Client-centered bodywork

Sometimes it really is all about you. When you schedule craniosacral therapy, massage, or foot reflexology with Chris or me, we will create the treatment you request to the best of our ability and within our scope of practice.

That means if your nervous system prefers that you receive massage while lying on an extra-warm table, we’ll turn up the heat. If you relax more with long, flowing movements than with kneading, that’s what you will receive. If you ask us not to touch your face or your feet, we will not. If you ask us to spend extra time on those areas, we will. If you prefer silence, we will not initiate conversation.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the first client to make the request or the twentieth. Comforting and easing your nervous system is bodywork’s greatest gift. It is what we offer you.

We cannot diagnose or treat your medical conditions. We will not attempt to sell you any products or beliefs. Rather, we offer you the benefits of bodywork to enhance your health and life.

At their best, touch therapies stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” part of your autonomic nervous system — while soothing the “fight or flight” tendency.

While research on the ancient practices of touch therapies is relatively new and has a long way to go, studies thus far suggest that what our nervous systems tell us is true:

• “Both severe stressors (e.g. major life events) and relatively minor stressors that occur on a frequent basis (e.g. daily hassles) have been associated with an increase in stress-related symptoms.” (2006)
• A clinical study suggests that “heat and massage applications provide relaxation to the autonomic nervous system without serious adverse events.” (2011)
• Another study indicated that “integration of massage therapy into the acute care setting creates overall positive results in the patient’s ability to deal with the challenging physical and psychological aspects of their health condition. The study demonstrated not only significant reduction in pain levels, but also the interrelatedness of pain, relaxation, sleep, emotions, recovery, and finally, the healing process.” (2010)

Please let us know what you seek, what works for you, and how bodywork could serve you better. Thank you for allowing us to help you take care of yourself.