What is an appointment like?

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How long does an appointment last?

Regular sessions last for a full 60 minutes. You can schedule 75 or 90 minute sessions as well.

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Do I keep my clothes on?

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Yes, most definitely, though generally people take off their shoes. With some techniques it can be helpful to have hands directly on the skin but that is not required.

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Will it hurt?

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It should not hurt! If you feel uncomfortable or you hurt anywhere during a session please tell me. I do my best to listen to your body and to work within a framework of comfort and safety but, unfortunately, I am not perfect. A session is like a dance, with input from you and from me, but you always have the final word.

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This work is very gentle, but as with other types of body and/or energy work, sometimes you might feel a small amount of discomfort afterwards (mild headache or body aches, or some emotional shifting due to a release of feelings that have been held in the body). These should resolve within a day or two. If they do not, or if you are concerned, please let me know. I make it a priority to avoid any re-traumatizing, or the forcing of anything, physical or emotional.  Providing a sense of safety is one of my central priorities. See "What Is Titration?" below for more on this.

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What happens during a session?

Perhaps the most important answer to that question is that no two sessions will be alike, since we adjust what we do based on your current—and changing—needs, and your input, which is crucial.

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That said, here are a few basics.

Setting your intention: After we chat and catch up a bit, I will ask you to share your intention for the session. Very simply that means, for  you to decide and say what do you want from the session. What would you—realistically—like to walk away with? Examples: “I want to feel calmer.” OR "I want to trust myself more" OR “I would like to understand a little better why I reacted so strongly to my boss the other day.”  OR "My stomach has been bothering me some; I'd like to feel better."Setting an intention can really help you understand what it is you want in the moment, and can help both of us focus on doing what can best help bring that about.

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Going s-l-o-w-l-y: The mind usually moves much faster than the body but the deepest healing comes when mind and body are in harmony.  If we can help your mind slow down, your body will speak. Then we can help your mind, brain and body build kinder pathways into healing.

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Pausing: Pausing is part of going slowly, an opportunity to rest and/or “unpack” what you are feeling, physically and emotionally, bit by bit. Either one of us can ask for a pause. I might suggest a pause if you have just shared something intense, if I feel that you need a break, if it seems that your mind is moving too fast for your body, or that you are skipping over something important.

If as a child (or adult) you have been silenced, not listened to or not respected, my requesting a pause could connect back to those experiences in a painful way. Please let me know if this happens—or let me know ahead of time if you know this is an issue. We can walk through this together.

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We’re not going for intensity or digging up memories, although sometimes those things happen. The aim is for you to have an increased sense of support, ease and safety, internally and externally. It is amazing how hard it can be just to allow ourselves to feel okay, and maybe even good.   

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If emotions or images or memories do come up, I will listen and simply be with you in a supportive manner. I may suggest some movement, sound or words, or a change in what I am doing that may help you shift through the difficulty into a place of more ease or resilience.

Possible scenarios

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• We do a "typical" session during which you lie on a softly padded massage table and I use various cranial-sacral or vagal system techniques, with the lead coming from your body and/or your verbal requests.

• We sit in the chairs talking, sharing silence, doing a mindfulness meditation, etc. for part or all of the session.

• I teach you some zapchen techniques, which could include some dancing, or humming or something more specific like horselips.

• We could sit on the floor, well-cushioned, and experiment with sitting back against back, or you/we could set up a protective "fort"--or any number of things.

• After other activities you could take a short nap—this is a prime zapchen activity (or "non-activity" to be more accurate), especially after doing a lot of anything else, like learning something new, or being silent, or talking.

• Or any combination of the above. And many other possibilities.

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What is "titration" and how does it relate to what you do?

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Do you remember "titration" from your high school chemistry class? It involved the very slow--sometimes drop by drop--addition of one material—often a liquid—to another to create a new substance. One uses the slow process of titration if mixing two or more chemicals together too quickly might result in a volatile reaction--like an explosion!

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In the context of my training and practice, titration basically means s-l-o-w-i-n-g down. Allowing ease. Going gently. Drop by drop.

A basic tenet of the philosophical and physiological frameworks I work in is that not only can you can heal without re-traumatizing but that, in fact, healing moves along better without re-traumatization. How does that work in practice? Sometimes cranial-sacral or vagus work can bring up memories or emotions. If this happens during  a session and you end up getting "activated" emotionally (e.g., anxious, afraid, stressed), I may suggest any number of things to help you titrate that emotion or memory and get back to feeling some balance and resource: I might remind you to breathe and/or to slow down your words if you are talking, to become aware of where you are feeling the emotion in your body, or suggest a particular zapchen exercise, or use a vagus system or cranial-sacral technique. "It's amazing how much how little will do" (Hugh Milne). That's titration. Check out my blog post on titration