What to Expect

Upon arrival, please complete our intake form, providing essential medical history and session preferences. Your therapist will then guide you to your room to discuss your personalized massage plan, which you can adjust as needed.

You’ll have privacy to undress to your comfort level, with many clients opting to fully undress. Your therapist will respect your boundaries and work around any clothing you choose to leave on, ensuring your comfort. During the massage, they’ll uncover and work only on agreed-upon areas, adjusting pressure and technique based on your feedback.

Your comfort is paramount, so please communicate any discomfort or preferences throughout the session. We strive to provide an enjoyable and therapeutic experience tailored to your needs. Your feedback, whether before, during, or after the massage, is always welcome and crucial in ensuring your satisfaction.

We recommend that you fill out your intake form before you arrive. Also, please review our parking and policies to be prepared for your appointment.

Amazing massages! Warm, inviting atmosphere that is clean and comfortable. Amanda’s staff really makes you feel like family. All the therapists have a wide variety of skill and technique.
-T.E.


Policies

24 Hour Cancellation Policy:

When you make an appointment, we reserve that time especially for you, and we do not give it to anyone else. Therefore, if we do not receive a cancellation or reschedule request 24 hours before the scheduled appointment, you will be charged the full cost of the session. If we are able to fill that time, we will waive the fee. If a late cancel for a hot stone or cupping appointment is not filled with the same service, the additional $20 fee may also apply to the cancellation charge.

If you have incurred 3 (paid) no-shows or late cancels within 6 months, you will be expected to pre-pay for all future appointments. You may also “walk-in” to see if we have anything open at any time, but you will not be able to reserve an appointment time on our schedule without paying for it first.

If your account remains active and in good standing for 6 months, the pre-pay stipulation will be removed from your account.

Same Day cancellation policy:

We welcome our clients to call for same day appointments. We do ask that if a client is making a same day appointment, they be certain they’re able to attend. Because of our 24 hour cancellation policy, a cancelled same day appointment will be charged for the full session cost unless we are able to fill that time.

If, however, we are able to book an appointment during your time slot after you have cancelled (in both the above scenarios) you will not be charged.
If it is your first time booking with us we ask that you prepay for your massage appointment. Using prepayment methods after that time is optional.
If you wish to make an appointment for another individual, and this is your first time visiting us, we ask that you prepay for the appointment.
We strive to keep the massage environment peaceful at all times. Please turn off or silence your cell phone prior to entering the building. Please keep your voice volume level low.
Our therapists plan to bring you into the room at the time your appointment is scheduled for. We start timing the massage the moment we begin the actual massage, provided that the client is on time for the appointment. Whenever we can make reasonable adjustments we do, however, we will not keep the next client waiting because the previous client was late. The full price of the scheduled appointment is what we charge.
Many of our clients have standing appointments, which is great! However, if you are consistently missing or changing your standing appointment, we will no longer be able to hold the time for you and we ask that you call in for your appointment at a time when you know you can make it in.
Parking is limited here and fills up quick, please allow extra time to park. There are two spots directly in front of the building (One that is marked “Breckels Massage Therapy Loading Zone” – which is a free spot for clients to use, and one behind that spot which has a city meter). There are also two free angled spots directly behind the building. To access those spots you need to drive through the restaurant parking lot and keep turning right behind us until you see our signs. Please pull all the way into those spots as to not block the neighbor's garages. Lastly, there is ample parking across the street on Mack, or in the residential side streets like Harvard and Grayton.

Please do not park in the neighboring restaurant's parking lot!

 


Timing

At Breckels Massage Therapy, a one-hour massage lasts one full hour.  Once settled in your room, your therapist will ensure a full session (assuming a punctual arrival). We schedule time between massages to attend to any needs, as we prioritize a relaxed, unhurried experience. At our studio, time naturally slows down, and we aim to never rush your session.


Benefits of Massage

Each person will respond to massage differently. Each therapist will offer a different style of massage. Research shows us new and interesting things every day about the benefits of massage. While we cannot guarantee any effects of massage, these are a few of the many general expected benefits that massage offers:

  • Relieves pain from various causes
  • Improves flexibility and range of motion
  • Decreases soft tissue tension (skin, muscles, connective tissue called fascia that connects everything in the body)
  • Stimulates lymph flow (the fluid in the lymphatic system that surrounds our body’s tissues and into the blood circulation and is partly responsible for our body’s ability to fight infections)
  • Increases circulation
  • Reduces levels of cortisol in the blood (the hormone that is produced in the body, usually from stressful events, and may cause inflammation)
  • Relieves stress
  • Relieves headaches
  • Enhances rehabilitation (from surgery, injury, and athletic training)
  • Improves sleep
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Reduces anxiety

If you have a specific condition that you would like to know if massage can help with, don’t hesitate to contact us; we would be happy to discuss your personal needs.


History

Breckels Massage Therapy began its journey in 1985, founded by Betsy Breckels. Starting as a solo therapist, Betsy provided treatments at various locations and house calls. Over time, our studio found its home in different spots across Detroit and Grosse Pointe, finally settling on Mack Avenue in 2004, boasting six inviting treatment rooms.

In June 2017, Betsy passed the torch to her Business Manager and Massage Therapist, Amanda, ensuring the same quality care and beloved staff, including Betsy herself. With a shared vision for growth, Amanda leads our team in delivering professional, skilled massages to Detroit and beyond.

Our team has expanded to include many licensed therapists, welcoming receptionists, and even Betsy’s son, Jeff, who helps keep things running smoothly with our extensive laundry needs.

Many of our clients have been with us since the early days, witnessing our evolution. We cherish our original logo, affectionately known as ‘The Breckels Girl,’ a nostalgic reminder of our roots. However, in 2019, we embraced change and enlisted a graphic designer to craft a new logo that better reflects our modernized identity and inclusive community.

Our old logo the Breckels Girl

Our old logo, prior to 2019

While we hold a special place for the Breckels Girl, our new logo embodies our passion for quality massage therapy and warmly welcomes all our clients.


Feedback

Our philosophy has always been to provide the very best massage therapy suited to each client’s specific needs. We take pride in our work, and we cherish your feedback. Of course, we love the wonderful compliments we hear every day, but we also value your suggestions on improving your massage experience. Please let us know if there is any way we can improve our service. All feedback is welcomed and encouraged!