Business Spotlight: Essential Massage Services

By Lorraine Glowczak

It is well-known that massage therapy relaxes your muscles, helps you to achieve full range of motion, encourages relaxation and improves your mood. It is also well known that one size does not fit all – including the multitude of benefits that massage therapy can provide.

That’s where Nationally Certified and State of Maine licensed massage therapist, Lawrence De Hof with Essential Massage Services, 2 Basin Road in Windham, ME comes in.  He combines the techniques of Swedish and Deep Tissue massage with Connective Tissue Release, warm stone therapy along with energy therapy. These techniques are combines to provide his clients with relaxation and healing treatments in an individually crafted session.

Known as Larry to both friends and clients, De Hof has combined his 500 hours of massage school training with over 600 hours of continuing education courses in various therapeutic healing modalities to offer tailored massage therapy options. “It’s the client’s massage, not mine,” began De Hof. “I craft a one hour, full-body message session to meet the individual’s needs based upon the intake interview prior to the very first session.”

He is proud to be among one of the few male massage therapists in the Greater Windham area.   De Hof is a sole proprietor. He answers his own phone, responds to his own emails, and acts as the receptionist – greeting each client personally, all the while having and responding to the personal needs of those he serves.

“I am the only employee. It is imperative to my business and personal mission to honor and respect my clients by operating my massage profession with integrity and detail. It is my mission and hope that my customers know they will receive the best professional and personal benefits possible from what I have to offer.”

Larry De Hof's office is locatedjust off of Tandberg Trail, behind Shaw’sShopping plaza at 2 Basin Road in Windham. 

De Hof also incorporates Reiki into the session, as a Reiki Master he makes sure his sessions provide a sense of calm and reverence. “I arrange and offer my appointments in such a way that my clients do not feel rushed during or after a massage therapy session,” he stated.

Although De Hof offers one-hour sessions, he books his schedule in two-hour increments. This allows extra time if undisclosed problems are found or the client wants extra time to relax on the table after the session. He wishes to allow his clients a true healing moment without feeling rushed to leave.

“Often, my clients will fall asleep during a session,’ stated De Hof. “I take this as a compliment because it indicates the client is relaxed and I have taken them to deep level of comfort. At the end of the session, I will waken my customer and let them know they can take their time to get up. Then I go off to do my required paperwork. Sometimes, they will wake up and just need to relax in the office as they prepare to return to normal everyday life. Either way, they have the time to adjust – hopefully feeling prepared to go about their life in a more calm and confident manner.

So how did De Hof make massage therapy his calling and career of choice? His wife jokes that he has been in the business of “helping people in need” for a long time.

De Hof served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era. After serving 3 years overseas De Hof became a police officer in Maryland where he retired after 22 years of service. After his first retirement, De Hof moved into the security and private investigator position businesses. 

His role as the Security Director for a large bank eventually ended when they were purchased by another company. This left him without work but provided an opportunity to move in a different direction. With time on his hands, he decided to take a two-weekend basic massage class for fun.

“I took the massage therapy education class and was very impressed by their professional approach and the way they taught the therapy techniques and business of massage therapy,” stated De Hof. “I realized I wanted to be a part of this and help others who could benefit from the healing methods of massage. I decided I would give it a try.” I closed all my private investigators business and went to school full time. I have not wanted to do anything else since.”

He graduated from the 500 hour massage school in Washington DC. 2001 and began a private practice in Maryland. There he continued taking classes and received Board Certification with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. In 2003, he and his wife (who’s family is from the Ellsworth, Maine area), made their home – and his office – in Windham in 2003 just off of Tandberg Trail, less than a mile down the road behind Shaw’s Shopping plaza.

De Hof’s one-hour massage is $60 per hour for appointments made in advance, and $65 per hour for appointments made on the same day. De Hof is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, and is a Veteran Owned Small Business. He is also a member of The American Legion Post 148 and The Fraternal Order of Police. 

To learn more about De Hof and/or make an appointment with Essential Massage Services, call 207-310-8952 or check out the website at WWW.EssentialMassageServices.com.