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The Intake – More than just paperwork

If your work goes beyond basic relaxation—if you're aiming to address deeper patterns, restore function, or support long-term healing—then the intake process is critical.

One of the valuable things that I have learned when doing my client intake:

Leave lots of space available to take notes. 

As the client is describing their symptoms, keep writing.  Even if you have to ask them to slow down or pause. It shows that you are listening, and it gives you a goldmine of clinical insight

Here’s the trick:

When your client describes their issue, write it in quotations, word for word

Do not skip a detail. Make sure that you let them know that you are doing that. 

“I am writing this down exactly as you said it so that I can track it accurately”

You will not regret it

Why? Because if the session is effective, (and it often is) the next time they return, they will say ‘oh no.  I don’t have pain in my right knee.  I was here for the back pain.’

What does it have to do with bodywork?

This is the client who may ask for deep pressure because it gives them relief. 

This is also the client, that if you treat too deeply could go into a healing crisis, because they do not have the Qi and Blood to maintain homeostasis and recover from the treatment.

Feeling like crap for two days, then feeling better is a counterproductive approach. 

Why don’t we skip the negative treatment reactions, do a proper intake and take the client straight to feeling better?

 

That’s your chance to refer back to your notes, and gently remind them of their exact words. Actually, you said “my right knee is aching, especially at night.”

 

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