Advantages of my Massage Style

• Little or no pain.
• Greater muscle release and deeper relaxation.
• Increased client awareness of their own preferences, so they can co-create a session with the therapist that meets their particular needs on that day.
• A structurally balanced body takes less energy to move through the world, enabling the effects of the massage to last longer.

Significant Massage, Bodywork & Related Trainings:

• Sports Massage Certification Levels 1 & 2
• Reiki Certification Levels 1 & 2
• Coursework in Zen Bodywork
  (deep tissue technique)
• Pilates Mat Certification
  

Massage for the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)—If you are a highly sensitive person, your nervous system may need extra attention to soothe.  This isn’t because you are “too picky” or “too sensitive”!!! It’s just because you are part of the 15-20% of the population whose nervous systems register more subtle experience (follow the HSP link for more info).  Because of this, getting the massage that you really want can often be difficult.   By teaching clients basic awareness and communication skills that I have honed as a counselor, it is easier for HSPs to identify, speak up and GET what they need in a session.

Massage for Dancers—My dance background allows me to kinesthetically understand the particular rigors, stresses and injuries that dancers put their bodies through.  Additionally, my dance degree provided me with coursework to structurally analyze common dance injuries.  This allows me to both intuitively and analytically tailor my work to suit a dancer's body.

Re-Embodiment Work for Abuse & Trauma Survivors—At the heart of this bodywork is the creation of safety and open channels of communication.  The work progresses at whatever level of touch the client can experience while maintaining a feeling of safety and empowerment. This work is informed by my studies of counseling techniques for trauma survivors and the neurophysiology of trauma.  The work is also informed by my experience doing counseling, massage, movement work, and energy work with abuse, trauma and medical crisis survivors.  Please note that this is not counseling work, however, my counseling skills and experience provides an additional framework for safety and structure. Please feel free to call or email for more information about this work.

Additional Information About Massage and My General Approach: 

Massage is one of the most instinctual remedies.  It’s doubtful that any culture has existed that did not know the power of massage to soothe tired, aching muscles and calm the nerves.  In this society it has become an essential tool for many people to manage the high stress demands of modern life.

The art of massage has become very specific to meet these demands.  At one end of the spectrum are techniques designed to ameliorate muscle and postural problems.  These approaches are more anatomically and physiologically oriented, drawing upon scientific knowledge about the way muscles function to promote muscle release.  Some utilize structural analysis of the posture to specify how certain massage techniques are applied for musculoskeletal rebalancing.

At the other end of the massage spectrum are techniques utilized to promote the slowing of the nervous system.  With current neurophysiological knowledge of the fight, flight or freeze response to stress, and its opposite, the rest and recuperation state, massage can be catered to the individual to promote optimal relaxation and healing. Among other things this type of massage can often help decrease anxiety, improve sleep, speed physical recovery, increase energy and, for many, improve depressed mood.

My massage work combines both of these types of applications to meet the individual's unique needs in order to optimize deep restorative work while helping the body to physically rebalance. Additionally I add awareness coaching to help clients learn to get the most from their massage session. There are a number of benefits to this approach, some of them are listed above: Advantages of my Massage Style

Components of my Massage Style

• Anatomical & Structural Assessment - Over the last 13 years, I have integrated sound structural massage therapy techniques with my extensive movement and dance training, Pilates, and university  coursework in Human Anatomy and Anatomy of Movement.  This helps me to understand the  human body in motion which helps me to identify the causes of each  individual's  muscular tension their unique pattern of muscle release.
   
• Sensitivity -  I find that the cultivation of my own self-awareness and the energy work study that I have done have increased my sensitivity to the needs of my clients' bodies - a happy by-product of my own personal study & work.  I call this sensitivity "kinesthetic empathy".  This often helps me tune in to how the client is experiencing the massage and enables me to adapt the treatment to improve muscle release without pain.
   
• Guided Awareness Techniques - by helping my clients learn to utilize various awareness techniques during the massage, muscle release is facilitated and clients are more sensitive to their own bodies' needs enabling them to get these needs met as the session progresses.

Massage Education, Licensure, Experience:

• Alexandar School of Natural Therapeutics, Tacoma, WA, graduated 1996
• Licensed Massage Therapist #6176, Oregon  1997
• Licensed Massage Therapist, WA  1996
• Oregon State University Student Health Center, Corvallis, Oregon  1997-2000
• Body Wisdom Therapies—Private Massage & Movement Practice, Corvallis, Oregon and various locations, since 1999
• Inner-Awareness Movement Center--Private Movement & Massage Practice, Olympia, WA  1994-1997