Acupuncture, tuina, cupping: one service per session type

Give each type of session its own service, with a slot length that includes the treatment, the set-up and the time to clean and air the room. An acupuncture session with needles left in place, a tuina massage and a cupping session don't run the same way, and a combined session takes longer still. When patients pick the right service, you know what to prepare, and the day runs on time.

Lengths and prices are examples: use your own practice. On Book, each service has a name, an optional description shown on your page, and a price, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end. A patient who picks "Acupuncture + cupping" only sees slots of that length.

A 40-minute treatment rarely fits in a 40-minute slot. Add up what really happens:

Build that total into each slot, or leave a gap between slots. Your next patient will thank you, and so will your back.

Some patients book "tuina" without knowing what it is. In each description, say in plain words what happens, how long it lasts, what to wear, and who the session is for, for example "returning patients only" for short sessions. Where a session isn't suitable for someone, say they should ask you first rather than book online.

Some practitioners run two rooms: a patient rests with needles in one while the next arrives in the other. That's a choice you make; Book doesn't stop slots from overlapping, even within the same service. If you work in two rooms, you can open staggered slots on purpose. If you work in one room, create slots one after the other, with no overlap, and don't open two services at the same time.

Some practitioners offer sessions at the change of season, or one-off treatments such as a relaxation tuina, for patients who don't come regularly. These work well as their own services, with a clear description and a set length, so a one-off visitor doesn't need a full first consultation. Open them in quieter weeks, or as a block of slots around the season change, and repeat them on the chosen weekdays until an end date.

If you offer tuina or acupuncture at home for patients who can't travel, make home visits a separate service. The slot should include the journey, and the description should say which areas you cover. Ask for the address and access details in the booking note, and group home visits on the same half-day to limit driving.

The booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note. A short note helps you prepare: "first time with cupping", "prefers no needles in the feet". Keep detailed health information for the session and your records: the note also appears in the calendar file the patient receives. You receive an email for each new booking with the note.

Once your services are set, build a standard week and repeat it on the chosen weekdays until an end date. Mixing lengths works when you keep them in blocks: longer combined sessions in the morning, shorter ones in the afternoon, for example. When patients book at the end of a session, choose the service with them, so the next slot has the right length.

Patients can't move bookings online, and Book doesn't email them when you reschedule or cancel, so confirm changes yourself. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission, no contract.