amplifying existing and co-creating new wellness ecosystems one grounded exchange at a time.
Justice Pricing
Massage therapy, Reiki and gardening/plant life support services are offered via a sliding-scale justice pricing system in an attempt to make this care as accessible as possible. You are invited to assess your payment level each session and you have the freedom to move along the scale as your current situation dictates. I will never request justification for why you select a given payment point, even if your amount changes over time.
If you would prefer to discuss bartering for care services for any reason, please contact me. I will honor the option of bartering as much as is ethically possible. Lastly, if the Community Care Fund is the best option for fully supporting you in receiving the care you seek, please complete a CCF waitlist form.
Some examples of possible Sponsor, Sustainer and Supporter points are listed below to help you clearly identify where you might place yourself on the justice pricing scale. I credit Alexis Cunningfolk at www.wortsandcunning.com for these descriptions.
Sponsor:
I am comfortably able to meet all of my basic
needs (e.g. food, housing and transportation).
I have access to health care.
I have access to financial savings.
I can afford an annual vacation or to regularly take time off.
Sustainer:
I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them.
I have access to health care.
I might have access to financial savings.
I can take a vacation annually or every few years without financial burden.
Supporter:
I frequently stress about meeting my basic needs and don't always achieve them.
I qualify for government assistance including food stamps and health care.
I have no access to savings.
I cannot afford a vacation or have the ability to take time off work without financial burden.
For 90 minute massage therapy OR Reiki sessions:
$95 Supporter rate
$105 Sustainer rate
$115 Sponsor rate
For 60 minute massage therapy OR Reiki sessions:
$70 Supporter rate
$80 Sustainer rate
$90 Sponsor rate
For 30 minute massage therapy OR Reiki sessions:
$40 Supporter rate
$50 Sustainer rate
$60 Sponsor rate
For integrated Reiki massage therapy sessions:
30 minutes:
$55 Supporter rate
$65 Sustainer rate
$75 Sponsor rate
60 minutes:
$85 Supporter rate
$95 Sustainer rate
$105 Sponsor rate
90 minutes:
$120 Supporter rate
$130 Sustainer rate
$140 Sponsor rate
Bodywork session packages:
Reiki massage packages:
five 30-minute sessions: $230
five 60-minute sessions: $430
five 90-minute sessions: $550
Massage therapy OR Reiki packages:
five 30-minute sessions: $215
five 60-minute sessions: $365
five 90-minute sessions: $490
Garden installation and mentoring:
gardening package: $325 (free consultation + 8 additional hrs of educational + planning support), extra hours for education/planning/installation labor can be added on as needed at a rate of $30/hr
Nonprofit/organizational care+ critical incident debriefing:
rates for organizational care and critical incident debriefing sessions are set at $250/hr.
conflict mediation sessions are $100/hr. for one-on-one or small groups (under five participants)
Consultations for all Sweetgrass offerings are free of charge and range from 20 minutes for bodywork consultations to 45 minutes for organizational support consults. Accepted forms of (non-barter) payment are cash or e-payment through either Zelle or Square. I do ask that sessions are paid for in advance during e-intake process unless an alternative arrangement has been discussed. Thank you!
Community Care Fund
If you are seeking a session covered fully or partially by the Community Care Fund and would like to be added to the waitlist, please fill out this form: CCF waitlist.
The Community Care Fund exists to provide a mutual aid-supported route to accessing massage therapy and Reiki sessions through partial subsidy or, when possible, at no cost to the individual seeking care and with no questions asked. Supporters seeking to contribute to the Community Care Fund in a pay-it-forward format may purchase a full or partial session at this link: Square site. Contributions may also be made via the Community Care Fund button on the homepage.
If CCF dollars are insufficient at the time of a session request, I will use a waitlist and follow-up with individuals seeking care as funds become available. Ethical bartering for services can be explored if a waitlist timeline feels too uncertain or lengthy. New clients wishing to inquire about available CCF dollars can reach out via the Contact page and established clients may email me.
As of May 2024, 94 fully or partially subsidized sessions have been made available through this mutual aid model, which exists separately from the justice-based sliding-scale fee schedule central to my vision for Sweetgrass. Thank you for your support and your role in redistributing wealth--any and all amounts are deeply appreciated.
I'd like to offer my sincere gratitude to IndyPride for selecting Sweetgrass Healing Co. as a 2023 Round One awardee for community funding support in the categories of Direct Service & Mutual Aid as well as Health & Wellness. Their generous award of $2500 offered valuable funding for the CCF as well as operational support in late Spring 2023. Per their website, this support helps "ensure that all LGBTQ+ Hoosiers find the community and resources they need." This funding has since been spent down.
If you are seeking a session covered fully or partially by the Community Care Fund and would like to be added to the waitlist, please fill out this form: CCF waitlist.
The Community Care Fund exists to provide a mutual aid-supported route to accessing massage therapy and Reiki sessions through partial subsidy or, when possible, at no cost to the individual seeking care and with no questions asked. Supporters seeking to contribute to the Community Care Fund in a pay-it-forward format may purchase a full or partial session at this link: Square site. Contributions may also be made via the Community Care Fund button on the homepage.
If CCF dollars are insufficient at the time of a session request, I will use a waitlist and follow-up with individuals seeking care as funds become available. Ethical bartering for services can be explored if a waitlist timeline feels too uncertain or lengthy. New clients wishing to inquire about available CCF dollars can reach out via the Contact page and established clients may email me.
As of May 2024, 94 fully or partially subsidized sessions have been made available through this mutual aid model, which exists separately from the justice-based sliding-scale fee schedule central to my vision for Sweetgrass. Thank you for your support and your role in redistributing wealth--any and all amounts are deeply appreciated.
I'd like to offer my sincere gratitude to IndyPride for selecting Sweetgrass Healing Co. as a 2023 Round One awardee for community funding support in the categories of Direct Service & Mutual Aid as well as Health & Wellness. Their generous award of $2500 offered valuable funding for the CCF as well as operational support in late Spring 2023. Per their website, this support helps "ensure that all LGBTQ+ Hoosiers find the community and resources they need." This funding has since been spent down.
If you are seeking a session covered fully or partially by the Community Care Fund and would like to be added to the waitlist, please fill out this form: CCF waitlist.
About
I'm so grateful for your visit! My name is Lesley (she/her), and I'm a queer social worker, massage therapist, Reiki practitioner, urban farmer, beekeeper and naturalist. Simply put, I'm an explorer and listener.
The curiosity and sensitivity that have accompanied me from birth have invited me to wander along various paths all rooted in self- and community care. This space is an opportunity for individuals, families, communities and organizations to co-create their own respite, inquisitiveness and investigation of self- and community care, whether we share a single session of massage therapy or our work unfolds over seasons of practicing together through several service pillars. I organize my movement in this life and this work around the premise that all individuals are inherently worthy of the experience of being seen, comforted and honored. As such, my offerings are made available through sliding scale justice pricing inclusive of bartering for services when ethically possible. (If you wish to donate to support the Community Care Fund, please see the donate button at the menu bar. The donation portal may also be accessed here.)
I center the insight, strength, love and experiences of women, LGBTQIA+, black, brown and Indigenous individuals, as well as individuals who have experienced housing insecurity and intimate partner violence. This space is first offered with these specific individuals and communities in mind.
I received my undergraduate education in Anthropology and Gender Studies from Butler University (2008), completed a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from IUPUI-Indianapolis (2011) and received my education for both massage therapy (625 hours) and Reiki from Indiana Therapeutic Massage School in Indianapolis (2016). I am a licensed social worker (LSW: 33006057A) and a licensed massage therapist (LMT: MT21605822), both in the State of Indiana. I am an Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) member practitioner. English is my first language and I also speak both Spanish and Japanese on intermediate levels.
In my heart, I know that my specific formal education--paired with farming and florist genes!--primed me for this precise offering. I also recognize that individuals and communities are deeply gifted and knowledgeable separate from and without institutional education.
Thank you for your interest and trust in me and in our potential work together.
****
"A braid of sweetgrass hangs by my door. The three shining strands represent the unity of mind, body, and spirit that makes us whole. (...) That braid reminds me that when we braid the hair of Mother Earth we remember all that is given to us and our responsibility to care for those gifts in return. In this way the gifts are sustained and all are fed. No one goes hungry."
Robin Wall Kimmerer
{Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants}
The curiosity and sensitivity that have accompanied me from birth have invited me to wander along various paths all rooted in self- and community care. This space is an opportunity for individuals, families, communities and organizations to co-create their own respite, inquisitiveness and investigation of self- and community care, whether we share a single session of massage therapy or our work unfolds over seasons of practicing together through several service pillars. I organize my movement in this life and this work around the premise that all individuals are inherently worthy of the experience of being seen, comforted and honored. As such, my offerings are made available through sliding scale justice pricing inclusive of bartering for services when ethically possible. (If you wish to donate to support the Community Care Fund, please see the donate button at the menu bar. The donation portal may also be accessed here.)
I center the insight, strength, love and experiences of women, LGBTQIA+, black, brown and Indigenous individuals, as well as individuals who have experienced housing insecurity and intimate partner violence. This space is first offered with these specific individuals and communities in mind.
I received my undergraduate education in Anthropology and Gender Studies from Butler University (2008), completed a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from IUPUI-Indianapolis (2011) and received my education for both massage therapy (625 hours) and Reiki from Indiana Therapeutic Massage School in Indianapolis (2016). I am a licensed social worker (LSW: 33006057A) and a licensed massage therapist (LMT: MT21605822), both in the State of Indiana. I am an Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) member practitioner. English is my first language and I also speak both Spanish and Japanese on intermediate levels.
In my heart, I know that my specific formal education--paired with farming and florist genes!--primed me for this precise offering. I also recognize that individuals and communities are deeply gifted and knowledgeable separate from and without institutional education.
Thank you for your interest and trust in me and in our potential work together.
****
"A braid of sweetgrass hangs by my door. The three shining strands represent the unity of mind, body, and spirit that makes us whole. (...) That braid reminds me that when we braid the hair of Mother Earth we remember all that is given to us and our responsibility to care for those gifts in return. In this way the gifts are sustained and all are fed. No one goes hungry."
Robin Wall Kimmerer
{Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants}
Bodywork Policies
Trauma-Informed Care Practices
As a dual practitioner in social work and massage therapy, my work centers environment just as much as application. Put differently, the way I've selected my shared studio space and how our interactions unfold before and during sessions matter in equal measure to the techniques I apply during hands-on work. While healthy, consensual touch is a human need, the experience of receiving it can often feel complicated, and trauma-informed care practices offer necessary support. The Five Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Care include safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014.).
You can expect trauma-informed care practices to show up in countless (all intentional!) ways, from intake form organization, to sharing names of muscles for you to research and learn about later, to reminders of your ability to undress to your comfort level for sessions, to my sharing observations during session that may indicate rising distress (fluttering eyelids, change in breath pattern). Because trauma-informed care also involves expansive space for trauma recovery, you will find that I also inquire as to when you notice yourself feeling best in your body (or if this is an area of embodiment you'd like to focus on together). Being trauma-informed, to me, necessarily involves being strengths-based in the ways we work together.
I work closely with local therapists, counselors and medical providers who refer clients for bodywork as a supplement to other treatments and therapies. Those referrals can include (through use of a Release of Information) or exclude ongoing communication between the referring provider and myself, depending on your preference. My practice also follows HIPAA guidelines fully and I am happy to share the ways that your privacy and confidentiality are protected during our work together.
You can expect trauma-informed care practices to show up in countless (all intentional!) ways, from intake form organization, to sharing names of muscles for you to research and learn about later, to reminders of your ability to undress to your comfort level for sessions, to my sharing observations during session that may indicate rising distress (fluttering eyelids, change in breath pattern). Because trauma-informed care also involves expansive space for trauma recovery, you will find that I also inquire as to when you notice yourself feeling best in your body (or if this is an area of embodiment you'd like to focus on together). Being trauma-informed, to me, necessarily involves being strengths-based in the ways we work together.
I work closely with local therapists, counselors and medical providers who refer clients for bodywork as a supplement to other treatments and therapies. Those referrals can include (through use of a Release of Information) or exclude ongoing communication between the referring provider and myself, depending on your preference. My practice also follows HIPAA guidelines fully and I am happy to share the ways that your privacy and confidentiality are protected during our work together.
Consent for Treatment
For full disclosure, the following consent for treatment statement must be signed during the e-intake process for all bodywork clients:
"If I experience any pain or discomfort during my sessions, I will immediately inform the practitioner so that the pressure and/or strokes may be adjusted to my level of comfort. I further understand that massage/bodywork should not be construed as a substitute for medical examination, diagnosis, or treatment and that I should see a physician, chiropractor, or other qualified medical specialist for any physical ailment of which I am aware. I understand that massage/bodywork practitioners are not qualified to perform spinal or skeletal adjustments, diagnose, prescribe, or treat any physical illness, and that nothing said in the course of the session given should be construed as such. Because massage/bodywork should not be performed under certain medical conditions, I affirm that I have stated all my known medical conditions and answered all questions above honestly. I agree to keep the practitioner updated as to any changes in my medical profile and understand that there shall be no liability on the practitioner’s part should I fail to do so. I also understand that any sexually suggestive remarks or advances made by me will result in immediate termination of the session and, at the discretion of the practitioner, the therapeutic relationship. I understand that I am to remain draped by the table linens for the duration of my session. Understanding all of this, I give my consent to receive care."
"If I experience any pain or discomfort during my sessions, I will immediately inform the practitioner so that the pressure and/or strokes may be adjusted to my level of comfort. I further understand that massage/bodywork should not be construed as a substitute for medical examination, diagnosis, or treatment and that I should see a physician, chiropractor, or other qualified medical specialist for any physical ailment of which I am aware. I understand that massage/bodywork practitioners are not qualified to perform spinal or skeletal adjustments, diagnose, prescribe, or treat any physical illness, and that nothing said in the course of the session given should be construed as such. Because massage/bodywork should not be performed under certain medical conditions, I affirm that I have stated all my known medical conditions and answered all questions above honestly. I agree to keep the practitioner updated as to any changes in my medical profile and understand that there shall be no liability on the practitioner’s part should I fail to do so. I also understand that any sexually suggestive remarks or advances made by me will result in immediate termination of the session and, at the discretion of the practitioner, the therapeutic relationship. I understand that I am to remain draped by the table linens for the duration of my session. Understanding all of this, I give my consent to receive care."
What populations does Sweetgrass serve?
Sweetgrass is, first and foremost, a private practice designed to support the unique experiences and needs of underserved and marginalized populations, among them women, members of non-white communities, the LGBTQIA+ community, survivors of domestic violence/intimate partner violence, individuals who have experienced housing insecurity and individuals in helping professions. As such, I do ask that any cisgender men who are seeking to work with me in massage therapy first receive a referral from a community provider/organization or an established Sweetgrass client. If I am unable to work with you for any reason, I will provide you contact information for other massage therapists with whom I am in community.
Illness
If you feel unwell or are actively symptomatic with respiratory or gastrointestinal illness (fever, chills, sore throat, diarrhea. vomiting, nausea, sneezing or coughing) or unfamiliar skin rashes, I kindly ask you to contact me by text before coming to the studio. It is in the best interest of both client and therapist that we reschedule. In the same courtesy, I will reach out to you to reschedule if I am feeling unwell or am actively symptomatic. My common practice is to mask throughout the duration of our session. Clients are welcome to also mask if they so desire and I am continuing to ask that individuals who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 be willing to mask throughout their session as well. I am fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19 and will maintain full vaccination in the interest of the health and safety of our communities.
Payment, Bartering and Community Care Fund
I request that sessions are paid for at the time of booking during our email-based e-intake process. You will receive a payment link from me in your appointment confirmation email. I will also accept Zelle payments and, in rare instances, will accept in-person cash payments from established clients.
I am happy to discuss ethical bartering-for-services during your intake process. This trade arrangement will be mutually determined in writing prior to your first session and is subject to change by either party on a session-by-session basis.
If you are receiving a session paid for by the Community Care Fund, please know that any no show appointments will result in your being placed back on the wait list until funding allows for a reschedule.
***Note: I am happy to provide a receipt to submit for FSA + HSA needs but do not bill insurance at this time.
I am happy to discuss ethical bartering-for-services during your intake process. This trade arrangement will be mutually determined in writing prior to your first session and is subject to change by either party on a session-by-session basis.
If you are receiving a session paid for by the Community Care Fund, please know that any no show appointments will result in your being placed back on the wait list until funding allows for a reschedule.
***Note: I am happy to provide a receipt to submit for FSA + HSA needs but do not bill insurance at this time.
Rescheduling, No Show Appointments and Lateness
Appointments cancelled or rescheduled with a notice of 24 hours or more will have the pre-payment applied to the new session date. I kindly request a small courtesy donation of $5.00 to the Community Care Fund for all appointments cancelled or rescheduled within 24 hours of the original appointment time. No show appointments result in a forfeiture of your session pre-payment.
If you are running late for your session, please text me. Every effort will be made to maintain the full length of your session as much as the day's schedule allows.
If you are running late for your session, please text me. Every effort will be made to maintain the full length of your session as much as the day's schedule allows.
Scheduling AND LOCATIONs
Massage therapy and Reiki sessions: Irvington Counseling Collective (203 Good Ave., 46219; ADA accessible). Availability and location for community-based service pillars (including hospice massage) varies. I do not offer appointment booking directly through my website. Please inquire via the Contact page and I will follow-up with you over email.
CONTACT
- Indianapolis, IN
Please use this form for scheduling or gift card requests, referrals or to discuss possible collaboration. All bodywork clients will be asked to complete a medical history intake form as part of the scheduling process. Thank you! Lesley Jordan, MSW, LSW, LMT Social Worker and Massage Therapist