Issue 4: Draping Procedures
Question: How do I explain proper draping procedures to my clients to avoid awkward situations and misunderstandings?
Answer: Draping is one issue that even the most seemingly informed client sometimes has difficulty understanding. If you do not clearly communicate proper draping procedures or if your clients misunderstand the procedures, a very awkward situation can exist for both parties.
It is easy to assume that clients inherently know to remain under the sheet on the massage table. It is not unusual, however, for a therapist to walk in on a nude client lying on top of the sheets.
The most effective way I have devised to handle this situation is twofold. First, I include a “what to expect from your massage session” section in my business brochure that includes a paragraph regarding draping protocol.
Secondly, when a client comes in for her first appointment, I review my draping procedures with her again to make sure she fully understands them, and ask if she has any questions before the session begins.
While most of the time my draping explanations have proven sufficient, there have been instances in which I have explained the draping process to the client and asked him to begin by lying face up and under the sheet. Then a few minutes later, I will re-enter the treatment room and find him lying face down, nude, on top of the sheets! When this type of misunderstanding occurs, it is sometimes an innocent case of client confusion.
There have been times, however, when I have felt that clients deliberately ignored my draping protocol. When this happens, I simply look away and tell the client that my profession’s ethical standards call for uniform draping procedures and that I must adhere to them. This proclamation is sometimes followed by a protest, but most clients comply and the session resumes.
If you find that a client is becoming belligerent and refuses to conform to your standards, you have the right to terminate the massage immediately and request full payment for the session...
