well as can be in these weird times. The clinic has continued operating through the peak of Adelaide’s COVID-19 period, albeit with ramped up infection control protocols. However, I am aching to get back to teaching my dance classes. Hopefully, that is not too far off.

COVID-19 Prevention

We seem to be doing well here in SA. However, for the foreseeable future I will be continuing with the additional infection control protocols that were implemented at the start of our SA COVID-19 period. I imagine it will help prevent a hideous flu season like we had last year, as well. Full details of my COVID-19 prevention strategy are on my website.

July-December 2020 Saturday Clinic Dates

For those of you who are super organised and like to book your appointments well in advance (full marks for engaging in preventative healthcare!!), here are my Saturday clinic dates for the rest of 2020. I will also put these on my website.

July                  11^th & 25^th

August             8^th & 22^nd

September        5^th & 19^th

October             3^rd, 17^th & 31^st

November        14^th & 28^th

December        12^th

If you would like to book appointments on these Saturdays or on any other clinic days to the end of the year, please email me your requested dates and appointment times. With the extra cleaning between clients (in addition to the usual towel changing, payment processing and client note writing), currently there is no time at the end of appointments for organising multiple future appointments.

Please remember the appointment cancellation policy requires cancellation no later than 9am the day before the scheduled appointment, by phone call or text message. However, more notice is preferable as this maximise my chances of filling the appointment. If you call/text the night before your appointment, most likely I will not reply until the following morning, as my work phone is switched off in the evenings (as it is on Sundays and non-clinic Saturdays). Having said that, if you wake up unwell on the day of your appointment, please cancel. You will not be charged a short-notice cancellation fee for that.

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear everyone,

Happy New Year and New Decade! If you are a new year’s resolution person, I hope your resolutions are holding. Apologies but this communication is a bit dry, as it revolves around clinic operation matters.

Fee Increase

The saying reads, “Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes!” However, it should probably include fee increases too. I appreciate that no one likes fee increases, however, my last fee increase was in March 2017. Since then many of my running costs have increased including my rent, insurance, website fee, practice management software subscription and towel laundering service. My research of fees charged by remedial massage therapists in the city and eastern suburbs reveals a range of $90-$105 for 60 minute appointments. For a physiotherapy informed massage service, my fees are still at the less dear end of the spectrum.

The fee for all massage appointments will increase by $5. This fee change is effective as of 9^th March 2020 (effective immediately for new clients). I will retain the $10 discount on 60 minute appointments for valid concession holders (further information is available on my website).

Other Operational Matters…

 The trial of ‘no day before appointment reminder texts’ has been 99.9% successful. Most clients are receiving the appointment confirmation email (which is sent on Friday, the week before your appointment), or managing fine without any appointment reminders. Therefore, I will be retaining this system for the foreseeable future.

Please remember the appointment cancellation policy requires cancellation no later than 9am the day before the scheduled appointment, by phone call or text message. However, more notice is preferable as this maximise my chances of filling the appointment. If you call/text the night before your appointment, most likely I will not reply until the following morning, as my work phone is switched off in the evenings (as it is on Sundays and non-clinic Saturdays).

Lastly, my Saturday clinic dates for the first half of the year are on my website. It is every second(ish) Saturday. On Fridays before a Saturday clinic there will no 6:45pm appointment. Please know that you may book multiple appointments in advance to ensure you secure appointments on the days, times and appointment intervals that suit you.

Best wishes,

Veronica

Dear clients,

Now that it is November we are allowed to use the ‘C’ word…

Festive Season Clinic Hours

22^nd – 26^th Dec                   CLOSED

Fri 27^th & Sat 28^th Dec     OPEN

29^th Dec – 2^nd Jan               CLOSED

Fri 3^rd & Sat 4^th Jan          OPEN

Normal clinic hours will resume on Tuesday 7^th January. Having said that…

Saturday Clinic

The experiment with offering appointments only every third Saturday has not been quite the resounding success I had hoped for – not in terms of client or therapist satisfaction. Therefore, next year I will trial offering appointments on every second-ish Saturday (working around various public holidays etc). Specific Saturday dates will be communicated soon.

Spring Promotional Offer – 1 month left!

Please remember that if you refer someone for a massage and they have their initial consultation appointment with me before 30^th November 2019, your friend will pay $80 instead of the regular $90 fee, and you will receive your next 60 minute massage for $10 off your regular fee (i.e. for $75 or $65 for concession holders). This offer is limited to two new clients per one current client.

Best wishes,

Veronica

To my dear clients,

I have one open daffodil in my garden, but I am taking that as a sign that Spring is imminent and that it will begin to get warmer soon! To celebrate my optimism and to kick off the Spring cleaning I have a promotional offer for you and your mates.

$10 off your next 60 minute massage!

If you refer a friend for a massage and they have their initial consultation appointment with me in September, October or November 2019, your friend will pay $80 instead of the regular $90 fee, and you will receive your next 60 minute massage for $10 off your regular fee (i.e. for $75 or $65 for concession holders). This offer is limited to two new clients per one current client.

Changes To Appointment Reminder Texts

In the last year or so I feel there has been an increase in clients only remembering their appointment when they receive my day-before text message reminder. It is a busy, stimuli dense world we all now inhabit, and I can appreciate the chances of forgetting things has probably increased. However, it is challenging to fill appointments without a few days cancellation notice, and while I have a short-notice cancellation fee policy, I prefer not to have to invoke this (although I do still also have to earn an income). Therefore, for the rest of this year, I am going to cease day-before text message reminders and trial using Cliniko to send emailed appointment reminders in the week before your scheduled appointment. Hopefully, you all check your junk email box regularly. I cannot guarantee the reminder email will not end up there. If I have sent you a hard copy of this communication then you will not receive emailed appointment reminders as I do not have your email address on record.

New Treatment R & D – Volunteers Required

I am designing a new stretch/mobilisation treatment. It is a mixture of guided self-massage and mobilisation exercises, and hands on assisted stretching and dry massage. It will be performed on mats on the floor and draw on mat Pilates techniques, Traditional Thai Massage, and use various pieces of small equipment (foam rollers, massage balls, stretchy therabands etc). This will be a semi-tailored treatment. At this stage I think it will be most appropriate for clients with stiff/tight mid to lower backs, glutes/hips and leg muscles. It is not appropriate for anyone with an acute injury or a subacute injury that can be aggravated easily. I am looking for some clients to assist the fine tuning of the treatment, probably in October and November. It is free of charge, but you need to be available Monday or Thursday afternoons/early evenings or possibly a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. A session will probably require 60 – 90 minutes of your time. Please email me if you are interested.

Cheers,

Veronica

My mother gave me a birthday card this year with a quote from Albert Einstein. It said, “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” Not sure this time thing is really working for me, I swear it feels like it should be mid-year already! While hectic, it has been a productive first four months of the year, including a successful Contemporary Dance…For Seniors pilot program in Mt Barker, which will now continue for the rest of 2019. The crack repairs have been completed at Eastwood and while not really worthy of a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo, it does feel a bit fresher.

Holiday Dates

As some of you know, I have had a birthday with a ‘0’ this year (my sister won’t let me say which birthday, as then everyone will figure out her age!). To celebrate, I am having some extended leave in the middle of the year. The clinic will be closed from 1^st – 24^th July inclusive.

Changes To Clinic Hours

While the crack repair clinic relocation was an inconvenience for all concerned, it was actually a useful experiment for me to trial working my different occupational roles on the same day. It would appear that I can teach dance in the morning and be in the clinic in the afternoon/evening without my head or body exploding. Consequently, once I return from my July holidays, clinic hours of operation will be as follows…

Tuesdays, from 1:15pm, (last appointment 5:30pm)

Wednesdays, from 12:15pm, (last appointment 6:45pm)

Fridays, from 1:15pm, (last appointment 6:45pm)

Every third Saturday, from 9am

I appreciate that some of you will be dismayed at my reduced Saturday hours. However, after 21 years of being a weekend worker (this includes my glorious career in hospitality while I was a professional dancer), it is time to have some leisure and social time when everyone else has theirs. Life is too short and unpredictable to have work as the primary focus. I will put the Saturday clinic dates on the massage page once they are finalised.

Cheers,

Veronica

Happy New Year! I hope this communication finds you rejuvenated after a festive season break.

Clinic Operation Changes

As of this year Tuesday’s first appointment will be at 1:15pm and I will only be offering the 6:45pm(ish) appointment on Tuesdays. On Thursdays the last appointment will commence at 5:30pm(ish). On Saturdays the last appointment will commence at 1pm(ish).

You may have noticed the eclectic charm of the reception area includes some significant wall cracks. They are also through the building’s front two rooms. We have been ignoring them for a number of years, but unfortunately they do need to be repaired now. This will be taking place at some point in the first half of the year, and will require my father and I to consult elsewhere for 3-4 weeks. I will keep you posted!

Mat Pilates

Whoop! Whoop! I passed the exam and am now a qualified Polestar Pilates Mat Instructor. I have not yet fully threshed out what I will be doing with this qualification (too busy starting new dance classes!), but I am leaning towards offering tailored home mat Pilates programs for interested clients. Most likely this would involve an assessment appointment, followed by 2-3 one-to-one sessions to learn the exercise program. These sessions would be claimable through private health physio extras. More to come soon…

Cheers!

Veronica

Dear everyone,

I cannot believe another year has nearly gone! I swear time is speeding up. In fact, May 2019 will mark my 10 year anniversary as a remedial massage therapist. My goodness…

Massage Balls

As many of you would know, I suggest regular self-massage to compliment and extend the benefits of the treatment you have with me. I have for sale in the clinic a few different massage balls. Large spikey balls for $8 and smaller spikey balls and smooth massage balls for $6. These are great for getting into lower backs, between the shoulder blades, buttock and pectoral muscles and the soles of the feet. “Spikey versus smooth?” you may ask. My osteopath likes to use the analogy of using a spikey mallet versus a smooth mallet to tenderise meat (apologies to vegetarians/vegans), in that the spikes help to break up adhesions between the connective tissue sheath and the muscle. However, personal preference reigns supreme in the quest to ensure regular self-treatment occurs.

Pilates Exam Date

There is light at the end of the tunnel! Having completed many, many logbook hours of observing, doing and teaching the Polestar Mat Pilates repertoire, I am finally eligible to sit the exam (YAY!). The big day is Saturday 15th December. To accommodate this and ensure I am well prepared, I will not be available for appointments on Thursday 13th or Saturday 15th December.

Festive Season Business Hours

I will be on leave from Saturday 22nd December until Thursday 27th December inclusive.

I will be available for appointments on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th December.

Usual clinic hours will resume on Thursday 3rd January 2019.

Please remember, you can email me to book appointments in advance, you do not have to wait until you see me to book your next appointment.

Christmas gift vouchers

I am a bit of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas, but if we must do this every year and you are stuck for present ideas, what about a massage gift voucher? If you would like to purchase a gift voucher, please contact me by Tuesday 18th December to organise it.

Cheers!

Veronica

Dear everyone,

SERIOUSLY toastiest wishes to you all! I am back from my 10 days clinic “break”.  In amongst the ongoing dance teaching, Pilates study and much messing around trying to wrangle the performance season of Adelaide’s upcoming International Joint Dance Congress (we are talking 51 dance works and nearly 500 performers!), I have managed to figure out my new practice management software.

Introducing Cliniko… 

Cliniko is a web based practice management software package favoured by health professionals. It has quite the suite of functions. At this stage, I will be only using the invoicing/receipt generation function. This has required me to input client names and contact details, however, no client health information will be saved with Cliniko – client notes will remain in handwritten hard copy format.

Scheduling appointments 15 minutes apart does not allow much time in which to take payment, write health fund receipts, re-book clients, change treatment towels, scribble client notes and undertake some self-care so that I am fresh for the next client. Therefore, as of 1^st July 2018 client health fund receipts will be automated. For those clients who have provided an email address on their client form, health fund receipts will be emailed to you by the day after your appointment. Where only a postal address has been provided, receipts will be sent by old fashioned snail mail.

 Another brief clinic closure

My cousin is getting married, and the wedding is in Canada and life is too short to just work all the time. Plus, who wouldn’t want a brief respite from this cold with some northern hemisphere Summer! I will be unavailable for appointments from 23^rd August until 4^th September inclusive. The only glitch is where does one find a Summer appropriate cocktail dress in Adelaide now??

Additional Seniors’ Dance Class Opportunity

 As you may have noticed from my website and/or from our chats during appointments, I am very passionate about getting older people dancing. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the formerly Parkinson’s only dance class at Burnside Community Centre is now welcoming any locally living older people who have a desire to do a modified dance class. Run by Cherie Toubia and Alice Langsford (both dancers and occupational therapists), this is a mostly chair-based dance class and therefore appropriate for older people who feel their mobility or balance is not as good as it used to be. If you know anyone who may be interested in joining in this class, please contact me for details.

Cheers!

Veronica

Dear everyone,

Happy Autumn (I think – it seems to keep changing its mind!). Please read on for an update on clinic operations…

Normal clinic hours resume

For the regular attendees you will be aware that I have not been offering appointments on my usual Tuesday afternoons/evenings due to the time and energy commitments of my Pilates Instructor’s training. I am pleased to say that in the next month or so I will have completed all the face to face Pilates weekend workshops and will also have managed to knock off the required 30 hours of mat class observation AND the 50 hours of supervised mat exercise personal practice (Phew!). Therefore, as of 5^th June, appointments will be available again on Tuesday afternoons/evenings. With one exception…

Brief clinic closure

The clinic will be closed from Saturday 16^th June until Saturday 23^rd June inclusive. I need a little bit of a break (there have been no 2018 public holidays for me yet!), but also I am intending on implementing some practice management software in the new financial year, as my unique combination of low-tech and high-tech is not working for me anymore. Hopefully this automation will facilitate better appointment time management, as I won’t be spending precious minutes hand writing receipts!

90 minute appointment fee increase

No one like a fee increase, but unfortunately where once upon a time my body couldn’t tell the difference between giving a 60 minute treatment and a 90 minute treatment, now it is starting too. Therefore, in order to align more closely with the per minute fee for a 60 minute treatment, as of 1^st July 2018, the fee for a 90 minute appointment will be $115.

Cheers!

Veronica