City Haven Massage Therapy

Welcome to City Haven Massage Therapy

We are all living longer these days. To ensure a good quality of life for the long term, it's important to invest in your body today. Massage, coupled with regular exercise and balanced nutrition, is a great way to care for your body.

City Haven Massage Therapy is located within Idental (a modern dental clinic), conveniently located near the corner of Burke & Belmore Roads in North Balwyn. Easily accessible from the CBD via the Eastern Freeway.

Charlotte is based at Idental on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9.00am to 5.30pm - Bookings are available online via our website. Mobile home visit and corporate seated massages are available Monday to Friday by appointment. City Haven Massage Therapy has great availability for mobile work during business hours - please look at our website page for 'Mobile Massage' for full details and more information. A surcharge applies for mobile home visits.

Please visit our website for up to date pricing information and more thorough details about all the services we offer.

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Working from home during the day? Why not pamper yourself in your 'lunch break' with a rejuvenating massage to make you get through the afternoon faster!! Call 0431 937 198 now to make a booking.

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Health Rebates apply with all major health funds. A receipt will be issued for you to claim directly with your health provider. Please note we have a 24 hour cancellation policy. Bookings cancelled within 24 hours will incur a 50% cancellation fee.

Why choose City Haven Massage Therapy?

If you are looking for a dedicated and caring therapist who cares about YOU, then call us now to make a booking. Each massage is tailormade for your specific needs. Remedial massage can assist to reduce pain, discomfort and improve range of motion, Relaxation massage can soothe your nervous system and calm your mind.

Charlotte works with Men & Women and also welcomes Pregnant clients. As a Mum herself, Charlotte understands how being pregnant can sometimes be a strain on the Mum to be's body - A combined treatment of Remedial and Relaxation massage can be a great way to pamper yourself during pregnancy. Miss lying on your tummy? Charlotte offers all her pregnant clients the use of a 'Belly Mat' - enjoy a divine back massage whilst lying on your front - with grooves for your breasts and tummy, you'll be able to lie comfortably on your front right up to 40 weeks of pregnancy - BLISS!!

To make a booking at the clinic in North Balwyn book online via the City Haven Massage website or call 9859 7859. In addition to massage, the clinic offers Dental and Specialist Ear Cleaning services. Free customer parking & wheel chair access are available.

We can also help to refer you to a great Chiropractor, Personal Trainer, Osteopath, Physiotherapist, Podiatrist, Pre/Post Natal Exercise specialist and many more people who might also be able to assist you to optimise your health & well-being.

Need a mobile service? Call Charlotte directly on 0431 937 198.

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We are also based in Mont Albert - Read here for our sister Clinic details

We have a second clinic at 'Kieser Training', 733 Whitehorse Road (Corner Laing Street and Whitehorse Road), Mont Albert VIC 3127. Bookings can be made on-line via our website or by calling Charlotte on 0431 937 198. We recommend booking on-line to view current availability and to make an instant reservation.

City Haven Massage at 'Kieser Training' opens on 01 December 2011 on Tuesdays, Thursdays (including evening), Fridays and Saturday mornings. .

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Client Testimonials
"At City Haven Massage Therapy, I always feel relaxed and rejuvenated... I could sleep on the massage table all day! The clinic is very professional and I would recommend Charlotte (and remedial massage in general) without reservation."
Virginia Johnson

"I have found Charlotte to be one of the best remedial masseurs I've come across. She has worked on a sports injury of mine and another on my elderly father, with great success. City Haven's location is excellent - easy to park and the clinic ambience is great. Staff are organised & helpful and I've recommended City Haven to other friends & work colleagues."
Sharon Marks

"City Haven Massage Therapy has been a regular supplier to The CFO Solution since September 2006 and we have all appreciated the benefits. The CFO Team have enjoyed the individual attention provided as muscles are massaged and limbs stretched. All this happens in the comfort of our board room on the specially designed portable massage chair. On massage day there is an additional freshness in the team. It is an essential part of our work / life balance culture.

Thank you Charlotte,"

Phillip Hains
The CFO Solution

'I saw Charlotte over a period of several months when I was confined to bed rest with a high risk pregnancy. The discomforts of pregnancy were greatly exacerbated by bedrest and I found myself quite uncomfortable and emotionally very taxed. Quite simply, if I hadn’t seen Charlotte, I wouldn’t have made it through – her visit was the highlight of my week! Charlotte’s intuition for finding tight, stiff spots and working them away was extremely impressive, as was the effect the massage had on my ability to relax. All women should incorporate both folic acid and Charlotte as part of a happy, healthy pregnancy!'
Rita, mother of Earl and Jules

"I went to see Charlotte for a therapeutic massage early in the second trimester of my pregnancy when I was suffering a sore neck and very tight shoulders. I found Charlotte to be an extremely skilled practitioner and benefited greatly from the range of massage techniques she used. I felt much better immediately after the massage and continued to feel the benefits in the following weeks.

I made regular appointments with Charlotte throughout the rest of my pregnancy and really appreciated the excellent care and therapeutic services I received. Charlotte always made time to discuss my pregnancy and refer to her notes from our last session. She would also suggest exercises I could do at home. I felt extremely confident in her hands and her massages were fantastic and addressed a whole range of niggles and stresses my body was experiencing from pregnancy.

Charlotte is great to talk to and has warm, easygoing personality. I have always looked forward to my appointments and felt very comfortable and relaxed. I have recommended Charlotte to other pregnant friends as I found her massages and her company invaluable throughout my pregnancy."
Maria Fong

"I initially contacted City Haven Massage to help relax me during my pregnancy through massage and manage my long term migraines. However, what i found was that not only was I far less tense in my body after my massage, but that Charlotte with her warm, bubbly and very professional personality had also managed to put my mind at ease from the many fears a mother to be can experience. I am still continuing with my massages post pregnancy and City Haven Massage has been a godsend!!!"
Rebecca Sampson

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Practised Modalities Include:

• TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
  
  Trigger Points are located within bands of tight & tense muscle and become activated after injury, overuse or even lack of exercise. By adding pressure to these points, your therapist can deactivate these points, reduce pain and improve your range of movement. Sometimes you may feel a pain that extends up the back of your neck which may actually be caused by a trigger point in your upper back or you may have pain that shoots down the back of your leg stemming from an active trigger point in your buttock. Your therapist is trained to recognise these pain referral patterns and deactivate the trigger points involved. Often clients are thrilled with the results after receiving trigger point therapy.
  
  
• PNF & STATIC STRETCHING
  
  Assisted stretching is a great way to ensure the results of your massage last long after your visit to City Haven Massage Therapy. Massage works to lengthen the muscle fibres, retrain the brain to remember what the correct resting length of the muscles are, and reduce your pain. Massage followed by assisted stretching can ensure the muscle fibres lengthened by the massage are then stretched out to ensure that the muscle stays at it's optimum resting length and doesn't go back to the restricted range that was causing you pain in the first place. PNF Stretches use resistance to lengthen muscles that are particularly restricted, and Static Stretching is a 30 second static stretch that doesn't use resistance but achieves similar results. Your therapist will select the stretches to include in your massage that are right for your body and presenting symptoms.
  
  
• CUPPING
  
  Charlotte practises vacumn cupping and flame cupping to relax tight muscles. Instead of adding pressure to a muscle by pressing down on the skin, cupping sucks up the skin to stretch it in a different manner. Charlotte does not specialise in Traditional Chinese Medicine but has learnt treatments with flame cupping for the neck and shoulders and low back. Cupping can be integrated in to a regular Remedial massage session. Some clients find this treatment very relaxing as it also works to stimulate Qi and blood circulation and warms the meridians. It helps to expel wind, cold and damp.
  Plastic cups are used in Vacumn cupping and a hand pump is applied to the cup to create suction. Glass cups are applied to the skin in flame cupping to create the suction. Cups can be left on the skin for 5-10 mins. Reddening of the skin will occur during this time. Cupping will often leave the skin a reddish-purple colour. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is indicative of stagnation and or the accumulation of blood & Qi. This is a positive sign. Markings can last 3-4 days or up to 1-2 weeks. Please be aware of this if requesting this treatment.
  
  
• MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
  
  Connective tissue surrounds and binds all the structures in our body including our muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. Myofascial Release works to lengthen connective tissue that can become tight and restrict your range of movement. Tension in the connective tissue, like fascia that sits on top of the muscles can further restrict your movement if the muscle and surrounding connective tissue are tight. The connective tissue is released, thus allowing the underlying muscles to be worked on more efficiently. Your therapist will integrate this technique in to your massage as appropriate. It is an effective treatment which is often quite soothing and relaxing to receive.
  
  
• TRANSVERSE FRICTION
  
  Transverse Friction applied to a lesion or 'tight spot' in a band of muscle, ligament or tendon fibres can help break up scar tissue that has formed after injury to fibres from overuse or injury.
  
  Friction is applied with pressure from the therapists fingers across the muscle fibres. Muscle fibres are striated - think of a length of long hair - all the strands are parallel to each other. Muscle fibres look similar to this. Now imagine a big knot in those strands of hair - that's like a lesion or tight spot in the muscle fibres. Perhaps a few fibres were torn, the body uses collagen fibres to repair the area but often the fibres are laid down in a haphazard way causing a 'knot'. Transverse Friction Massage helps to break up the fibres that have adhered in the wrong direction, whilst leaving the fibres that have adhered correctly alone. Therefore, after this treatment, the muscle, tendon or ligament can be stronger and your movement can increase. This treatment works particularly well on chronic conditions - those that have bugged you for years although you may need a few treatments to gain an improvement. If it is a new injury, then Transverse Friction Massage can have a faster effect.
  
  
• MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE
  
  This technique is similar to PNF stretching. The aim is to increase movement, working on the small intrinsic muscles and unlock stiff joints. The joint in question is placed into it's position of restriction, then you will contract away from the restricted side (usually in the opposite direction which you will find easier) and then the joint will be placed back in to it's restricted position and the process is repeated a number of times. This is like resetting the resting length of the muscle and provides great results.
  
  
• MOBILISING MASSAGE
  
  Mobilisation is the application of rhythmic movement to relax and loosen the soft tissues attached to the bones. Mobilisation is a good alternative to manipulation techniques performed by an Osteopath or Chiropractor, if manipulation is not suitable to you. Please note, Charlotte does not use manipulation 'cracking joints' in any of her treatments.
  
  
• REFLEXOLOGY
  
  Charlotte is able to integrate reflexology techniques in to your massage treatment. She uses techniques for the feet. Charlotte is not a Reflexologist but has trained in modules of reflexology as part of her Diploma of Remedial Massage training. Points on the feet directly relate to other parts of your body. This treatment is stimulating and can be very relaxing, particularly at the end of the session.
  
  
• PREGNANCY (PRE & POST NATAL) MASSAGE
  
  City Haven Massage Therapy specialises in Pregnancy Massage. A 'belly mat' is offered to all pregnant clients so that you can lie on your tummy and enjoy divine back massages right up to 40 weeks of pregnancy. The 'belly mat' has grooves for your breasts and belly so that you can lie in comfort. Many women find lying on their tummy during their massage a wonderful treat.
  
  Charlotte works with pre and post natal women at the clinic and your home. As a Mum herself, Charlotte understands the pressures of pregnancy on your body and the committment of raising small children. Massage is a great way to relax and unwind, unlock tense muscles and find some 'YOU' time.