Tamara's Therapeutic Massage moves, offers specials - Sumter Item

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Tamara Hale is making people feel better one massage at a time.
Most of the time at Tamara's Therapeutic Massage, at 1191 Peach Orchard Road/S.C. 441, the Columbia Southeastern Massage School graduate and state-licensed massage therapist is a "one-woman show." But in February and October she offers something a little extra that requires a second therapist.
"Twice a year I do couples massages, and they get bigger every year," Hale said.
One is on Valentine's Day weekend, and the other is Oct. 25 and 26. While the winter session is indoors, the fall one takes place on the patio.
"It's a date night under the stars," Hale said. "I try to make it romantic. As a woman, I think, 'how would I like this?' It's a lot of fun."
The evening includes strawberries, chocolate and beverages.
She's also customized the event for wedding proposals and anniversaries.
"I enjoy my job because I get to help people," she said. "I love what I do. It's my passion."
While Hale does offer relaxing massages such as these, the majority of her clientele come for more medically motivated reasons such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and sciatica.
"I had this one little boy with cerebral palsy whose mom wanted him to get a massage to help with circulation," Hale said. "Every time he goes to the doctor, they stick him, so he didn't know what I was going to do. I was telling him and showed him what I was going to do. His whole face just lit up. He had the biggest smile, and every line disappeared off his face. Now every time I see him, he makes hug motions. It just gets you."
She's offered sessions to cancer patients and caregivers. She has a hot stone treatment for arthritis.
"I've had men want to kiss me and women ask, 'will you marry me?'" Hale said. "When you've been in that much pain for so long and you've tried this and that, it's a relief to have it gone."
She has also been known to donate massages to hospice patients or do partial donations. For example, a church once paid half the cost for a massage for a suicidal woman, and Hale donated the rest, she said.
"When going through something like that, there is a lot of stress," Hale said. "You need a massage. You need some special time just for you."
As clients enter, she offers them herbal tea while they chat.
"I have them sit down and talk to me about what is really bothering them," Hale said. "It's a chance for them to get the stress out, to sit and talk about issues and to talk about what they really want out of the session."
It also gives her a chance to assess whether the client should see a doctor first, she said. She usually sees four to six customers per day, and they range in ages from 8 to 92.
Hale has been in business for three years. Her hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
She does take walk-ins, and gift certificates are available.
For more information or to make an appointment, call (803) 494-8555.