Sliding Scale Community Clinic
At Black Mountain Massage & Wellness, we believe everyone deserves access to quality bodywork and wellness care. We also believe our practitioners deserve fair, sustainable pay for the care and skill they provide.
Our Sliding Scale Community Clinic was created to make massage, Reiki, acupuncture and other specialty bodywork services more financially accessible—without compromising the quality of care or practitioner wellbeing. Whether you’re navigating financial stress, maintaining regular self-care, or simply need a little extra support right now, this program is here to help you stay connected to your wellness.
Each sliding scale service is priced within a flexible range so you can choose the rate that best fits your current budget. Some speciality bodywork services require you to have completed your Initial Appointment with the practitioner at regular rates before booking follow-up sessions using the sliding scale option. This is to honor our practitioners' time and additional training.
Sessions are available at reduced rates one or more days each week in a 4 week rotating pattern, with a variety of appointment times and types bookable each Sliding Scale day.
Like all of our services, therapist gratuity is already built into our sliding scale rates, ensuring that our team continues to receive a living wage for their work. The listed tip equivalent for each service remains consistent—what varies is the amount you’re able to contribute toward the overall session rate.
How to Book a Sliding Scale Appointment
Our Community Care (Sliding Scale) availability follows a 4-week rotating schedule based on days of the week and appointments can be booked online, in person or over the phone.
Sliding Scale Community Care days follow this rotation pattern:
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Week 1: Thursday
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Week 2: Monday & Saturday
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Week 3: Tuesday & Friday
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Week 4: Sunday & Wednesday
A limited number of sliding scale appointments are available on each Sliding Scale day and can only be booked for services types and lengths currently offered through this program (listed below)
When browsing the online booker, you may need to click through several days before finding available times for a sliding scale community care shift. Don’t get discouraged—these appointments appear only on the specific days designated for sliding scale session in the pattern noted above with Week 1 generally falling near the beginning of each month.
If navigating the online schedule feels confusing or you can’t find an appointment that works, please call or text us—we’re happy to help you locate the next available time that fits your needs.
Massage-Sliding Scale OPtions
2o Minute Chair Massage
Sliding Scale: $22-47
15-40 Session & 7 Tip
Quick, convenient and focused, chair massage provides the ability for some quick relief of shoulder, upper back and neck tension. It's also a great way to get a feel for a therapist's style or touch before booking a longer session with them.
Sliding Scale: $37-72
30 minute focal session
26-61 Session & 11 Tip
Our traditional focal is unclothed with the use of oil or cream and is good for more detailed or complex focal work on areas like the neck, low back, hips, upper back and shoulders. Your therapist will likely have time to thoroughly address one primary area of focus.
45 minute Focal Session
Sliding Scale: $50-95
38-83 Session & 12 Tip
If you need some more detailed or complex focal work on areas like the low back, hips, upper back and shoulders but would prefer staying clothed, this is your service. Your therapist will likely have time to thoroughly address 1-3 areas of focus.
Reiki-Sliding Scale OPtions
60 minute Reiki Energy Healing
Sliding Scale: $60-116
Looking for a full system reset, energy release, or deep relaxation? You will start with a brief intake, discussing what you are seeking relief from in your life and/or body and gaining clarity on what you wish to achieve through the session. Your practitioner will always hold space for your specifics! You'll then receive clothed, on the massage table with a brief follow up conversation after the session to digest any observations, experiences or questions that may arise.
Acupuncture-
Sliding Scale Options
New Patient Initial Acupuncture Treatment - 90 Minutes
Sliding Scale: $70-135
Your first acupuncture visit includes a thorough health history intake, discussion of your concerns, and a personalized treatment plan created just for you. Our licensed acupuncturist will use pulse and tongue diagnosis, assess patterns, and select acupuncture points to support balance and healing. When appropriate, adjunct techniques such as cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, hot stones, or essential oils may also be included. This session sets the foundation for your care by addressing root causes as well as symptoms.
60 minute follow-up acupuncture treatment
Sliding Scale: $45-90
A focused return visit that builds on your initial treatment plan. This session includes a brief check-in to review progress and adjust your care as needed, followed by a full acupuncture treatment. Adjunct therapies such as cupping, gua sha, or moxibustion may be included when appropriate. A great option for ongoing support and maintenance of your health goals.
Specialty bodywork services
60 Minute CranioSacral therapy
Sliding Scale: $80-137
59- 116 Session & 21 Tip
This 60-minute session offers a gentle, accessible, high quality hands-on CranioSacral session using the Upledger approach to CranioSacral Therapy through our Sliding Scale Community Clinic. Performed fully clothed on a massage table, this deeply relaxing light-touch technique works with the body’s natural rhythms to release stored tension, ease pain, calm the nervous system, and restore balance throughout the body. Session rate already includes the equivalent of an $21 tip for your therapist, regardless of what you pay within the $80–$137 sliding scale range.
60 Minute CranioSacral Therapy Sessions
Sliding Scale: $80-137
59-116 Session & 21 Tip
This 60-minute session offers a gentle, accessible, high quality hands-on CranioSacral session using the Upledger approach to CranioSacral Therapy through our Sliding Scale Community Clinic. Performed fully clothed on a massage table, this deeply relaxing light-touch technique works with the body’s natural rhythms to release stored tension, ease pain, calm the nervous system, and restore balance throughout the body. Session rate already includes the equivalent of an $21 tip for your therapist, regardless of what you pay within the $80–$137 sliding scale range.
60 Minute somatic bodywork Follow-up session
Sliding Scale: $80-137
59-116 Session & 21 Tip
You must complete your Initial 75 Minute Somatic Bodywork appointment with Kara on our regular schedule with regular pricing before scheduling this Sliding Scale follow up session. Follow-up Somatic Bodywork sessions continue the work established in your initial appointment, offering attentive, nervous system–responsive care that supports ongoing regulation, integration, and embodied awareness. Sessions typically include hands-on bodywork on the massage table with gentle, attuned touch, and may be combined with verbal check-ins or other supportive practices as needed. Session rate already includes the equivalent of an $21 tip for your therapist, regardless of what you pay within the $80–$137 sliding scale range.
75 Minute somatic experience® session
Sliding Scale: $98-167
This 75 minute Sliding Scale Somatic Experiencing® session is offered as part of our Community Care program. Somatic Experiencing® is a body-based approach that supports nervous system regulation and the release of stored stress and trauma. Sessions are not massage, but may include SE Touch—a gentle, stationary form of therapeutic touch that provides external support to the nervous system. This work can support resilience, reduce overwhelm, and foster a greater sense of safety and ease in the body. Gratuity is included in the Community Care rate; no additional tipping is expected or required.
Why Our Rates Include a 'Tip' Amount
We compensate all our practitioners at or above industry standards for their specialty, ensuring they receive a living wage. Since gratuity is a standard part of massage therapist pay—typically 40–50% of their take-home income—our massage and bodywork rates include an 18% tip built into therapist compensation.
This approach allows our practitioners to focus fully on your care, without depending on tips—and we believe that's better for everyone.
Gratuity is not a standard part of the compensation model for Reiki and Acupuncture services so is not included in these services. However, we compensate these practitioners at or above their industry standard.
Because gratuity is already included, you're never expected or required to tip at checkout. However, if you'd like to leave an additional amount, it will be received as a sincere and appreciated “thank you” for the care you received.