Templates & reference
Massage intake form template
A good intake form does two jobs: it keeps clients safe by surfacing contraindications before you lay hands on them, and it lets you tailor the first session instead of guessing. Here's a complete template broken down section by section, with a note on why each part earns its place.
What to include, section by section
- Client & contact details
- Full name, date of birth, phone, email, and an emergency contact. Date of birth matters more than it looks — it flags age-related considerations and keeps records unambiguous when two clients share a name.
- Reason for visit & goals
- What brings them in today, and what they want out of the work — pain relief, relaxation, recovery, improved mobility. This anchors your treatment plan and gives you a baseline to measure progress against.
- Health history
- Past and current conditions, surgeries, injuries, and areas of chronic pain. Ask specifically about anything that changes how you work: high or low blood pressure, diabetes, blood clots, osteoporosis, recent injuries, and pregnancy.
- Medications & allergies
- Current medications (blood thinners and muscle relaxants are especially relevant) and any allergies, including sensitivities to oils, lotions, or scents you might use during the session.
- Contraindications screen
- A short checklist of conditions that require caution or a physician's clearance — fever, contagious illness, acute inflammation, recent surgery, or a diagnosed clotting disorder. This is where you protect both the client and yourself.
- Pressure & preferences
- Preferred pressure, areas to focus on, areas to avoid, and any past experiences (good or bad) with massage. Small details here make the first session feel tailored rather than generic.
- Consent & signature
- Informed consent for treatment, acknowledgment of your policies, and a signature with the date. This is a legal and ethical baseline, not an optional extra.
From intake to ongoing notes
The intake form is the start of the client record, not the whole of it. Once you're treating regularly, each visit gets its own entry — see our massage treatment notes template for the ongoing side, and our worked SOAP note examples for how a full session note reads. If you'd rather not type each one, a SOAP note generator can draft it from what you say.
Keep intake and sessions in one place
TouchTrace stores each client's intake details alongside a chronological history of every session — so the full picture is always a tap away.
Frequently asked questions
- What should a massage intake form include?
- At minimum: contact and emergency details, reason for the visit and goals, health history, current medications and allergies, a contraindications screen, pressure and area preferences, and informed consent with a signature. Together these let you treat safely and tailor the session to the client.
- Why do I need health history on an intake form?
- Health history flags conditions that change how — or whether — you should work. Blood thinners, clotting disorders, recent surgery, uncontrolled blood pressure, and pregnancy all affect pressure, positioning, and technique. Collecting it up front is part of practicing safely and within scope.
- How is an intake form different from a SOAP note?
- The intake form is completed once (and updated periodically) to capture who the client is and their health background. A SOAP note is written every visit to record that specific session. The intake informs your first assessment; the SOAP note tracks progress over time.
- Do I need to keep intake forms on file?
- Yes. Intake forms are part of the client record and should be retained according to your local regulations for health records. Keep them somewhere secure and access-controlled, alongside your session notes.
- Can I collect intake information digitally?
- Many therapists do, because it's easier to store, search, and update than paper. Whatever you use, make sure client data is stored securely and only accessible to you. TouchTrace keeps each therapist's client records behind row-level security so only you can read your own clients.