Thank you for visiting my site. Since the unexpected death of my husband I have had to cut back on my massage practice. If you are already an established client please feel free to contact me by email
at padanarammassage@comcast.net. I am not accepting any new clients at this time. If you are looking for a massage therapist in this area my suggestion is to visit our professional website. amtamassage.org
then click on
find a massage therapist. This will give you a list of professionally trained licensed and bonded massage therapist near you.
Thank you to everyone who has supported my practice through the years. I am happy to see all of my regular clients in my studio. Email me at padanarammassage@comcast.net to check the schedule. My new pricing beginning Sept.1, 2019 is $80 per hour for your customized massage.

My name is Faith Sweetser Barry. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (license #4890). My private practice is in the Greater Dartmouth area.

I  have a very select clientele ranging in age from 10yrs to 101!  My approach comes from a place of healing and comfort. Study of techniques to help with sports fatigue and injuries as well as chronic disease are central to my practice.

Please feel free to email me-padanarammassage@comcast.net or text me at 508-951-2140

I offer a one hour massage at my home studio for $75 or,

with references I will come to you for $85

A  90 minute massage is $115 or  $125

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I appreciate my regular clients~your loyalty means everything to me. During the busy season of the summer please know that I will do my best to offer you an appointment at your preferred time.

If you are a new client please be sure to let me know who referred you!

And to all my clients – Thank you for your trust! I will do my best to be on time and ready to go, our time is precious! There will be an additional charge if there is a need for me to wait more than 10 minutes for the start of your massage~~

Please be sure to let me know if you have any allergies or health concerns.

Outcall clients ~ I bring every thing for your massage, all I need is space to work! If you have pets, they will not bother me, please don’t be concerned.

Wow! What a winter. Even here on the Southeastern corner of Massachusetts we are inundated with snow. Very little melting, just more snow. It’s a tough combination on any age bodies– shoveling, walking carefully, slipping, shivering – ugh.  AND

The ceiling over my studio at TRENZ caved in! Due to the snow and then leaking above. So I am no longer seeing clients there. But I have set up a nice space in the front room of my house. It’s warm and quiet, and my assistant Teddy Ballgame greets everyone at the door and makes them feel welcome. A good spot to relax and heal those tired, cold muscles.

“When should I come back?” It’s a question I am frequently asked and LOVE to hear. The answer is…..as often as possible!
If you have an injury~-falling, a fender bender, etc. Your medical practitioner should you give you the go ahead for massage. Then at least two or three massage sessions pretty close together will make a good, positive dent in your discomfort.
Say you did too much skiing, or bike riding. Get thee to your massage therapist! All those strained tired muscles need some help! And go back on a regular basis to get maximum benefit. Every three-four weeks is the most common interval.
Are you always feeling tense? or tight? Get a massage! And then….as soon as you feel even a little bit stiff get another! You will soon see how long or short the time between massages should be.
Getting regular massage really is as necessary as getting your hair cut! Put it into your planner and stick to it. In my practice I offer a discount to clients who book five or more massages. There is no club to join, you always get to see me, no surprises. If you are not one of my clients ask your massage therapist~ “Do you have any package deals?” And get started on a good habit.
Peace

Obviously..the answer is me. No,really,I am not. But I recently spent the weekend taking classes with some of the best in the U.S. And it got me thinking about what makes a great massage therapist and how one can discern a good therapist,the right one for whatever issues. In Massachusetts there are over 9,000 licensed massage therapists. Which one is which?

In March I joined a whole lot of massage folks at the AMTA NERC-that is the American Massage Therapist Assoc.New England Regional Conference. All licensed massage therapists in this state (and most other states) must be certified,bonded and insured. So there’s your first parameter~the therapist should hold a Massachusetts license and belong to either AMTA or AMBP(Assoc. of Massage and Bodywork Professionals). These associations check credentials,licensing and education,require ongoing education as well as provide necessary insurance.

Before arriving at the conference I had no idea there were so many LMT’s in the state. Altho I don’t know how many in attendance were specifically from Mass.,I think it’s fair to say maybe 10% of Licensed Massachusetts therapists were in attendance. Here I was at a well-known,well run conference,priced reasonably, a varied selection of classes~~where is everyone? There were a LOT of people there but remember 6 states were represented! And I am pretty sure there weren’t more than 900 people from Mass. Why wouldn’t you spend some time getting new ideas and techniques to share with your clients. For me-that’s the next criterion–what was the last class your massage therapist took and when? Come on people!!

Then the framework should get a little more personal. What kind of setting do you like? Would you prefer receiving massage in your home? or in a spa? Some people absolutely do not want to know their therapist,some HAVE to know theirs. Male or Female? Always a BIG question. My most consistent massage partner is a good guy named Mike. We went to Massage School together,and when he graduated and was ready to practice-sexism was a huge issue for him. He had to give away massage to establish his reputation. I can understand women’s hesitation. If a friend recommends a massage therapist~that’s a good sign. Another idea is to inquire if they offer chair or hand/foot massage. With these modalities you are fully clothed and you can test out your “creepy-meter”. Listen to your gut.

Is price a criteria? Wellll,yes and no. If you stay at a nice resort or city hotel,you will pay upwards of $150-$350 for a massage that I do for $55-$85. But that’s no surprise. If you go to a place that is cheap cheap cheap and the menu says–“Backrub”-chances are good you are not working with licensed massage therapists. So even tho’ it’s only $35…..please….take your tired self elsewhere.

Style and technique-major criterion. Because after you ascertain the LMT is; a. truly licensed, b. gets on-going education, c.has a setting you prefer and doesn’t creep you out,and d.is priced right for you~you also have to get the massage you need. Swedish? Deep tissue? cranial-sacrum? zero-balancing? Rolfing? Sports massage? Amma? what the hell is that? aaargh! What do all of these things mean? Look it up! Research the type of massage a practitioner does and see if it sounds good to you. Honestly-Google ‘Amma massage’ right now. I have been trained extensively in Amma. I don’t do a full Amma in my practice but I do incorporate it into my therapeutic work. Deep tissue-means a lot of different things to a lot of people. Yup,when my elbow sinks into your knotted muscle,that’s deep tissue. But I don’t do a total massage with that because I don’t want you to hate me. And if you spend an hour on the table getting tortured? Not my style.

Who is the BEST massage therapist for you? After licensing and education it is the person who you trust will do a good job,care about your well-being and listen to what you are trying to accomplish by getting a massage. Don’t hesitate to try someone out,if it’s not the right experience for you? Try again,the best massage therapist is out there somewhere.

It is clearly miserable outside. Mid-winter blues are setting in big time. What to do? Let me think about this for a minute…..

GET OUTSIDE!   I know, I know that’s crazy talk.  There is an exhilaration to facing a stormy day-even an incredibly awful day like today.  “Faith” -you say- “it’s not even snowing!”  Honestly,as someone who is owned by a Golden Retriever,I can tell you;bundle up-put on your sunglasses to protect your eyes and pretend that it is actually sunny, and go outside!  Even just a few minutes braving the elements will get you going.  Really~do you want to spend your life ducking in and out of cars and buildings?  Or is it more fun to say to your friends and co-workers~”What are you talking about? I was out marching about for 15 minutes! It was great!”

TURN ON THE T.V.!  whaaaaa?  On-demand t.v. has yoga for beginners, Bollywood dancing, 90’s style step classes. If you have a Wii or that other thing-try out some golf, or bowling (do you know there is actually an injury that I see that I call Wii Elbow from people doing too much Wii?) or BOXING! How about Just Dance? Do you have that in your DVD cabinet? Guitar Hero?  Any of those things shake off the blues,give it a try.

of course GET A MASSAGE!  Cold,miserable,stiff or in pain from overdoing my other suggestions? Call your massage therapist. Ask for a Swedish massage with aromatherapy~and you want the room warm.  Swedish Massage is all about relaxation BUT it still moves your muscles(a different form of exercise),increases your circulation,gets fluid moving through your joints.  And the aromatherapy? Pick something that’s a pick-me-up like a mint family or a mellowout like lavender or sandalwood. You will feel so much better.

BUY SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES,PUT THEM IN THE OVEN AND READ A BOOK!  needs no explanation.

I have already done one of these things on this lousy day,no chance for a massage but I will massage my feet and break out some aromatherapy after I work and then…..I think I will skip to the cookies and a good book. How about you

Had a new client this week. New to me. New to massage. Got me thinking about all of the questions about massage that I get asked,and the ones that don’t get asked.

“Do I have to get naked?” is probably the most frequent question that doesn’t get asked.  But it’s lurking there,alll the time!   NO! You do not have to get naked!  I will step out of the room.  Please undress to your level of comfort.  Most frequently a client takes off all clothing except their boxers/unders. You are covered by a sheet and a blanket.  I have yet to see a naked client NOR do I want to!  During the massage I only undrape the area that I am working.  So,no,you do not have to get naked.

“Can I talk to you during the massage or do I have to stay quiet?”  It’s your massage,talk if you like, or not.  If you speak to me,I will answer you,if you don’t speak to me,I won’t!  Some clients like to talk to me until they feel comfortable,some~like my sister Suzy~chatter away the whole massage!  I have a weekly client who does both-she will tell me when she arrives that she is going to be quiet,or that she is tired and will zone out,or “I have SO many things to tell you!”  Whatever you prefer.

“I didn’t shave my legs~I am so embarrassed!”  Doesn’t matter to me!  Don’t worry about shaving your legs or getting a pedicure etc. You should arrive for your massage showered and at ease.  Please don’t imbibe alcohol,smoke pot etc.before a massage. It’s just not smart. And if you have taken any pain medication~tell me!

“Does it have to hurt? My last massage hurt”  Absolutely not! Screaming silently in pain does not a good massage make.   A long time ago I had a very soft spoken client who was clearly quite rugged.  No matter how my elbow dug in~not a peep! Even when I asked him!  The only way I could tell I was hurting him?  His feet would come off of the table!!

and last but not least-probably the most ASKED question

“Do YOU get massage?”   Yes, I do!! And when I win the Mega-millions, I will get a massage every day!

Snowy Sundays-so terrific for catching up, reflection, warming your feet by the fire after a good round of shoveling. Often-it’s when my cell phone rings!  Weekend warriors who might otherwise plow their car thru the snow and go to work-decide they will handle this snow themselves! And get every last flake off that driveway.  So the back is twisted,aching,a little twinge starting in that right elbow..etc. “Help Faith! Can’t hardly move”   Massage is a good answer and I love what I do enough to drag myself off the couch and respond.  Unless it’s still snowing and blowing about 40knots!

Anywho-some ideas-these have nothing to do with ‘Should you be shoveling at all?’  ‘Am I going to give myself a heart attack?’ If you are asking yourself that…don’t do it.

1. Put the shovel down way before you are tired. And don’t try to do it all in one fell swoop. Bend ze knees! Wait–forget all that—Find a 12 year old and give them $10 to do it for you. Or $20,whatever.
2. Icing the overworked muscles as soon as you can will help a lot.  The conventional wisdom used to be hot shower to reduce lactic acid buildup but there is a lot of disagreement  around now.
3. If you are one of my clients-you might have some China Gel~slap that on! You can use it as much as you like but don’t forget to wash your hands;nothing like China gel in your eye.

Do some gentle stretches, get down with some gentle yoga. And yes, get a massage a.s.a.p.  There’s nothing like it for a back that’s just plain tired. Even it’s just from reaching for your wallet to pay the young flexible neighbor kid.

Thanks for checking in on my new blog.  Massage to soothe,healing touch,relaxing ideas. My favorite quote about massage is from something Maya Angelou said   “I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a  friendly pat on the back.”