My Bodywork Offering

The bodywork I offer is a widely informed and deeply intuitive blend of myofascial release, cranial sacral, organ/visceral massage, and a full tool belt of both manual structural release techniques as well as subtle energetic work. I have been practicing massage and bodywork for nearly 20 years and during that time have constantly pushed myself to learn, grow, and deepen my practice. At it's foundation my bodywork is about listening to the body and responding to your individual needs. I see and treat the whole person through hands on healing work, trauma informed care, and deep presence. I have successfully helped many people over the years improve their quality of life and care for themselves in a deep and fundamental way.

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What to expect

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While I do offer integrative massage and can incorporate some time spent offering traditional massage at the end of a session, my specialty and where the breadth of my skills lie is beyond traditional massage. I offer gentle and sensitive myofascial therapies generally performed without oil or lotion. I can do this work either on bare skin or through clothing. This work is generally not painful, is supportive of deep relaxation, restoration of the body/mind, and very effective for a wide range of pain issues, stress/anxiety, and alignment issues.

My sessions vary based on what your goals are, what you're experiencing in your body, and what type of touch your body tissues are most responsive to. I use some techniques that are very light and sometimes apply deeper pressure. They are both very effective in different instances. Much of the work I do involves sinking into various layers of fascia and other tissues of the body, listening, waiting for change, following that change, and offering various amounts of encouragement or resistance to facilitate the completion of that change. I may work very lightly and delicately to assess and treat the small bones in the skull, I may use pressure that varies and follows the breath to assess and treat the lungs and respiratory diaphragm, I may sink in rather deeply with sustained pressure when assessing and treating scar tissue resulting from a hysterectomy. I also use various types of movement and support while treating restricted areas of the body, using the weight, pressure, and traction of limbs as a fulcrum to release areas of restriction around joints or major muscle groups. Sometimes movement arises without your conscious control or my guidance. We call this unwinding. When this movement arises I do my best to follow and support, sometimes offering slight resistance or feedback to offer an alternate pathway or new information. This can be a powerfully cathartic process when it arises but is not necessary for healing to unfold.

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I believe that some level of ongoing permission and engagement is important. While you're welcome to simply allow the session to be a quiet and relaxing experience of being receptive to the work, I also encourage consent, feedback, questions, and whatever level of engagement works well for you. It is not my intention that you lie limply on the table and receive what I think is good for you. You're an expert on your body and I am genuinely interested in your experience. Participation is acceptable and encouraged. Having said you don't have to worry about the session being full to questions and talking. It is important to remain centered in the experience of the body during the session and I allow the space of receptive silence and encourage whatever inner experience is happening to be the focus of your experience. 

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I also strongly believe in and honor consent in my work with babies and children. It is possible to have an appointment with a baby where part of the time they don't want to be touched. I may take this time to try to engage through other means, I may take the time to talk to the parents and offer suggestions or guidance on ways they might be able to treat their own child- whatever feels most appropriate. I have found in my work that often babies don't need to be treated for as long or as thoroughly as adults. They don't have the layers of physical and mental resistance we develop as adults so small interventions can have big impacts. I may be able to do hands on work with a baby for 10, 20, 30 minutes or more during a 60 minute session and have a very successful outcome. It depends on the day, on the kid, on our dynamic. 

When I work with babies and small children I usually work very gently and integrate a lot of movement, interaction, and positional release techniques. When I work with the very ill or elderly I use a lot of very gentle unwinding and energetic techniques. Basically I listen and respond to what I am feeling and sensing. My goal is always to support your process, holding space for you as an individual and allowing for healing to arise naturally through the process of presence. 

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