What our calendar looks like across an average month.
An average month in our practice runs to about 1,000 sessions. The distribution across the month is uneven — and the unevenness has patterns we have come to recognise.
The first week of the month is busier than the last. Clients tend to book more freely earlier in the month — when bank balances are higher and the sense of time is fresh. The first weekend in particular is consistently the busiest weekend of the month, often by 30% over the last weekend.
Tuesdays are quietest. Wednesdays are slightly busier. Thursdays through Saturdays are progressively busier; Sunday is quieter than Saturday but still busier than midweek. Sundays favour quieter formats; Tuesdays favour repeat bookings from regular clients.
Mid-month sees a small dip in volume — typically the second week, particularly Tuesday through Thursday. The dip is reliable enough that we use it for therapist training, photography days, and other roster maintenance.
The end of the month follows the beginning's pattern but compressed. The last weekend is busier than the previous Tuesday but quieter than the first weekend. Bookings tend to be shorter — one-hour rather than two-hour, single rather than couples.
Monthly rhythm is also affected by what is happening in Amsterdam. Major conferences in Zuidas (RAI events, tech conferences) substantially increase business-traveller bookings during the conference week. Tourist-season peaks (April-May, September-October) increase tourist hotel bookings. Cold weather in February tends to push bookings slightly later in the evening because outdoor evenings are less appealing.
We track these patterns because dispatch quality depends on staffing the right number of therapists for the expected volume. Forty-five practitioners is enough roster to cover a busy Saturday night and a quiet Tuesday lunch with the same standard. The scheduling math is most of what makes the operational backbone work.