Member checklist · operator standard
Choose the studio by its reasoning, not its equipment count.
A room full of expensive modalities can still deliver random sessions. The better studio can explain the goal, the exposure, the screen, the measure and the stop rule before it asks you to commit.
Ask these eight questions
Check the evidence first- 01
What outcome is this session intended to change?
A credible answer names one specific outcome, the timeframe over which it could plausibly move, and the limits of what a session can change.
- 02
What exact device or exposure are you using, and how does it match the evidence?
A credible answer states the temperature, wavelength, pressure, distance or duration that defines the exposure, and does not borrow evidence from a different device class.
- 03
Who should not use this modality without medical clearance?
A credible answer lists the specific contraindications for this modality and raises them before the waiver is signed, not after a package is sold.
- 04
How is the starting dose chosen and adjusted?
A credible answer describes a conservative starting point, the signal used to progress or hold, and the freedom to start low without being made to feel it was a failure.
- 05
What will we measure between visits?
A credible answer produces something observable between visits rather than relying only on how impressive the machine sounds.
- 06
When should a member stop, change course, or see a clinician?
A credible answer defines the stop rule and the referral point in advance, and treats persistent or worsening symptoms as a reason to refer rather than to upsell.
- 07
How are sanitation, maintenance and emergency procedures documented?
A credible answer points to written cleaning, maintenance and emergency procedures, and names who is accountable for each on a given shift.
- 08
Can staff explain uncertainty without turning every answer into an upsell?
A credible answer says plainly where the evidence is thin, and is documented well enough that another trained staff member can explain the same reasoning.
Green flags
- Staff can explain the difference between traditional and infrared sauna.
- The studio knows the pressure, wavelength, distance, temperature or program that defines the exposure.
- Contraindications are discussed before the waiver is signed.
- Members can start conservatively without being made to feel they failed.
- The outcome and reassessment window are defined before a package is sold.
- Persistent or worsening symptoms trigger referral rather than a bigger bundle.
Red flags
- Every modality is described as anti-aging, detoxifying or mitochondrial.
- Staff cannot name contraindications or the device settings that matter.
- Clinical evidence from one device class is used to validate a different consumer machine.
- The answer to a poor response is always more sessions or a larger package.
- A waiver replaces screening, follow-up and escalation.
- Membership urgency is stronger than the explanation of the protocol.
For operators
Turn this checklist into the member experience.
Before the first visit
Explain the modality in plain language, collect the relevant screening information, document what makes someone ineligible, and set an expected outcome that can be reviewed.
After the visit
Capture the member's response, decide whether the next visit continues, adjusts or stops, and make escalation a normal part of the system rather than a failure of the sale.
The operating advantage is not a longer menu. It is a consistent, explainable loop that makes staff better and gives members confidence that the next session has a reason.
Looking for a studio?
Compare the menu, then ask the questions.
AskPrax is an external recovery-studio directory with modality, city and public protocol pages. Directory inclusion is not an Alive endorsement, so still use the checklist.
Browse the AskPrax directoryRun a studio?
Make the public listing accurate.
A complete modality menu, current hours and a real booking link make it easier for qualified members to find the right studio before the protocol conversation begins.
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