Welcome
I use a combination of techniques to help clients achieve their goals — frequently Swedish massage, myofascial release, stretching, and relaxation massage to address pain and tension. I receive great satisfaction from helping my clients alleviate pain and reduce tension.
Massage — trained and educated at The Massage School, Easthampton, MA.
My office is on Putney Road in Brattleboro, a vibrant, healthy community on the Connecticut River. It sits right off Interstate 91 and is easily reached from Keene, NH, Greenfield and Northampton, MA, and the rural areas north and west.
Services & Rates
Investing in massage is an investment in your health.
Massage
Swedish massage, myofascial release, stretching, and relaxation massage, combined to address pain and tension. Sessions take place in a warm, quiet room, and you are properly draped throughout.
Hot stone massage
Heated basalt stones, used alongside the hands, to warm and loosen tight muscle before and during the work. Especially welcome in a Vermont winter.
Which session should I book?
If you are not sure, book 90 minutes. It is the length most people settle on once they have tried all three.
60 minutes
One area, worked properly — neck and shoulders, or a low back that has been complaining. Enough time to make a real difference in one place, not enough to cover the whole body. A good regular appointment once you know your trouble spots.
90 minutes
Full body, without rushing any of it. Or one stubborn area with the time to work slowly and let it actually release. This is the one I would suggest for a first visit, or if it has been a while.
120 minutes
Full body plus detailed work on a problem area. Worth it for long-standing pain, for recovery from an injury, or when you have gone a long time without and everything needs attention.
Your first visit
If you have never had a professional massage, or never had one here, this is what the appointment actually looks like. None of it should be a surprise.
- You book a time. Online through the calendar below, or by text. You do not have to call.
- You arrive a few minutes early. Five or ten minutes is plenty — enough that you are not rushing in.
- We talk first. A short conversation about what hurts, what you want from the session, anything in your health history that matters, and anywhere you would rather I did not work.
- You undress to your own comfort. I leave the room while you do. How much you take off is genuinely up to you, and you stay covered by a sheet throughout — only the area being worked on is uncovered.
- We check the pressure as we go. Say something any time. Lighter, deeper, skip that spot, stop altogether — none of it is rude and none of it ruins the session.
- We talk briefly afterward. Get up slowly and take your time. Then a minute on what I found and anything worth doing before next time.
Find the Office
192 Putney Road Brattleboro, VT 05301
Hours
By appointment only, seven days a week. Use the booking calendar below to see what is actually open.
Contact
- Text(413) 824-9194
- Emailvirginia.haskell@yahoo.com
- FacebookVirginia Haskell, Massage Therapist
Text, email, or Facebook Messenger get the fastest response. I am not always able to take voice calls.
Questions people ask
How is this different from a massage at a spa?
A spa massage is built around relaxation. This is therapeutic work — it starts from what is actually bothering you and aims to change it. It can still be deeply relaxing, and often is. But the session is planned around your shoulder rather than around the ambience.
Will it hurt?
It should not. Work on a tight area can feel intense — a kind of good soreness that eases as the muscle lets go — but there is a clear line between that and pain, and we stay on the right side of it. Tell me the moment something crosses over. Pain makes you brace, and bracing undoes the work.
What should I wear? How undressed do I need to be?
As much or as little as you are comfortable with. Many people undress completely, many keep underwear on, and both are fine. You are under a sheet the whole session and only the area being worked on is uncovered. I leave the room while you get on the table.
Should I talk during the session, or stay quiet?
Whichever you prefer. Some people talk the whole hour, some say nothing after hello. Neither is wrong and I will follow your lead. The one thing I do want to hear about is pressure.
Is there anything I should do before or after?
Beforehand, try not to eat a heavy meal right before, and leave yourself enough time that you are not arriving stressed. Afterward, drink some water and go easy for the rest of the day if you can. Feeling a little tired or tender the next day is normal, especially after deeper work.
How often should I come?
It depends what you are dealing with. Working through a specific injury or long-standing pain usually means coming more often at first and spacing out as it improves. For general upkeep, people tend to land somewhere between every two weeks and once a month. We can work out what makes sense for you.
What if I need to cancel?
24 hours notice, so the time can be offered to someone else. The full policy, including no-shows and late arrivals, is further down this page.
Book Online
Pick a time that works for you. Booking is handled through Acuity Scheduling.
Booking Policies
Things come up, and I would rather tell you plainly how I handle it than leave you guessing.
Cancellations
Please give me 24 hours notice if you need to cancel, so I can offer the time to someone else. With less than 24 hours notice, I charge the full amount of the appointment, payable before your next one.
No-shows
A missed appointment is charged in full, forgotten or otherwise.
Late arrivals
If you arrive late I may need to shorten your session, so that the appointments after yours still start on time — and if it is late enough, there may not be enough time to begin at all. Either way the full session is charged, so please give yourself a little margin.