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CL ASSROOM TO CLIENT TIP #8: ENTRANCE AND RECEPTION When choosing a business location, consider its accessibility. Are doorways, hallways, and restroom entrances wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair? Is there enough space around furniture to accommodate someone in a cast and on crutches? Does a long fl ight of stairs make the business prohibitive for the elderly or clients with disabilities? Is parking convenient and user-friendly, or will clients have to spend the fi rst 10 minutes of the session looking for a space and end up feeling stressed? The reception area must be friendly, neat, and functional. Magazines, a retail area, tea or water, comfortable chairs, and attractive furnishings help ensure clients' comfort. TIP #9: THE DRESSING AREA Carefully plan the space where clients remove their clothing before the session and get dressed afterward. A screened-off area provides a sense of privacy and decreases the client's anxiety that the therapist might walk into the room unexpectedly. Place a chair and hooks behind the screen where clients can hang their clothing. A small container for personal items like keys and jewelry helps ensure clients do not misplace or forget them. A box of tissue, disposable wet wipes, and mirror are useful as well. Notes 1. W. E. Knight and N. S. Rickard, "Relaxing Music Prevents Stress-Induced Increases in Subjective Anxiety, Systolic Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Healthy Males and Females," Journal of Music Therapy 38, no. 4 (2001): 254–72. 2. R. E. Krout, "The Effects of Single-Session Music Therapy Interventions on the Observed and Self-Reported Levels of Pain Control, Physical Comfort, and Relaxation of Hospice Patients," American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care 18, no. 6 (November-December 2001): 383–90. 3. B. Thorgaard et al., "Specially Selected Music in the Cardiac Laboratory—An Important Tool for Improvement of the Well-Being of Patients," European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 3, no. 1 (April 2004): 21–6. Anne Williams is the director of education for Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals and author of Massage Mastery: from Student to Professional (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012), from which this article was adapted, and Spa Bodywork: A Guide for Massage Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006). She can be reached at anne@abmp.com. F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 33