For adults, I usually begin with a intake session, which may take up to two hours; these usually take less time virtually than in person, because when we work virtually, we usually don’t include shiatsu. (I can actually do a distant qigong version of shiatsu with you, although the skeptic in me doesn’t approve of this—but it does seem to work, despite my misgivings. Anyway, that’s only upon request.) After that, we usually move to shorter sessions; if we’re meeting in person for shiatsu, these usually run about 75 minutes. If shiatsu is part of what we do, and you are an adult, or have an adult-sized body and set of issues, shorter sessions will generally not suffice. If our work is entirely virtual, then we may work via Zoom, or by phone or texting.

Labor inductions run at least two hours, sometimes three. These are always in person.

For young children, 30-45 minutes is enough for an in-person treatment. (45 minutes allows time for training the parent in acupressure techniques appropriate to the child. Training the parent virtually may take longer, but we would simply take more sessions to cover the work.)

For older children 45-60 minutes are appropriate for in-person work; for teens, full-length sessions may work better.

Private Qi Gong lessons are generally one hour.

There is a wide range in what people charge for similar work, but at this point, rates in our area generally range from $70-$200 for a 60-minute session, and about 2/3 of that for 30 minutes, and more for longer. At this point in time, I am working on a radically sliding scale where you pay what you chose, $0-$300 an hour.

I try to keep the bottom end of the scale below what’s widely available so as to keep it affordable for people who can’t afford most of what’s out there; if it’s still out of reach for you, feel free to ask about barter and Time Trade Circle sessions. The upper end of the scale is in line with the higher end of what’s out there and is designed to keep our work sustainable.

There are many ways to think about how much you should pay me. The most important is to find an amount that will allow you to come as often as makes sense for your well-being. Another way of thinking about this is as an exchange of Qi.

Other questions you may want to ponder are what you yourself (or your partner, your parent, or someone else whose income establishes your lifestyle) make per hour, how our society values various kinds of work and how you value them, what you will feel good about paying, what feels sustainable to you, and what sustainable means. In the ideal world, we all collectively give enough to meet everyone’s needs without impeding our ability to meet our own.

The sliding scale is based on the time we schedule. If you need extra time and I have it, I may go beyond our set time; if you need us to end by a certain time, please make sure to tell me this by the beginning of our appointment.