Cortiva Institute – Boston

Best place ever BUT trying to contact them is not even worth the effort. They used to have on line appointments but no more. You are asked to leave your contact info so they can call you for an appointment-HUH???Waiting for a call back now… Hmmm. Need I say more…

Updating this because I had a really awful experience with a receptionist at Cortiva. In general they are not very friendly, but this was egregious. I had to cancel an appointment a few hours in advance because of an urgent medical issue, and when I called Cortiva to let them know, the receptionist was unbelievably rude! She kept lecturing me about their 24 hour cancelation policy, and then she actually said to me, «Oh, let me ask you this. You didn’t know you had an appointment here today [when you scheduled an urgent care appointment]?» I had to explain to her that urgent care means URGENT: one doesn’t plan to get sick. It’s awful to be that sick, but dealing with her attitude just made it worse. I’ve liked the massage therapists I’ve gone to, but the institute’s customer service is making me reconsider whether I’ll go back.

I went here for the first time a few weeks ago, and my massage was excellent, so I wanted to request the same student again, but the receptionist had already left for the day. So, I went home and booked two more appointments via their online appointment system, specifically requesting that student.
When I arrived for my massage today, I was assigned a different student, and although the massage was fine, she wasn’t nearly as intuitive or professional as the student whom I’d requested.
When I mentioned to the receptionist that I had requested a different person, she said, «Oh, if you book online, we don’t see those requests.»
Why include a comment/​request form on the appointment section of the website if the staff don’t see/​pay attention to those requests?
Cortiva allows you to request the same student up to 5 times. You also get a $ 5.00 discount for booking online, but I think I will try booking over the phone from now on.
Update: Overall, I’ve enjoyed my massages here. The students are friendly, caring, and doing their best, and you won’t go broke if you decide to get a massage at Cortiva.

I’ve visited Cortiva since its halcyon days, when it was known as MTI – the Muscular Therapy Institute. I still remember my first visit. It was in the evening of a fall day. An older sister took me. It was weird. Scurrying out of the family station wagon, through the leaves, into a house in an area not too far from McLean Hospital – a place formerly known as an ‘asylum’ that served such historical figures such as … John Nash, James Taylor, Ray Charles, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and others– it was kind of creepy. The visit may have been last century, when I wasn’t even «legal» yet. And going inside, checking in, getting to the clinic on the 3^rd floor, finishing the Health History form and breaking bread with your session therapist is still somewhat of a [cumbersome] process. I put ‘cumbersome’ in brackets purposely as I’m trying to convey that it doesn’t always have to be that way. And if you go regular – which I never have– you won’t have to fiddle w/​the form.
After a dozen sessions in as many years, I’d say the service is always somewhere between satisfactory-​to-​spectacular — as long as you keep your expectations at a fair level. I’ve had sessions where some students were less confident than others. The trick is to schedule appointments towards the end of student programs, typically near the end of winter, spring, or summer. The summer can be a wash. But on a rating scale of 1-​to-​10, I’ve never rated a service at less than a 6. And perhaps if I had communicated to the student – because (s)he neglected to communicate to me– that pressure was weak or lacked confidence, that session rating of 6 would be higher.
That said, I had a spectacular session today – Saturday, November 15, 2014. A large factor may be that I arrived 25min early to make sure I had time to fill out the form and convey my goals clearly to my therapist. It was cake because my therapist was on top of her game and there was reciprocity throughout the Intro Meeting, Session, and Outro. And with that, I have a Thank You card to write.

Don’t bother.
The days of muscular therapy institute are gone.
Big mindless chain is in charge now.
Poor website makes online booking an unpleasant adventure. Poor administration makes phone booking doomed to failure.
First call got me to a desk officer who denied any ability to do anything «I’m just covering for someone» who may not even regret that choice.
Second call got disconnected.
Third call — anyone else wondering why I kept trying? — I made an appt with the desk Sargent who assured me that they had my file from previous visits so skip the 15-​min intake.
I arrived late. I admit it. I was four minutes late.
Desk captain had no file, no record of any of my previous visits and won’t let anyone in after 15 minutes.
Is this a massage or a scary movie?
Am I late by 4 minutes. Yes by the clock. No by the desk captain. I am late by Way Too Much and We Don’t Want You, Your Money or Your Business.
Done. So done. Even massage envy is better than these fools.

Honestly, the best massages I’ve had (and I’ve had them.) have been at Cortiva. They are consistently excellent.
When you get there it’s sort of jarring «what, I’m walking into a house. uh, ok?» But once you get inside you can tell it is a school, a small but very professional place. When you go you can’t choose gender, so if you have issues with tiny girl hands or scary man hands this place is not for you. I’ve had both male and female students and though if I’d had a choice I would’ve requested female, the one man I got was the best massage I’ve ever had, so.
You fill out a bit about yourself, write down things on a clipboard for them and get a bit of an interview with them about areas to focus on (if any) or what works or doesn’t work for you.
The room where you get the massage is sort of like a huge stable. There is a long corridor in one big room and each ‘stall’ is a floor to ceiling thick curtain (think circus-​tent weight, serious curtain here, no risk of it blowing in and exposing your nekkid self. Because of this, you can hear some distant voices here or there, but it’s all very soothing nonetheless.
Afterwords they tell you what they noticed, stretches you can do (I found this very very helpful) and they ask how they can improve on a clipboard. I thought that was great. Also, you’re not allowed to tip, so (though they deserve one!) it eliminates the whole question of ‘how much is enough???‘
This is not the place for waterfall music, people wearing aggressive levels of non-​makeup makeup with names like Sage and the faint sense of something burning. This is a place to get to the bottom of muscle issues and work them out. I work out quite a bit doing pole work, swimming and lifting so I focus on muscles when I get a massage — not ambiance.
Luckily, the folks at Cortiva are up for the task, they always leave me relaxed and mellow. Highly recommend, a great value! Plus, free massage for you during the month of your birthday if you join (free) their birthday club!

This is the skinny on Cortiva (which they make clear to you once you get there):
–walk inside a house-​like building that turns out to be huge and professional inside
–meet with your massage therapist beforehand to discuss the purpose of the massage
–go inside the main massage room, which is a large room, curtained off into private sections. In your section, you can’t see anyone else, but you can hear the people next to you. I never found this too distracting, especially because I expected it.
−40−50 minute massage
–Massage therapist meets with you afterward to discuss how it went
–You fill out a feedback sheet in your own privacy about the massage and turn it in for the therapist to look at later.
If you are comfortable with these things, this place is good for you, and as such, was good for me. I’ve had somewhere between 10 – 20 non-​student massages (sometimes paying $ 150/​hour), and I can honestly say that both massages I’ve had at Cortiva are comparable to those outside of Cortiva.
They are relaxing, and some of the therapists are able to alleviate pain more than others. They check in with you semi-​often about pressure, pain, etc., and this is really helpful to ensure you get a massage you like.
And, they have (a) a punch card (something like 9 massages, get 1 free), and (b) discounts (cheaper saturday morning, etc.).

Every time I come to Cortiva, I am not disappointed. For $ 35 you really can’t complain about the 1 hour massage you receive. The room is a big open room separated with curtains so if the therapist and client next to you is talking it can be distracting but otherwise I cannot say enough good about this place. The students are very good at what they do. They check in every once in a while about pressure and ask ahead of time what is ok and not ok to massage. I honestly expected them to be kind of mediocre because they haven’t trained too long but every one I’ve had has been great and I haven’t had one complaint. I’ve had about 3 dozen massages at Cortiva over the last 3 – 4 years.
The one downfall besides the curtain room, you cannot choose the gender of your therapist. They select it for you and tell you that you can’t discriminate and ask for a male or female. This may bother some people. Lastly, they have a free parking lot so parking is not an issue. The times for appointments are pretty convenient too you just have to book them AT LEAST one week out as they fill up VERY quickly.

I was very satisfied with the massage I received from a Cortiva student. I would not come here expecting to be absolutely wowed, but for $ 30 for a one hour massage, this was a great deal. The school is located in a quaint building and there is free parking available in a large lot. The receptionists were very friendly when I checked in. Before the massage the student interviewed me about my concerns and asked me where I’d like any special attention. My student was very friendly and kind. My only complaint is that the «room» (i.e, massage table surrounded by curtains) was kind of cold. Also, be advised that while you have visual privacy thanks to all the curtains, you can hear people in the massage «rooms» near you. However, there was some peaceful acoustic music playing which did a lot to drown out any ambient noise. Also, the people near me were not especially loud. I just heard the occasional request from the massage therapist for someone to turn over or a request from the client for increased pressure. I also liked that they had a water cooler in the waiting area. They have a card where if you pay for 9 massages the 10^th is free. I think I will return. You cannot argue with the price. Also, there is a discount for booking on-​line.

As far as massage goes, this is not the place to go if you’re a chronic sufferer, or need actual massage to work out tension and do maintenance body work.
I have been once, and while I do feel that you are performing a good deed to at least TRY a student massage (similar to giving blood), it is worth about as much as the adventure itself. Do not expect an honest to goodness massage, or you will likely be disappointed.
THE PROS:
— The most affordable 1 hr massage you’re likely to find (~$ 35).
— Ability to pre-​book the date and time online.
— Plentiful free parking.
— Sense that you’re doing a good deed for the massage community.
— Cleanliness (i.e., I saw students wiping off the door handles and sanitizing frequently, as people entered and left the room.)
— Air conditioned building.
THE CONS:
— Luck-​of-​the-​draw masseuse/​masseur, who may not be up to par.
— Moderate privacy: big room with many people being massaged by students simultaneously. Hospital curtains and massage music offer a modicum of privacy for each client… It’s funny to hear others behind the curtains saying, «you could rub a little harder…» to their masseuse as well. :-)
— Heavy, warm blankets on the massage bed (in 90 degree summer weather).
— Located in Watertown (which is a hike for those in the ‘burbs).
— No appointments on weekends or evenings.
I’ve seen in the reviews here that some folks claim to have received real body work equivalent to professional massage. This may be true (I have only been once), but that was very far from my experience.
THE EXPERIENCE:
The student who introduced herself to me was gentle as a lamb and timorous as a wild hare. A very sweet young woman who shook my hand on greeting me, demonstrating no grip whatsoever. This boded ill, as I tend to favor the Helgas and Brunhildas of massage.
For one, she was instructed *not* to massage any of the truly painful or sore spots, since she is a student. I can understand that restriction for the more strapping students, but I do not think she could have injured me if she tried. Her touch was exceedingly light, though I asked many times to have firmer pressure applied. I know she tried, but simply wasn’t able to oblige. All in all, it was more an oil rub than an actual massage.
I appreciate the fact that Cortiva offers this service, and I think it’s great to try it once and see if your hour turns out to be more promising than mine.

I’ve had a lot of massages before, some better and some worse than Cortiva, but definitely never as cheap! At $ 35 an hour it’s an excellent price and if you look on their website there are usually extra deals so you end up paying only around $ 20/​hour instead.
The massages are all done by students so they aren’t quite as instinctual about knowing what’s wrong with you as more experienced masseuses, but they really listen to you and respond well when you ask for more/​less pressure or concentration on specific areas.
The biggest downside to Cortiva is that the «rooms» are actually just curtains set up to divide the beds in one large room. You still have a completely private area to yourself, but if someone else in the room talks a lot (client or masseuse) you can hear their whole conversation because sound carries throughout the room.
Overall, though, it’s a great experience and worth the drive out to Watertown for the price they charge!

I like Cortiva. It’s a great asset to the neighborhood. Try their punch card loyalty program-​and if you sign up for their email list you get a free massage for your bday!

I have had many massages and none this good. I’ve been to GrettaCole many times and each time I want to jump off the table because of the pain. I have neck and shoulder pain chronically and none of those massages have helped me.
I went to Cortiva with limited range of motion in my neck and left feeling anew. I didn’t think I would feel improvement because I didn’t want to jump off the table in pain! Instead of just massaging the actual muscles, he massaged their attachments. I wasn’t cured but it was a significant improvement.
The only downside is that you cannot choose the gender of your therapist. I was not completely comfortable with a strange man rubbing me but you can’t have everything, I guess.

I have had 3 great massages by Cortiva students. I think the most difficult thing about going to Cortiva is you’ll likely always have a different person — which means if you really liked your last massage, chances are it was a fleeting moment in time that cannot be recaptured.
The student clinic is as mentioned by other reviewers, a larger room separated by thin dividers. But, I didn’t find it off putting in the slightest any of the times I was there. If you are into your massage, then it’s tough to hear what’s going on around you anyway.
I do find the post-​massage interview a little awkward. But, I’ve just tired to focus on the positive because I know it will help the students in the end.

As others have posted these are massage students, so they are still learning. You will get some talented students, some who still have a lot to learn. But even when they start in the clinic they do have extensive training, and I have received some spotty massages from professionals at more than twice the cost. I have been to the clinic many times and had some of my best massages there.
If you are looking to get regular massage this is a really affordable way to do it. Give it a try and if you don’t have a great experience try again — you may luck out.
You do sit w/​the student at the outset and at the end. I view this as a positive — they are getting graded on this so they will really be trying to address your concerns. Be honest with the feedback, it will only help them.

Can you get a massage for any cheaper than $ 35?!
Well, yes, actually. Book your massage on their website and get $ 5 off.
This place is a bit ‘you get what you pay for’ situation. The massages are not absolutely fabulous. You’re not given a terry cloth bathrobe and spring water with lemon. You do have to sit down with your masseuse afterwards and tell them what you liked and didn’t like.
You do get a decent massage in a relaxing atmosphere. My masseuse also gave me some great exercises I could do to help by neck and back aches as well.
I’ll certainly be back.

so if you feel like a massage without breaking the bank, this place is a great idea! You get the benefit of massage without all the perks of a high end salon. (including the high price ticket)
There is kind of a communal area where all the students work on their clients, each area separated by a curtain so there is some privacy.

I have been three times, and unfortunately, both of my ladies have finished their schooling. While I liked both of them a lot, I may not continue going this semester (which is now $ 40, but that’s not the point). Last time I was there, two of the students spent 10+ mins while I was in the waiting area discussing their instructor’s «fat ass». I didn’t see her, so I cannot comment, but then again, why would I when they seem so keen on doing it in front of people? It struck me as very unprofessional, and these are people who should be professional! During my massage, I could hear them still talking about the fat ass (I think it was Kathy’s)? If she reads this, may she fail them!

Just had my first massage here and I’ll probably go back. I’ve had many massages so I’ll say that this place was definitely great for the price — overall it was decent.
The differences that didn’t bother me so much: It felt a little more like a doctor’s office upon first experience, as you have to arrive early to fill out some health history forms. Also, instead of a private room you have a big room with curtained partitions. It was, however, remarkably quiet and they play nice music.
The differences that did: My masseur was good, but nothing special. It was relaxing, but I didn’t feel remarkably rejuvenated or de-​stressed. She did my feet, but barely touched the bottoms, and spent a total of 5 minutes on my neck without really massaging it.
I’ll probably go back because it’s a nice experience for the price, but I’ll probably ask for someone new just to try it out.
I’d recommend this to anyone who’s looking to treat themselves to something nice at a low cost, but I wouldn’t give someone a massage here as a gift unless they’ve had many massages before and can appreciate it for what it is.

Cortiva is a great place to go for massages without bursting your wallet. For $ 30 you can get an hour long student massage which I think is just as good as a professional massage. I’ve had two massages here so far and will continue to go back for more. If you sign up with them to receive their emails they sometimes will email you the specials where you can receive the massage at a $ 5 discount. The place is clean and has plenty of parking.
My only complaint is that there are only big white sheets separating you from the other clients which makes you feel as if you don’t have enough privacy. It’s also a little uncomfortable to be in the same room as 10? other clients but you get what you pay for. It also sometimes feels a little cold to me so I wish that they would have blanket warmers.

For a $ 35 hour long massage I give this place five stars. Unlike a spa where you get a private room, the layout is a large area with curtained partitions so you can hear other people but they play nice relaxing music and for the price I think its a great deal. Since its a teaching setting, you meet with your massage therapist at the start to discuss areas that you might be feeling tension and again after for you to give them feedback. They show you on a chart areas that you have tension and also give you an evaluation form to fill out at the end. I had Amanda and she gave me an excellent massage and also suggested some exercises to relieve the back pain associated with sitting at a computer for long periods.
If you are looking for the overall pampered experience of a massage at a spa this is not the place, but if you want a good massage and are willing to put up with the less private conditions its ideal.
A few things to note: Tipping is not allowed, it is important to be on time and if you are often late they may not allow you to continue appointments, and there is a frequent massage card where you get your 10^th massage free. You can also sign up for an email listserve where they have same day unfilled appointments for $ 25 on a first come first serve basis.