Why I Only Offer longer Massage Sessions - Huntington Beach Massage Therapy

Creating the Space for Deep Healing, Presence, and Real Restoration

TL:DR - I only offer 75- and 100-minute massage sessions because healing deserves space. Short sessions often leave both therapist and client feeling rushed and incomplete. Longer sessions honor the natural arc of nervous system shifts, allow for deep restorative work, and ensure I can be fully present for every person I work with — including you.

If you’ve browsed my offerings, you may have noticed I only offer 75- and 100-minute massage sessions. You might be wondering — why longer sessions? Why not the usual 60 minutes most places offer? Unlike many traditional spa experiences, my Huntington Beach massage practice is built around offering full, generous healing sessions. I’d love to share a little of the "why" behind this choice — some of it grounded in practical experience, some of it drawn from intuition, observation, and a deep respect for how healing really happens.

Short Sessions Taught Me a Lot — But They Left Me Wanting More

When I first started working in massage, I spent time in chiropractic offices where sessions were structured in short blocks — sometimes as little as 20 to 30 minutes of actual hands-on time. It taught me a lot about working efficiently, making every minute count, being incredibly focused.

But honestly? It always left everyone wanting more. Clients would walk out feeling better, but unfinished. I would finish the session feeling like I had just started to find what their body needed, only to have to stop. It felt rushed. It felt incomplete. It felt unsatisfying for everyone.

Later, working at a university clinic, we had the chance to offer longer sessions — full 60-minute or 90-minute appointments. It was better. Much better. But even then, when sessions touched emotional layers, somatic memory, or deep nervous system shifts, there often wasn’t enough room for it all. Not enough room to land softly. Not enough room for me, as a therapist, to even breathe before moving into the next session. Over time, I realized: healing doesn’t like to be rushed. And neither do people.

Healing Is an Arc, Not a Stopwatch

There’s also something many people don’t realize about how massage affects the mind and body. The moment you book a massage, your body begins to anticipate it. When you arrive and walk into a calm, welcoming space, your nervous system starts preparing for rest — before you even lie down. When you first feel that long, flowing stroke down your back, it’s like the first delicious whiff of a meal that’s about to be served: your system begins digesting, metabolizing, opening to the experience.

In my own work (and in what I’ve observed), I believe there’s a kind of brainwave transition happening during massage — a subtle shift toward states similar to early sleep or deep meditation. Science tells us that sleep cycles typically last about 90 minutes, moving through different brainwave patterns. While massage isn’t sleep, it shares that altered, imaginal, deeply restorative quality.

I don’t have hard scientific proof that we enter a full “sleep cycle” when we lay down for a massage. I don’t have peer-reviewed studies that show your body starts metabolizing a massage like it does food. But it tracks. It fits what I've seen, what I’ve felt, and what many others in the healing professions have intuited for decades. And if we’re entering altered states of consciousness — dreamlike, restorative states — it feels important not to yank people out of them abruptly because the clock says “time’s up.” Clients seeking a deeper therapeutic massage in Huntington Beach often tell me they’ve never experienced this kind of restorative care before.

Protecting Your Time — and My Presence

There’s also a more logistical reason behind why I only book longer sessions. In many places, a “60-minute massage” doesn’t actually mean 60 minutes of hands-on work. Often, it means 45–50 minutes on the table, with the rest eaten up by intake, getting undressed, re-dressing, and flipping the room. That model never sat right with me.

In my practice:

• 75 minutes means 75 full minutes of hands-on, focused massage time for you.

• 100 minutes means 100 full minutes devoted to your healing, your body, your experience.

And because I build longer appointment blocks overall, I also create space for myself to properly debrief, reset, and prepare for the next person (about 15–20 minutes between clients). This isn't just about my well-being — it’s about the quality of your session, too. You deserve a therapist who shows up fully present, fully attentive, and fully ready to meet you where you are — not someone who’s still carrying the last session in their body or rushing to make up lost time.

Why It Matters

Choosing longer sessions — and structuring my practice around them — lets me offer you something different:

• A deeper, more complete experience.

• Space for emotional, somatic, and energetic processes to unfold naturally.

• The chance to come fully back to yourself, awake and integrated, rather than stumbling out into the world half-dreaming.

It also lets me stay grounded, connected, and present — honoring not just your body, but your whole being.

An Invitation

In my work, I'm always balancing being a business, being a healthcare provider, and being an artist. Choosing longer sessions is how I hold that balance — with spaciousness, integrity, and care for the full human experience. If you’re seeking more than just a quick tune-up — if you’re seeking the kind of massage that meets you where you are, that lets you land more fully in yourself — I would be honored to work with you. And if you’re still not sure, that’s okay too. You’re always welcome to reach out, ask questions, and feel into whether this space feels right for you. Healing isn’t something to rush. It’s something to tend, patiently, gently, and with great respect.

Key Takeaways:

• Short sessions taught me efficiency, but they often feel incomplete.

• Massage begins shifting your mind and body before you even lie down.
  (Think: like how you start salivating when you smell delicious food.)

• Massage likely induces brainwave changes similar to early sleep and dream states.
  (This is more intuitive than scientific — but it tracks with what many experience.)

• Rushing people out mid-transition isn’t ideal for healing.

• 75 and 100 minutes = Full, unhurried hands-on time.
  No shaving minutes off. No quick flip-around like many clinical settings.

• Built-in breaks between sessions mean your therapist (me!) shows up fully reset and present.
  (Not dragging energy from the last session into yours.)

• Healing needs time, space, and attention — and that’s what my longer sessions aim to offer.

If you're ready for a different kind of massage experience — one rooted in presence, depth, and real care — I'd love to welcome you to my Huntington Beach massage studio.