Deep Relief — Local services in Austin

1/2/24: I'm updating my previous review from November. I had rated my experience on 11/5/23 with Ari 2 stars. While that review remains, I am updating my overall rating to 4 stars due to a phenomenal, 5 star experience with Tyler at the end of December.

Tyler was everything my experience with Ari was not: he was superbly attentive to my needs and body, was highly professional, came fully prepared for the session, was warm and kind to me throughout the experience, was very responsive to all of my needs and my pressure preferences, and was just absolutely 10/10 as a massage therapist. I felt massive relief and healing in my back and neck from this session. I plan on coming back to Tyler again later this month! It was truly a fantastic experience.

My deepest appreciation to Louisa and the team at Deep Relief for taking ownership of the ways that my experience with Ari was not up to their standards and protocols and for offering me this credited session with Tyler to make up for that. I'll be returning to Deep Relief and Tyler in particular!

I am reviewing an 80 minute massage with Ari on Sunday, 11/5. As a whole, I had a very substandard experience. I see that the place has stellar reviews, which is why I chose to go in. Totally possible that my experience was an exception and not the rule, but I feel called to leave a review based on my poor experience.

I came in with neck and back issues, and when I left, while I experienced a minor improvement, by the end of that same day, and now, one day later, I feel only a very small level of improvement and much of the pain and tightness has returned. For context, I have been getting deep tissue massages for years. I have gotten dozens and dozens of massages. And I can't remember an experience of having this minimal level of relief and improvement from one session, particularly one I paid this much for.

On the particulars of the massage: Ari was pretty curt and uncommunicative throughout the experience, she was unprepared (she forgot that I had asked for cupping and remembered after she started the massage and asked if I still wanted it, then had to leave the massage to go get the materials and apply them), and she was unresponsive to my requests for deeper pressure that I explicitly expressed three times during the session. On my third request for more pressure, she somewhat rudely responded with the question "on your feet?" as if to resist my request for more pressure, haha. It was a bit odd and frankly frustrating. Also, when I asked if my back tightness had opened up when she appeared to move on from it, she simply responded "that's all it will open up for the first session." Again, she was just curt and uncommunicative and borderline rude. I didn't feel at any point that Ari was showing a level of of care or commitment to helping me through my issues and helping me get relief for my pain and back issues.

Finally, at the end of the massage, she said she'd meet me out front when I was ready. When I went to the front, she was not there, and I checked out and paid for the session with the front desk receptionist. She did not show up. In my past experiences with massages, after the massage is done, therapists have usually shared brief feedback, asked in more detail how I was feeling, and generally just displayed a level of care and commitment that was totally absent here.

Overall, this was an unprofessional and substandard experience, especially at this price point. I will not return to Deep Relief, and I do not recommend it based on my experience.

**UPDATE: I received a very gracious call from Louisa at Deep Relief in response to my review. After speaking with Ari, Louisa did concede all the points I made in this review and profusely apologized and offered a credit to my account to make up for...

When it comes to massages, I am a very picky person and have never loved the big chain massage places. I love massages and feel as though when you're spending money on something that is meant for relaxation and body regeneration I believe in selecting that perfect place/masseuse that fits your personal preferences. I was searching for a new masseuse and praying that I could finally find that perfect place for me. I'm happy to report that my prayers were answered when I found Louisa.

Allow me to begin with how easy it was to schedule an appointment. Using my phone, it took less than a minute. Then, I was emailed with my appointment reminder and was allowed to fill out the "new member form" prior to arriving. Louisa reviewed this and had my specific requests memorized upon my arrival. She spoke with me about my problem areas and how she planned on working on it. She customized a massage for me using a mix of techniques, including deep tissue and Ashiatsu for a FULL 60 MINUTES and it was absolutely fantastic!

She allowed me to rest there quietly until she realized I enjoyed talking. At that point, she conversed with me about the massage and all sorts of other things. This was the best massage I've ever had, in addition to the best experience. I will certainly be going back and am glad my search for a masseuse is over. Do yourself a favor and just go see Louisa. You will...

My rib went out of place early Monday morning, and I was in excruciating pain. It hurt to breathe, walk, lay down...everything caused pain. I was able to book a massage Monday night with Kate and while she didn't "fix" the problem, she definitely loosened up my muscles and took care of several knots. I fell asleep, and it was nice to have a break from the pain. When I was checking out, Louisa asked if I wanted to try dry needling. Mind you, it was late and they were closed, but she offered to try dry needling to see if it would give me any relief. They also guarantee results or you don't pay so I went ahead and tried it, but it didn't help me much. Louisa didn't charge me. She recommended to see Sean the following day, and I made an appt with him for after work (I teach). However, I was in so much pain that I called them at 8am the following morning and they squeezed me in at 10:30.Sean is a LIFESAVER! He took his time (about an hour) and tried different positions to help adjust my rib. When he finally was able to - WOW! I felt immediate relief and it was nice to be able to breathe again! He took his time to go over what he thought would help my muscles heal and be less sore. Thank you Deep Relief for saving me!! In case you're wondering, they all wore masks and it looks like they take all the precautions to keep you safe...