Integrating Structural Bodywork with Somatic Dialogue, Movement, and Embodiment Education
When I am working with my clients there is a dialogue happening between our two bodies. I work to listen attentively and work with intention and intuition that is grounded in an embodied intelligence from years of study.
The training I’ve received to become a Board Certified Structural Integration Practitioner has supplemented my intuitive, play-based approach to movement and the body with manual therapy techniques, postural assessment, biomechanics, and a mindful-compassionate dialogue that focuses on somatic inquiry and reflection.
As we bring awareness to certain parts of the body through conscious breathing, mindful movement, and attuned touch, the individual parts and relationships begin to change and the whole body and person respond.
The weight distribution changes on the skeleton, the alignment of the spine with the arms and legs allows for whole body movement, the organs are able to rest with ease as they sense deep support.
Beyond the physical, the client experiences more comfort, freedom, and ease in their body and long-term patterns of tension and holding may be released.
Our sessions are collaborative and we connect the physical and emotional body with a process of somatic inquiry and dialogue. This dialogue enhances the body-mind connection and helps the client attune to their body and nervous system. I work with the clients nervous system with somatic techniques to help them stay regulated while exploring emotional processes.
My approach to structural bodywork allows changes to be made at a safe pace for the client. Rather than impose a new form or posture, we work together in a way that honors what wants to emerge as a new way of standing, moving, and being in the world.
I’ve continued my education to include introductions in Visceral Manipulation, Neural Mobilization, and CranioSacral Therapy so to work with several layers of the body, providing deeper mind-body integration.
I believe there is an intimate relationship between movement and self-expression and that as one increases their range of motion and feels more physical freedom, they also increase their range of emotion and grow in their capacity to express themselves verbally and emotionally. I’m passionate about this embodiment exploration and am honored to facilitate this work with my clients.
The Hellerwork Structural Integration Series
One powerful way of working together is to go through the Hellerwork Structural Integration series of 11 sessions. The series is structured in a systematic way to help create changes in the physical and emotional body. Each session has a focus on achieving alignment in a certain area of the body, with the overarching goal of supporting the whole body. In a session the client may experience hands on work in various positions on the table, sitting, standing, and in movement.
The client also receives movement lessons that focus on integrating the newly achieved pattern, and exploring new possibilities for self expression through movement. Movement education in Hellerwork is integrated at every level of the work to help clients understand their patterns and to embody new ways of being and moving through the world.
During the session I work with the client in a process called somatic dialogue. This dialogue supports the client in developing a deeper mind-body connection. Simply, it helps one become aware of how their thoughts, feelings and beliefs affect their body, and how their body affects their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. It gives the client the opportunity to ground emotions in the body, and to explore what emotions underlay physical sensations.
To learn more about what a session is like with me, you can visit the Appointment Details page on my website. You can also learn more about the series of eleven sessions and the benefits they offer on Hellerwork.