Initial Assessment

If you’d like more information about whether Hellerwork, Cranial Sacral Therapy, or Somatic Experiencing® or SourcePoint® are appropriate for you, I am happy to offer a complimentary, 30 minute initial consultation. In this meeting we will discuss what you would like to address, do an extensive intake, and make a plan of treatment that best suits your specific needs. This is an opportunity to ask any questions you have about the process before beginning our work together. You’ll walk away from this session with a better sense of what you can do to start feeling better. You can set up a complimentary intake here, or contact me personally if you have any other questions before we begin. 

YOUR FIRST SESSION

The basic Hellerwork Series consists of 11 sessions (see the client handbook). The first session is 90 minutes to give us time to do an extensive intake, subsequent sessions are 75 minutes.  Most people prefer to come once a week, although scheduling is flexible. At your first Hellerwork session, I will take an extensive history, listening to your description of what you are experiencing, and ask what your goals are for the work. Together we will create a plan of how to address your concerns through your series. Most often this leaves sufficient time in the first session for you to experience some bodywork and to learn basic movement principles that will help you find more ease in your daily life.

Clothing

Hellerwork sessions are done with some clothing. Please wear a bathing suit, loose fitting shorts, or underwear (and a bra if you are a woman) to your first session, whichever is more comfortable to you. Please also refrain from wearing perfume or cologne.

CHECKING IN

In each session well spend at least the first 15 minutes checking in. This gives us a chance to go over any changes in your body or your life that may be relevant to our goals in that particular session. Your body will most likely be changing throughout your series and it helps me to know what you're aware of and how things are improving. It also helps me to tailor what we do in each session to your particular needs if I hear more about how you've been before getting to work. Sometimes these check-ins go on longer than 15 minutes and can even become the entire session. I will leave it up to you to decide if you want to cut the check-in short and move on to bodywork or movement.

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT

Several times throughout each session I will do various kinds of clinical assessment to determine what has shifted from the adjustments we are making with your body. This allows me to work more accurately, saves time, and ensures that the postural changes made to your structure last longer and are more effective at bringing you towards balance. This assessment often includes: postural analysis in standing, sitting or walking; myofascial range of motion testing, visceral, energetic and cranial sacral diagnosis, and occasionally photographs. Sometime it will seem like I'm not doing anything or the assessment may seem odd. I'll often explain what I notice, but please feel free to ask what I'm doing or what a test is for if you're curious. Learning more about what's happening in your body can be an empowering experience!

MOVEMENT Coaching

The work of Structural Integration is always at the service of movement. The focus of the movement work we do together will be on your awareness. Though it's not always apparent at first, this is often the key element to making the opening created by structural integration last a lifetime. When we become aware of how we move, we have the opportunity to create lasting change.

My primary focus with most of my clients is with sitting, walking, standing, and whatever movements you find difficult in your daily life. If your work involves repetitive movements or sitting at a desk for hours, becoming more aware of your movement patterns will be a key factor in your treatment program. Changes to common daily habits such as sitting at a desk, or lifting correctly can prevent symptoms from returning. The exercises we do together will help reconnect you to your core, and give you the tools to bring balance and grace to the way you move and feel, long after your series is over.

DIALOGUE

Dialogue during the bodywork provides an opportunity to examine how you think, feel and sense through your body. By bringing our awareness to the subtle physiological patterns that create stress, anxiety, physical tension and certain emotional states, we can consciously limit their effects on us by uncovering their causes. When we become aware of the subtle patterns we carry in our physiology and consciousness, we are given the opportunity to create lasting change in all aspects of our life. This is truly holistic work.

THE BODYWORK

After thorough clinical assessment, the bodywork begins. Treatments are completed on a massage table, sitting at a bench or in various yoga-like postures that support your ability to unwind deep set postural or movement patterns.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION SESSIONS

Structural Integration is a unique method. Don't come expecting a massage! While many sessions are relaxing, the work is often challenging and sometimes intense. The treatments are often deeper and slower and you will often feel a shift in the balance of your body with each stroke as range of motion is restored, stuck areas are released and scar tissue left by previous injuries is reorganized.

YOUR POSTURE

Simply put, the more aligned your body is, the more energy you will have available to do other things besides holding yourself up. Most pain and tension patterns are reflected in posture. For example, neck or shoulder pain can cause one shoulder to be raised higher than the other. Many of my clients discover that their attitudes about themselves are held in their posture and that when they learn to find more balance in their bodies, they have more options for who they are, how they feel and how they move. During your series we will work with your postural imbalances to improve your relationship to gravity and help you find more ease and grace. More energy, easier movement, and more balance in all aspects of your life become more available. You may never feel the same again!

Check out the FAQ's on this site or call if you have any other questions.