Laurissa Stokes · Silver Spring, MD
A free 90-minute massage in exchange for letting me practice on you.
Fair warning: the beast is me — an ADD brain with a learning compulsion that I can't unleash on my paying clients.
Returning Volunteer?
First of all, thank you — you're a big part of how I got here. A few things are different now that I've graduated:
Everything else — the location, the table, the hot stones if you're feeling adventurous — is the same.
First Time Here?
You found this page because someone sent it to you, or you stumbled here on your own. Either way, you're in the right place. Here's the short version: I'm a newly graduated massage therapist, and I want bodies to practice new stuff on as I learn more and more. You get a free 50-minute massage. I get 40 minutes of practicing new stuff without the pressure of satisfying a paying client. It's a good deal — scroll down to see exactly what that means.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Each session is 90 minutes: the first 40 minutes are dedicated to whatever technique I'm currently learning and practicing — you're my guinea pig — followed by a full 50-minute massage using Swedish and deep tissue techniques. You get a free session; I get invaluable hands-on practice. Fair trade.
If the idea of getting a free massage makes you feel guilty, consider this: you're not getting something for nothing — you're giving me something I can't get any other way. I have an ADD brain with a learning compulsion that I can't unleash on my paying clients. You letting me work on you isn't charity. It's feeding the beast. We both win.
Depending on what I'm working on at the time you book, your session may begin with one of the following:
Full-body massage using a blend of Swedish (relaxing) and deep tissue (focused) techniques. Pressure is always adjustable.
No part of the exploratory portion of the session requires disrobing — everything I'm currently practicing in that first 40 minutes works fully clothed. For the massage portion, it's your call. Most people get fully undressed because it makes it easier to work on the muscles, but many don't. If you stay clothed, I'll focus more on stretching, range-of-motion, and targeted pressure work instead of oil-based massage. Either way, you'll remain properly covered/draped at all times.
And if you'd prefer to skip the massage portion entirely and spend the full 90 minutes on a mix of exploratory work, stretching, and clothed techniques — that's a perfectly valid option too. Just let me know when you show up.
I have a spare bedroom dedicated entirely to this — massage table, proper linens and bolsters, and all the trappings of a professional setup. It's clean, quiet, and private. Not a spa, but not your average spare bedroom either.
Please do! That's how I learn.
Please don't. Your willingness to show up and let me practice on you is genuinely the greatest gift. That's the deal — and it's a good one.
No problem at all. I'll ask you at the beginning of the session if there is any area you want me to avoid due to injury, sensitivity, self-consciousness, or any other reason.
That's totally fine. We can absolutely work in a side-lying position instead. With pillows and bolsters for support, side-lying can be very comfortable and still allows access to the back, hips, shoulders, and other areas.
Yes! Repeat volunteers are always welcome.
Sure!
I'll send it to you when you sign up. This way, my booking page can be shared freely without my home address being shared with everyone and anyone. Silver Spring, MD — near the Wheaton Metro Station.