POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The following are policies to which you agree to abide by when you book a session in the San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork Student Clinic.

Basic Clinic Policies:

• Please observe good personal hygiene practices and arrive to your appointment as fresh as possible.
• Do not wear scents such as perfume or cologne as these can be irritating to fellow clients and/or to students.
• Abstain from using drugs or alcohol prior to your session as these are contraindicated for massage (massage should NOT be performed).
• Please turn off all cellphones and personal electronic devices.
• Students are legally unable to accept tips from clients, please refrain from tipping.
• Clients are responsible for all personal belongings; SFSM assumes no liability for missing items.
• Student massage sessions are intended to enhance and support classroom learning for our students, while we may be able to accommodate special technique or specific student requests, we cannot guarantee that such requests will be granted. However, please let the student know if you need more or less pressure, if you are hot or cold, if you need to use the rest room or have any other needs and we will try to accommodate them as best as possible.
• Please fill out the intake form thoroughly upon arriving as some medical conditions may be exacerbated by massage therapy. If your student practitioner is unaware of a preexisting condition that may be contraindicated for massage, they cannot adjust their session to reduce the risk to your health. Please note, we observe strict confidentiality of all client health information.
• We reserve the right to refuse service to any customer for violating any of the above or for any other reason deemed appropriate by management.

San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork Student Clinic General Policies:

• The massage services offered at the SFSM Student Clinic are strictly for therapeutic purposes. Any overtly sexual behavior, advances, or comments will result in an immediate termination of the session, a full charge for the session regardless of completion, blacklisting from attending future SFSM Student Clinics and legal action as/if appropriate.
• Massage is not a replacement for professional medical care! Massage therapy is intended to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and help to alleviate localized muscular tension. Massage therapists and massage therapy students are not able to diagnose, prescribe for or treat any medical conditions and are not capable of providing medical advice. All medical questions should be directed to your primary care provider.
• Student massage therapists are assigned at the discretion of the Clinic Manager, prejudicial requests for a massage therapist of a specific gender, body type, age, race, etc. will be NOT accommodated under any circumstances.
• Any client under 18 years old is required to have a parent/guardian present in the massage area for the duration of the massage.

Business Policies:

• A valid credit card is required to reserve an appointment.
• Our online scheduling partner, MINDBODY.com, will send out an email reminder for appointments 24 hours prior to your scheduled session. However, keeping your appointment is solely your responsibility whether a confirmation email or phone call is received or not; these are just offered as a courtesy.
• SFSM observes a 24 hour cancellation policy. In the event that a cancellation is made less than 24 hours prior to the session a $10 fee will be assessed.
• Student massage sessions are intended as a learning/teaching environment; as such it may be necessary for an instructor to enter the massage space to assist a student or provide instruction specific to your massage session. In the event that an instructor does need to enter the massage space, their presence would be announced.
• In the event that your student massage therapist calls out sick, we will try our best to accommodate your session with another student. If we are unable to reschedule you with another student, we will contact you as soon as possible to assist in rescheduling your appointment for a future date.
• Massage sessions will begin and end promptly at the scheduled times. If you are late, you are still responsible for the entire fee for your session.
• Your session may be cancelled if you are 15 minutes or more late and have not called to alert SFSM and will be considered a "No-show".
• "No-shows" for appointments will be charged the total fee for their scheduled session.