To adjust the ocean sounds, use the bar below:
Why Bodywork?
Besides the fact that most people find that it feels really good,
research shows that bodywork (i.e. therapeutic massage) is really good for us!
It's good for our minds, our hearts, and our bodies.
Some of the benefits include:
- increased circulation
- reduced stress & anxiety
- reduction in physical pain
- relief from muscle tension, digestive ailments, & headaches
- flushing toxins into the blood & lymphatic system for removal
- greater clarity and sense of well-being
- a more intimate, compassionate sense of the self
The Mind-Body Connection
Just as massage flushes toxins from the body on the physical level,
I believe it can help facilitate emotional healing, too.
Our precious bodies hold us and carry us through life.
It's where we live, how we live, and part of who we are. We've only got one.
Since we know that mind and body are connected,
it makes sense to include the body, to pay attention to it,
and care for it with gentle kindness.
Our thoughts, feelings, memories, and experiences, all live in our bodies.
As Bessel van Der Kolk says, "the body keeps the score."
And the body doesn't lie.
Maybe you're curious about patterns you've noticed in your body, things such as
- where you tend to hold your tension
- areas of chronic inflammation, pain, weakness, or recurring muscle spasm
- where and how you experience deep core emotions in the body
What has your body been trying to tell you?
Let's listen together.
Listening is a gentle exploration.
It makes room for movement.
It invites greater ease
and deeper breath.
Listening to the body allows it to unwind and unfold.
My skills as a psychotherapist make me particularly well-suited
for emotional release bodywork, and work focused on
deepening embodied experience / sense of self / self-compassion.
I provide a very safe and contained experience of therapeutic touch.
I believe it can help facilitate emotional healing, too.
Our precious bodies hold us and carry us through life.
It's where we live, how we live, and part of who we are. We've only got one.
Since we know that mind and body are connected,
it makes sense to include the body, to pay attention to it,
and care for it with gentle kindness.
Our thoughts, feelings, memories, and experiences, all live in our bodies.
As Bessel van Der Kolk says, "the body keeps the score."
And the body doesn't lie.
Maybe you're curious about patterns you've noticed in your body, things such as
- where you tend to hold your tension
- areas of chronic inflammation, pain, weakness, or recurring muscle spasm
- where and how you experience deep core emotions in the body
What has your body been trying to tell you?
Let's listen together.
Listening is a gentle exploration.
It makes room for movement.
It invites greater ease
and deeper breath.
Listening to the body allows it to unwind and unfold.
My skills as a psychotherapist make me particularly well-suited
for emotional release bodywork, and work focused on
deepening embodied experience / sense of self / self-compassion.
I provide a very safe and contained experience of therapeutic touch.
Types of Bodywork I Offer
Swedish
Deep Tissue
Trigger Point
Reflexology
Energy work
Emotional Release
________________________________________________________
Swedish:
Swedish massage is what people generally think of when they imagine massage.
Swedish strokes are often long and smooth,
though some are more staccato and designed to move more blood or lymph.
Deep tissue:
Deep tissue work is what it says it is--working with deeper tissues.
We don't dive into deeper work, we warm up the body
and the body tells us when it's ready to melt and give/receive another layer.
Trigger Point:
Trigger point work is working on areas of "knots" (tightness and inflammation) within muscle tissue.
A trigger point in the back, for example, can cause referral pain in the neck, which could then cause other issues.
Tracing pathways of referral pain is a more systematic way to provide relief to an area that has been causing tightness or pain.
Reflexology:
Reflexology is based on the premise that energy meridians of the body are reflected in the hands and the feet.
There are so many nerves on our palmar and plantar surfaces that reflexology invariably feels wonderful!
For example, if someone is having lower back pain, I would consider spending part of the session
on those mirrored reflex points in the hands and feet.
Energy work:
Energy work, simply put, is working with energy fields of the body.
Since everything is ultimately energy, this can seem daunting,
but I love working with energy and have had a strong intuitive sense for it
for as long as I can remember.
Energy work can feel amazing and deep in its own way.
Sometimes it involves direct contact with the body,
and other times, hands hover lightly on the energy body, above the physical.
I also like to incorporate the use of tuning forks and singing bowls into my energy work.
Energetic releases that can happen in the form of muscles twitching,
and these often are accompanied by emotional shifts.
There are lots of "schools" of energy work.
I've had Polarity training, Reiki level 1 training,
and completed a 4-day "Stillness Within" biodynamic craniosacral training,
but ultimately I follow my intuition and the energy in my hands.
Emotional Release Work:
This is sort of a generic term that I use to encompass the fact that
emotional releases spontaneously happen during bodywork.
Emotions are held, felt, expressed in the body.
It makes sense to pay attention to what the body is holding, and saying.
The body is another avenue for processing and release.
With emotional releases, people might suddenly find themselves laughing,
or find tears wanting to be released.
Touch, as one of our senses, can elicit memories or emotions,
just as a certain smell can remind us of someone or some place.
This kind of bodywork feels very rich for me to witness and facilitate.
If I notice my clients having an emotional response,
I ask if they'd like to talk about it, or process it privately on their own.
As the body unwinds, things emerge.
It's a beautiful spiral.
Deep Tissue
Trigger Point
Reflexology
Energy work
Emotional Release
________________________________________________________
Swedish:
Swedish massage is what people generally think of when they imagine massage.
Swedish strokes are often long and smooth,
though some are more staccato and designed to move more blood or lymph.
Deep tissue:
Deep tissue work is what it says it is--working with deeper tissues.
We don't dive into deeper work, we warm up the body
and the body tells us when it's ready to melt and give/receive another layer.
Trigger Point:
Trigger point work is working on areas of "knots" (tightness and inflammation) within muscle tissue.
A trigger point in the back, for example, can cause referral pain in the neck, which could then cause other issues.
Tracing pathways of referral pain is a more systematic way to provide relief to an area that has been causing tightness or pain.
Reflexology:
Reflexology is based on the premise that energy meridians of the body are reflected in the hands and the feet.
There are so many nerves on our palmar and plantar surfaces that reflexology invariably feels wonderful!
For example, if someone is having lower back pain, I would consider spending part of the session
on those mirrored reflex points in the hands and feet.
Energy work:
Energy work, simply put, is working with energy fields of the body.
Since everything is ultimately energy, this can seem daunting,
but I love working with energy and have had a strong intuitive sense for it
for as long as I can remember.
Energy work can feel amazing and deep in its own way.
Sometimes it involves direct contact with the body,
and other times, hands hover lightly on the energy body, above the physical.
I also like to incorporate the use of tuning forks and singing bowls into my energy work.
Energetic releases that can happen in the form of muscles twitching,
and these often are accompanied by emotional shifts.
There are lots of "schools" of energy work.
I've had Polarity training, Reiki level 1 training,
and completed a 4-day "Stillness Within" biodynamic craniosacral training,
but ultimately I follow my intuition and the energy in my hands.
Emotional Release Work:
This is sort of a generic term that I use to encompass the fact that
emotional releases spontaneously happen during bodywork.
Emotions are held, felt, expressed in the body.
It makes sense to pay attention to what the body is holding, and saying.
The body is another avenue for processing and release.
With emotional releases, people might suddenly find themselves laughing,
or find tears wanting to be released.
Touch, as one of our senses, can elicit memories or emotions,
just as a certain smell can remind us of someone or some place.
This kind of bodywork feels very rich for me to witness and facilitate.
If I notice my clients having an emotional response,
I ask if they'd like to talk about it, or process it privately on their own.
As the body unwinds, things emerge.
It's a beautiful spiral.
What Can You Expect?
Each time a person is lying on my table,
I tailor the session specifically to their needs in that moment.
I often incorporate elements from all modalities in each session.
I ask my clients to let me know about pressure and pacing,
and if they would like more emphasis in a particular area,
or if there's a particular style they want more or less of in their session.
I'm very mindful of the draping of the body,
and check-in with clients to make sure they feel adequately covered, and safe.
If for any reason, you don't feel safe,
please tell me so I can fix it.
During and after a session with me,
you can expect to feel some relief and relaxation.
You can also expect afterwards
that your physical / emotional / energy body
might still be processing.
You mind feel like you just want to rest.
You may feel thirsty, too.
I encourage you to rest and drink plenty of water,
and to continue to notice how you feel.
When lots of things are opened up and released
physically, energetically, and emotionally,
it's a natural time to reflect.
If you like to journal,
the time is ripe for more inward exploration on your own.
