Frequently Asked Questions

  • We ask that you provide 48 hours to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If there are reschedules or cancellations with less than 48 hours notice, the client will be subject to a charge of %100 of their total treatment cost which will be automatically charged to the card on file. Benefits cannot be utilized for the purpose of covering cancellation fees.

    If for any reason, that balance is not cleared, the patient with the outstanding balance will be unable to book with any practitioner at our clinic in the future, until the balance is cleared. A deposit or request to pay in full may be requested by the patient for future bookings as well.

    Since we are paid per treatment, and not hourly, this is to provide financial security to everyone at the clinic!

    We may (at Miranda's and the scheduled practitioner's discretion) allow for one reschedule due to illness with less than 48 hour's notice, under 2 conditions:

    1 - You phone our phone service at 780-237-5665 and reschedule directly while on the phone.

    2 - You are a recurring patient that has built trust with the clinic by having been in for treatments before already with no recently charged last minute cancellations or late reschedules on file.

    If you have any questions or unsure if your late cancellation reason is an emergency that qualifies, please don't hesitate to call 780-237-5665. Thank you for your understanding!

  • Yes! Since we are located out of Evolve Strength Downtown, we offer free 2 hour parking. Don’t forget to register your license plate at the front desk to access the free parking, and remember to “opt in” to marketing emails when you create your first booking, as you will be sent a map of where to park in the initial email.

  • Yes! Feel free to let the front staff know you have arrived for your treatment with Strive Holistic, grab a free towel and enjoy a steam for as long as you like prior to your treatment start time (or after your treatment too!)

  • There is no Strive Holistic sign outside. Since we are located within Evolve Strength Downtown, you will see the Evolve sign. Strive Holistic is room #104 inside.

CLINIC FAQs

  • Click the “Book Now” button on the website and you’ll be led to the area where you can see all rates and services prior to booking.

  • Yes, we certainly can! As long as the practitioner you wish to see isn’t fully booked for the day, we can accommodate a same day treatment.

    Please be aware that our practitioners are not on site, waiting on call however. This is why we have a “Call To Book” button that displays when the treatment you wish to book is less than 6 hours from the desired time. When you call our business line requesting a same day appointment, I notify the practitioner you wish to book with and ensure they can drive to the clinic and be prepared and given proper notice for the massage treatment!

  • It greatly varies based on the person! Here are a couple of several things that could be considered before booking:

    How long has it been since my last treatment or receiving manual therapy in general? Your tissues may respond a little more slowly or differently to manual manipulation, and we may want to treat with a bit more caution at first if it’s been a long time since you’ve received a therapeutic massage treatment.

    How many concerns do I need addressed? I find that 60 minutes of treatment time, especially when an initial assessment is required, is not enough time to treat the full body. If you desire a full body treatment and are new to the clinic, and especially if it’s been a few months since you last received treatment, consider booking 75 or 90 minutes.

    Do I have previous injuries, surgeries, whiplash, chronic pain, or other possible unique aspects of my body to consider that may take more time? Things like scar tissue from previous surgeries, chronic pain that may take a longer assessment period, or other concerns that may compound on other issues must be considered and will likely need more time for the practitioner to properly assess. You may wish to add a little more time with these considerations in mind.

    Most new patients are familiar with a 60 minute treatment time, so that is most often what will be booked as an initial treatment, but I invite you to consider the above before booking your first treatment!

    If you have any questions about how much time to book prior to reserving your treatment, please feel free to email us at info@striveholistic.com, or call/text 780-237-5665.

Treatment FAQs

  • Thai Massage is a clothed massage that is offered on a firm yet comfortable floor mat, using no massage oils. It utilizes techniques that include compression, stretching, twisting, and joint manipulations. The session follows an ebb and flow rhythm of pressing and stretching the entire body which typically takes longer than a standard therapeutic massage which is why the minimum bookable time for this type of treatment is 90 minutes or more.

  • A Thai massage focuses on the slow, passive range of movement of the client, coupled with deep diaphragmatic breathing with the practitioner and client in a rhythmic ebb and flow. The practitioner performing a therapeutic massage can sometimes utilize treatments like Graston Technique, cupping therapy, neuromuscular stimulation, cross friction or other more stimulating techniques.

    As a result, the results from a Thai massage can sometimes leave the client feeling lighter, looser, and deeply relaxed, whereas the traditional therapeutic massage can leave the client feeling relaxed, but also stimulated or “worked over”, with a deeper penetrative feeling to the tissues if the type of session calls for that. This will be discussed between practitioner and client at the time.

    To learn more about Thai massage, (and we recommend seeing a Thai massage treatment in action), head to our Thai massage page here!

  • Since you will remain clothed for your treatment, please wear yoga pants, a tank top or T-shirt, or other looser sweatpants or clothing that you are able to feel comfortable in.

  • Absolutely not! That’s like saying you need to become more flexible before going to a yoga class to work on flexibility. The assistance of a great thai massage can help your joints feel more mobile, and flexible if these are the results you’re seeking over time. the client and practitioner discusses the desired treatment results beforehand.

  • The answer is, it varies based on your goals! We have clients that have fallen in love with Thai massage and request this only, and some clients who like to alternate. Some clients try it once, and prefer table massage only. I recommend for you to try it once, and based on how you feel about the results, a protocol will be offered by the practitioner at that time.

THAI MASSAGE FAQs

  • Cupping feels like a slight pull to the skin that may feel temporarily and briefly tingly, a little itchy, or tight, but it should not feel painful. The sensation of tingling, itchiness or tight pulling of the skin should also subside quite quickly during a massage treatment. It’s encouraged to communicate with your practitioner if you are too uncomfortable at any time! Check out our massage therapy page to learn more about cupping, and the different types of cupping techniques offered.

  • The red circular marks left behind by the cups are NOT bruises. They very rarely hurt. Bruises are caused by impact trauma that breaks capillaries in the injured area. But there is NO compression or impact trauma when cupping is done correctly.

  • It depends on the person - the practitioner monitors the colouration of the cup mark underneath, and takes it off a few minutes after it starts to change colour. The time frame could be anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, or of course based on the client’s comfort level of the sensation being felt. View a cupping treatment in action on the massage cupping page by clicking here.

  • Yes, absolutely! We understand you may not feel comfortable with the markings being left on your skin. This can be a more common request during the summertime when we’re wearing bathing suits! If you really do not want the cup marks left on the skin, a dynamic (i.e. sliding) cupping technique is also available. The depth of stagnant blood and the benefits gained by blood flow between separated fascial tissue may not be the same, as the longer the cup is left on the skin, the deeper penetrating therapy you may receive. However, similar results can be yielded when the practitioner continues to move the cup, never leaving it in one place for long. This ensures the markings are minimal (you may still receive slight pink markings regardless, no marks whatsoever cannot be guaranteed) and the fascial separation, allowing for blood flow and lymphatic stimulation can still benefit you during your treatment. To view the difference in the potential markings to your skin, check out the photo on our cupping page by clicking here!

    (Please note, this photo is of a client that had received cupping for the first time, so the marks are quite distinct and the results in markings can vary greatly. Reach out to us at info@striveholistic.com with any questions or concerns prior to booking your treatment if you like.)

  • The cups are typically left on anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the level of stagnant blood that is presenting underneath the cup.

CUPPING FAQs

  • The goal of the Graston technique is to break the adhesions formed in and around the muscles to bring inflammation to the area. The inflammation brought to the area will create a healing process that will not only heal the new micro-traumas caused by this technique; but will heal the original damaged tissue that caused the adhesions to form initially. The Graston Technique focuses on mobility and function of the body and removing the restrictions preventing the body from working optimally. It can be used to also reduce the look of scars; at Strive Holistic we offer a custom 20 minute scar tissue therapy treatment where we can work on a localized area to reduce the look of scar tissue using Graston Technique! To learn more about the Graston Technique, email us at info@striveholistic.com or check out our blog post here.

  • The goal of the Graston technique is to break the adhesions formed in and around the muscles to bring inflammation to the area. This will create a healing process that will not only heal the new micro-traumas caused by this technique; but will heal the original damaged tissue that caused the adhesions to form initially. To read more about this, we invite you to read the TMJD blog on our website.

    Did you know that Graston Technique can also be used as a specialty technique to reduce the look of scars? At Strive Holistic, we offer a custom 20 minute scar tissue therapy treatment where we can work on a localized area to reduce the look of scar tissue using Graston Technique!

    Be aware that the older the scar is, especially if it’s approximately 1 year old or older, it will take quite a few treatments to potentially see results. Your practitioner will determine if this is right for you.

    To learn more about the Graston Technique, or to ask questions about the specialty scar tissue treatment offered by the owner, Miranda Horvath, email us at info@striveholistic.com.

  • We’ll be straight with you - a treatment of this type can feel intense, as it is in your mouth and can feel a little invasive to some who feel apprehensive to try, but it is absolutely not painful. The practitioner moves very slowly and delicately within the structures of the mouth and jaw, and will request for feedback in the form of hand signals from the client to ensure they’re well within the range of the client’s tolerance.

    A carefully administered intra-oral treatment takes up about 20 minutes of a treatment, give or take - so if you’d like to add this to your treatment, but still need all of your regular work done on your body, we recommend bumping up your treatment length! If you typically receive a 60 minute treatment, try 75 minutes!

  • The simple answer is no! Every practitioner on our team is perfectly capable to serve you with an excellent intra-oral treatment that suits your treatment protocol. We all have specific training in this area to serve you; just book any treatment length and it can be incorporated! To determine if this treatment type is right for you, learn more by checking out our blog post about it here.

GRASTON &
Intra Oral FAQs

  • If the treatment protocol calls for that, then the answer is yes, we absolutely can! This is a therapy based type clinic, and our goal is results. We’ve frequently heard at this clinic that our treatments one of the most satisfying treatments they’ve received when it comes to our deep tissue treatments and the relief that’s felt. Our tagline is “massage therapy treatments your body craves” after all!

    To learn more about when, and why deep pressure is applied, and how to communicate with your massage therapist about your expectations for this, please visit our massage therapy page and head to the deep tissue section here, about halfway down the page.

  • Yes, but the practitioner reserves the right to refer out if the pregnancy is considered high risk or geriatric.

  • Please note that, although we connect deeply in the treatment room, especially with client’s we’ve been seeing for years, it remains a strictly professional service that is client-centered. Not only is it a strict personal boundary not to hang out with clients in a personal capacity of any kind outside the treatment room, whether that be friends or other companionship, but it is actually not allowed in accordance with the association bodies. It could get the RMT in trouble in the form of fines, or the clinic as a whole being under investigation, and going on your association record.

    Creating personal connections outside the treatment room greatly compromises the therapist-client relationship. Should a client request to see any RMT in clinic on their personal time, in any capacity, they will be referred to another practitioner in the clinic, and if the request is repeated, they will be referred to another clinic completely and not allowed to return. Thank you for your understanding of this boundary as it helps create our ability to serve you in the best professional capacity.

  • We work with other referring professionals all the time here. If you’d like us to get in touch with your physiotherapist, chiropractor or other practitioner, simply communicate this before your treatment begins, in addition to providing any ultrasound or other applicable information you think would be beneficial.

    We will need your referring professional’s name, phone number, and email, so that we may phone or email them to request your chart information if needed. It is possible we will send them an email, and CC you, to prove that you’d requested for us to contact them, and that you’ve provided written permission, if that is necessary. We will keep you informed at all times of the steps being taken to ensure we’ve collected all applicable chart notes from the other referring professional, and if we need any information from you specifically.

    We love working with, and learning from others!

Miscellaneous FAQs

Strive TO Reach your potential.