Last update: October 2021

Notices

​Paula is a remedy-focused, trauma-informed licensed massage therapist in a professional home office.
If you seek relaxation or pampering, please visit a spa.

I love being helpful, especially if it heals a person, place, or thing in some way. If I have helped you, please be so kind as to drop me a line or offer me a testimonial. Both keep me and my practice going.

Thank you for choosing to prepare, trust, and respect when working with Paula.

Directory

Hours

By Appointment Only, 10 AM - 4 PM

Appointments

  • Paula has always been a member of the vulnerable population and also suffered COVID pneumonia with lingering effects. As a consequence, appointment availability is dependent upon her health status. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.
  • Before requesting an appointment, all clients must read and agree to the office policies on this page. 
  • Until further notice: contact Paula to request an appointment or to be put on the waitlist.
  • Last minute appointments are not accepted for any reason. If you are hurting and cannot wait at least 72 hours to be seen, please go to your nearest emergency facility for help.
  • ​Please book with certainty of attendance. Small, private practices, like Paula's Body Shop, cannot easily accommodate cancellations or rescheduling.​

Payments

  • To leave Paula free to focus on you, all sessions are to be prepaid.
  • To make a payment, visit the Sessions page.
  • New clients are required to pay the same day as booking an appointment, or else appointment will be cancelled.
  • Returning clients may pay anytime prior to appointment, or by cash during appointment. If paying by cash, please say so at time of booking. 
  • Payments are processed by Square, and Square accepts: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, most HSA/FSA cards, and Square Gift Cards.​
  • Payments are nonrefundable, but are transferable to another person.

What to Expect When You Visit Paula

  • Please arrive on time, but not early for there is no waiting room.  There are shops and cafes around the corner on Amsterdam Avenue should you arrive sooner than expected. 
  • If intercom is not working, text your arrival to 212-663-8366.
  • Remove shoes after entering the office, and wash hands and face at the sink. 
  • During flu and pandemic season, client and therapist are required to wear a nose/mouth mask from start to finish. It is recommended to wear a clean, easy-to-breathe-in mask during your appointment. Standard surgical masks are easier to breathe in.
  • Arrive fragrance-free, whether from lotions, oils, or perfumes. This is an allergy and health issue for Paula and possibly you, too: Serious Health Issues Linked to Fragrance Chemicals. 
  • When you hire a licensed manual therapist, you are paying for their expertise. Be upfront with your objectives, health history, and any fear or discomfort you may experience. 
  • A person who has difficulty trusting will have a body that will have difficulty letting go, so please do your best for your sake. If you need help with this, it's okay to let your therapist know - during your appointment.
  • All forms of healing work are sacred. Paula handles sacred duties with a friendly integrity, and expects those she chooses to work with to treat her likewise. Any inappropriate behavior or attitudes will be treated as bullying and the session will end with no refund.
  • Paula participates in self-directed clinical research and communicates her findings as she goes along.
  • Occasionally, clients need more than Paula can give them. If this happens, you will be referred out. 
  • Paula is a naturally generous person and has often gone overtime to help clients, at her peril. Since COVID, this is no longer an option. Please do not ask for extra time. 
  • If Paula discovers that there is more going on than meets the eye, so to speak, she will say so and ask you to return at a future date to finish what was started. You will also be informed if another medical professional is needed.
  • Do not attempt to receive bodywork under the following conditions: Respiratory illness or recreational drug or alcohol use.
  • Alcohol consumption is not recommended for 24 hours after a bodywork session.
  • All clients will be given instructions regarding the 72-hours after every appointment that is vital to ensuring the best healing experience possible. Clients who do not follow these instructions do so at their own risk.
  • Most clients feel unusually spaced out after the longer session, this is normal, natural, and good! You will not be rushed, but do make an attempt to leave the office once dressed. You may finish grounding, if need be, at a nearby cafe like The Hungarian Pastry Shop across from the peaceful and world renowned grounds of St. John's Cathedral.
  • If any of the above makes you feel uncomfortable, Paula may not be the right therapist for you.
  • Is this your first time getting therapeutic massage or bodywork? Or did you have a bad experience once and are concerned about trying again? Maybe this will help: What Should I Know Before I Go?​ or FAQ.

Consultations, Confidentiality, and Other Minutiae

  • No post-therapy consults are given. Please keep track of your changes and save your questions for your follow-up appointment consultation.
  • Follow-up appointment consultations are about documenting what changed and for how long, so please keep track!
  • To serve everyone honestly and competently: 
    • No advance consults are given
    • No advance information will be given as to what methods Paula might use or how she might approach your particular situation
    • Medical history is taken at time of appointment not before. Note: This is less important than most people realize because most diagnoses are for insurance and medication purposes, not for resolving the issue.
    • Almost all conditions can be improved through connective tissue (fasciae) therapy under skilled hands - except for blood clots and bad attitudes. If you are high risk for blood clots, get permission from your medical professional for bodywork of any kind. We all have bad attitudes on occasion but they don't contribute to healing, so please leave yours at the door.
  • Immune-compromised individuals will receive a gentler, but no less effective session, appropriate to their condition. Eg. Cancer patients receiving chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, or clinical trial.
  • Confidentiality and privacy are guaranteed. Paula is passionate about sharing information, and may share stories about similar conditions, but to highlight a lesson learned, current research, or to bring comfort. No identifying or overly specific information will ever be shared. For the most-shared stories, permission has been asked for and received.
  • Little Extras: If you bring a bottle of water with you, you can have it 'charged' with BioSyntonie for free during your session for take-home. Non-metal containers preferred. If you would like your empty bottle filled, there is a $5 cash fee for this extra service.

Cancellation, Rescheduling, Perfume Policy, and Fees

Please book with certainty of attendance. Small, private practices, like Paula's Body Shop, cannot easily accommodate cancellations or rescheduling. Should you need to cancel, regardless of reason, keep the following in mind:
  • You may reschedule your  appointment at any time with at least 48-hours notice, although one week's notice is more helpful. 
  • If less than 48 hours but more than 24 hours notice is given, 50% of the session rate will be considered the cancellation/rescheduling fee, and must be paid prior to any future booking.
  • If no notice or 24-hours or less notice is given, this is a no-show with 100% of session rate as the fee, and must be paid prior to any future booking.
  • Any cancellation, reschedule, or no-show of any reduced-price session will result in the loss of whatever free time or discount was being used for that appointment.
  • Unfortunately, a few clients repeatedly ignored the no-scent requirement, causing Paula illness and increased hyper-sensitivity to fragrances. Therefore, any presence of synthetic scent may result in both service refusal and fees. Antiperspirant/deodorant is fine, except for Axe. Your understanding and acceptance of this policy is greatly appreciated. In general, whenever you have a doctor appointment, visit a hospital, or receive complementary or integrative care, you are both wise and considerate when you arrive fragrance-free.

Calculation of Rates

  • Paula keeps rates as low as she can afford to.
  • Paula does not reduce quality of care under any circumstances.
  • Paula's goal is to prioritize issues and accomplish as much as possible in the allotted time.
  • As a sole proprietor, Paula is unable to offer free or discounted services aside from what may be stated or marketed as a special. For free or discounted services, please contact larger, more funded operations. (While not at all the same, Tui Na is the Chinese Medicine version of connective tissue therapy as well as Thai massage. Both are available at affordable rates throughout the city. 

Referral (Incentive) Program - deferred until further notice

  • Existing clients may earn $50 off any session (except for the Quick fix) for each new client they refer who completes a regularly priced Extensive - the session that is recommended for all new clients.
  • For each qualified referral, you will receive an email stating the cumulative amount earned.
  • There are no time restrictions, but only one, $50 credit may be applied per qualified session booked.
  • Be sure your referral mentions you and be sure they book the Extensive, the one recommended for new clients!
  • To claim, mention at booking time that you would like to to claim your $50 credit.
  • Refer your active, licensed MDs, and earn $100 in credit!
  • Due to professional licensing laws related to conflict of interest, massage therapists, acupuncturists, doctors, chiropractors, and other licensed healthcare workers are excluded from receiving incentives for referrals of their own patients.
  • Any cancellation, reschedule, or no-show will result in the loss of any discount being used for that appointment.
  • To all who make referrals, whether you claim your discount or not - Thank you for helping me to help others and for helping to sustain my practice. I am deeply honored and grateful. ~ Paula

Gifting

  • To give a loved one a session with Paula:
    • Contact Paula with your name, the session you would like to purchase, and the name and email address of your recipient. If you want the email to go out at a specific date or time, or if you want to gift a person anonymously, be sure to mention it along with the other information.
    • You will receive an invoice via email that can be paid directly.
    • Once payment is received, your recipient will receive an email from Paula's Body Shop with a bcc to you.
  • If you already have a prepaid gift voucher, please leave a note about your gift voucher during booking.

Insurance and Receipts

  • Digital receipts for credit card payments are automatic. 
  • Receipts with added insurance information are available, upon request, for submission to insurance and/or flexible/health spending account plans, and are usually emailed within 48-hours after your appointment.
  • Contact your insurance company to see if and under what conditions massage therapy is covered.
  • Unfortunately New York State insurers offer little to no coverage for this valuable therapy.
  • In Washington state, massage is covered 100%, because the head of the insurance industry there knows the health benefits of massage. So, please feel free to contact your State Representative and demand access to this remedial and preventive care.

Mail

  • Square is used to make paying easy and to send transactional emails. Please check your spam folder, first, should you feel you are missing an important email.
  • Please whitelist emails from...
    • @squareup.com
    • @messaging.squareup.com
    • @communications.squareup.com
  • Paula doesn't like spam any more than you do. Therefore, only a few marketing emails per year will be sent from Paula's Body Shop, usually from a direct mail service, to advise you of important information or changes. 
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