Frequently Asked Questions

You undress to your comfort level, and you're always professionally draped: only the area being worked on is ever uncovered. If you'd rather stay partially clothed or want certain areas left untouched, just let me know, no explanation needed.

Sessions are built around what you ask for and how you respond in the moment. Speak up any time to go lighter or deeper, there's no need to push through pressure that's uncomfortable.

New clients receive an online intake form two days before their visit, with a reminder 24 hours out. We'll go over it together at the start of your appointment so I can tailor the work and maximize our table time.

Not to schedule a consultation, but if your visit relates to a recent or upcoming surgery, I will need confirmation that your surgeon has cleared you for MLD before beginning post-operative sessions.

It depends on your procedure and your surgeon's clearance, but general guidelines: for lighter procedures like liposuction, BBL (avoiding the fat-transfer area), and blepharoplasty, MLD can often begin as early as 24–48 hours post-op. Surgeries with larger incisions, like tummy tucks, breast procedures, or facial lifts, typically start around day 4, once any surgical drains have been removed. From there, treatment progresses with your healing: sessions can move closer to the incision as swelling softens around the one-week mark, and gentle scar and fibrosis work typically begins around two weeks out. Sessions are often most frequent in the first week (daily is common) and taper to every other day in the second. Most clients find these guidelines, together with their surgeon's recommendations, give them enough to plan around. If you'd like more personal guidance before booking, though, feel free to reach out, I'm happy to talk through your specific procedure and recovery with you over the phone.

I'm not a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT), so I don't diagnose or manage lymphedema, including compression bandaging or garment fitting, on my own, this includes lymphedema risk after breast cancer surgery with lymph node removal, and recovery from lymphatic reconstructive surgery like LVA or lymph node transfer, both of which call for a CLT's specialized training. If you're already in the maintenance phase of lymphedema care under a CLT or physician, I can provide supplemental MLD sessions alongside that care.

My post-surgical training (MLD-C and CPST certifications through the Academy of Lymphatic Studies) centers on cosmetic and reconstructive procedures like liposuction, tummy tucks, BBLs, and breast augmentation, reduction, or lift, along with general post-surgical swelling from orthopedic procedures. If your procedure isn't listed here, reach out and we can figure out together whether it's a good fit.

For post-surgical visits, intake also covers your procedure, timeline, and any surgeon guidance, alongside your general health history, so your sessions stay coordinated with your recovery.

If you're post-surgical, bring any compression garments you've been prescribed and wear them to your appointment if instructed to by your surgeon. Otherwise, loose, comfortable clothing is fine.

Post-surgical sessions run 60 or 90 minutes depending on your procedure, and most people book a 7- or 10-session series to cover the first few weeks of recovery (single sessions are available too).

See full session lengths, pricing, and package details on the Manual Lymphatic Drainage page

I don't bill insurance directly, but HSA and FSA funds can be used for any service, massage or MLD. Let me know if you need a receipt for reimbursement.

Please give at least 24 hours notice if you need to reschedule or cancel, less notice than that, along with no-shows and missed appointments, is charged in full. Arriving late may mean a shortened session rather than a shifted end time, so I can stay on schedule for the client after you. For package and series clients, as much advance notice as possible helps keep your recovery schedule, and everyone else's, on track.