Quick answer: At a first massage session you fill out a short health history, talk through goals with your therapist, undress to your comfort level in private, and stay draped the whole time. You control the pressure. Mild next-day soreness after deeper work is normal. Most first-timers book 60 or 90 minutes.
Almost every first-time client asks the same three questions, usually in a slightly embarrassed voice: what do I wear, do I have to talk, and what if the pressure hurts. Fair questions. Massage is one of the few services where nobody explains the routine in advance, so people either guess or put off booking for years. This guide walks through the whole sequence the way it actually goes.
Before the Session: The Intake Conversation
Every session starts with paperwork, and it is short. A health history form covers current medications, injuries, surgeries, chronic conditions, allergies to oils or lotions, and pregnancy. None of it is filler. Blood thinners change how much pressure is safe. A shoulder that was operated on two years ago gets approached differently than one that is just tight from a desk job.
Then comes a few minutes of conversation about what you actually want from the hour. "Fix this one shoulder" and "I just need to slow my brain down" are both legitimate answers, and they produce different sessions. If you book as a first-time client, mention it: as noted on our pricing page, we add 10 to 15 minutes to the first intake so the conversation does not eat into your hands-on time.
Draping: You Are Covered the Whole Time
This is the part first-timers worry about most and the part with the clearest rules. After the intake, your therapist steps out while you undress to whatever level you are comfortable with and get under the top sheet. Underwear on or off is entirely your call. During the session you stay draped, meaning covered by the sheet and blanket, except for the single area being worked at that moment. An arm comes out, gets worked, goes back under. The drape is not decorative; it is a professional standard licensed therapists train on.
If full undressing is not for you, say so. Techniques like trigger point work can be adapted, and a good session is possible through clothing. Nobody worth booking with will make that awkward.
During: Pressure Is a Conversation, Not a Test
A typical hour opens with slower, broader strokes to warm tissue, the approach Swedish massage is built on, then moves into whatever the intake pointed at. Deeper, slower, more specific work on problem areas feels different: a strong, dull, satisfying ache is productive, while sharp or bracing pain is not. The difference matters, and you are the only one who can feel it.
So speak up. "A little lighter there" is normal client feedback, not an insult, and therapists genuinely want it. The reverse is also true: if you booked deep tissue and the pressure feels like a warm-up, say that too. Beyond pressure feedback, talking is optional. Chat, or do not. Falling asleep is common and nobody minds.
After: What Normal Feels Like
Expect to feel loose, heavy, and a little slow for an hour or so. After deeper work, mild soreness over the next 24 to 48 hours is common, and it behaves like the soreness after a good workout: it peaks, then fades. Being honest, the old line that massage "releases toxins" that you must flush out with water is not supported by research. Drink water anyway, because most people run under-hydrated and it costs nothing. What deserves a phone call is pain that sharpens, bruising, or soreness still climbing on day three. That is rare and worth telling your therapist about.
If the session helped, the effect compounds with some regularity. Most of our returning Lansing clients settle into monthly or twice-monthly sessions, and paying with pre-tax dollars is sometimes an option, which we covered in our HSA and FSA eligibility guide.
Who Is Working on You: Michigan Licensing
Massage therapy is a licensed health profession in Michigan. Per the state licensing guide from Michigan LARA, a license requires completing approved supervised training (625 hours for students who enrolled after August 1, 2017), passing the national MBLEx examination, and clearing a fingerprint background check. Licenses renew every three years, and as of 2026 each renewal cycle requires 18 hours of continuing education, including coursework in ethics and in pain and symptom management.
What that means for you as a client is simple: the person working on you trained for it, tested for it, and answers to a state board. If you ever want to verify a license, Michigan's online lookup takes about a minute.
How to Get Ready (It Is Not Much)
Eat light in the hour or two beforehand rather than arriving stuffed or starving. Drink some water. Skip heavy fragrance. Do not worry about shaving, what shape you are in, or whether your feet are presentable; therapists stopped noticing years ago. Have your list of medications handy for the intake form, mention pregnancy at booking, and if you wake up with a fever or something contagious, reschedule. Per our cancellation policy, we would always rather move your appointment than have you push through sick.
Ready for Your First Session?
Tell us what you want out of the hour and we will match the right service and length to it. First-timers get extra intake time at no charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear during a massage?
Undress to whatever level you are comfortable with, in private, before the hands-on work starts. You are covered by a sheet and blanket the entire time, with only the area being worked uncovered. Plenty of clients keep underwear on, and some styles of bodywork can be done fully clothed. Comfort beats convention every time.
Do I have to talk during my massage?
No. Beyond feedback about pressure and comfort, conversation is entirely optional. Some clients talk the whole hour, many drift off within minutes, and both are normal. Your therapist follows your lead. If you would rather have quiet, say so at intake, and no one will take it personally.
Is it normal to be sore after a massage?
Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours is common after deeper work, similar to how muscles feel after a solid workout, and it fades on its own. Sharp pain, bruising, or soreness that gets worse instead of better is not typical, and you should call your therapist if that happens.
How long should a first massage session be?
Sixty minutes is the most-booked length for a first session and enough to cover one or two problem areas with time to settle in. Book 90 minutes if you carry tension in several places or want full-body work without rushing. Current rates for both lengths are on our pricing page.
Are massage therapists licensed in Michigan?
Yes. Michigan requires massage therapists to hold a state license through LARA, which means approved training (625 supervised hours for students who enrolled after August 2017), passing the MBLEx national exam, and a background check. Licenses renew every three years with 18 hours of continuing education.
Related reading: Session Pricing · Swedish Massage · Deep Tissue Massage · HSA & FSA Eligibility Guide
About this guide. Written by the licensed Michigan massage therapists behind Lansing Mobile Massage, serving Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, and the surrounding metro. Licensing details referenced from Michigan LARA's massage therapy licensing guide and the FSMTB, current as of 2026.