F.A.Q.

What happens in a session?

We will not be following a specific script, as I like to leave space for what might come up for you when you enter my room.

However, a general structure may involve beginning with a conversation, then lying on the table for a nervous system regulation, which involves physical touch therapy (head, hair, ears, chest, neck, feet), scent, and music. Towards the end of this, the touch becomes more active (brushing, rocking, sweeping, shaking, breathing) as we begin to work with and integrate imagery that we pull from our earlier conversation. We usually close with exchanges of what came up for both of us, as well as focus points to meditate on for the next session.

Are you a therapist?

I am not a licensed therapist, body worker or social worker, but I have 5+ years of experience from workshops, classes, trainings, and 1-on-1 hands-on experiences. In my experience, many practitioners may hold a large collection of certifications but can lack essential interpersonal skills or real-world experience beyond the office.

How many sessions do you recommend?

I recommend at least three sessions to start, but there is no minimum amount of sessions required when booking.

What is Myofascial Release?

Fascia is a combination of elastin fibers, collagen fibers, and a gelatinous fluid called ground substance. This matrix surrounds each muscle cell, each muscle fibril, each muscle fiber, and each muscle. Fascia actually surrounds every nerve, each organ, and every bone as well. It wraps around the brain and the spinal cord, forming the dura. When it dehydrates, fascia becomes like glue. It not only loses its mobility, but it also can exert force on underlying structures. This tension can create pain when this fascial force is applied directly into pain-sensitive structures. The tension can also reduce range of motion in joints, cause muscle pain when muscles have to work against tight fascia, and can even cause bizarre, seemingly unrelated symptoms when fascia entraps nerves.

Additionally, fascia is tightly integrated into the autonomic nervous system. It is particularly effective at contracting throughout the entire body when the nervous system is in fight-or-flight mode, all in the interest of keeping us safe. But with repeated traumas and injuries throughout life, chronic activation of the fight-or-flight mode leaves the fascia in a constricted, tense, dehydrated state, which leads to more injury, pain, and dysfunction.

Myofascial Release is a hands-on treatment performed on the skin with no oils or creams. The gentle tension between the therapist’s hands and the patient’s skin is what allows access to the fascia in a way that the gliding effect of traditional massage cannot achieve. The practitioner’s tools (hands, forearm, elbow, knuckle, or thumb) will sink into the targeted area with a sustained and gentle pressure that allows the fascia to release in a slow, non-linear manner. By going slowly and waiting for the body’s natural rhythm, the fascia responds to your therapist’s skilled touch by elongating and reorganizing. MFR opens space for fluid and energy movement, facilitating greater circulation and communication - allowing the body to heal. The release will allow the therapist to then follow the body’s cues to the next area.

MFR does not simply treat your symptoms. It allows us to work together to find the spiral of restrictions causing your pain.

For more in-depth information on fascia, check out fascia guide

Additional Sources:

Portland Myofascial Release https://www.portlandmfr.com/what-is-mfr

Do you offer sliding scale pricing?

Yes! Through my booking website you will see three suggested tiers, as well as an additional PWYC (pay what you can) option.

Here’s one of a few sliding scale breakdowns shared by Hadassah Damien on her website:

Consider paying less on the scale if you.

  • are supporting children or have other dependents

  • have significant debt

  • have medical expenses not covered by insurance

  • receive public assistance

  • have immigration-related expenses

  • are an elder with limited financial support

  • are an unpaid community organizer

  • are a returning citizen who has been denied work due to incarceration history

Consider paying more on the scale if you:

  • own the home you live in

  • have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money

  • travel recreationally

  • have access to family money and resources in times of need

  • work part time by choice

  • have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.) Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice.

The scale is intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take inventory of our financial resources and look deeper at our levels of privilege. It is a way to challenge the classist and capitalist society we live in and work towards economic justice on a local level. While I ask you to take these factors into consideration, please don’t stress about it. Pay what feels right.

What is Craniosacral Therapy?

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is a gentle non-invasive, hands-on session for the whole body.  Performed on a massage table, the client is fully clothed and the practitioner touch is light and still.  The session focus is to support the inherent health of the whole being, especially the nervous system (NS).  The NS dictates all of the body’s functioning, constantly sending and receiving information.

BCST practitioners understand how an optimally functioning healthy nervous system performs.  We are trained for years on how to use acute perception skills to perceive subtle physiological changes.  We also are aware of the energetic map that underlies one‘s basic health and symptomology.  We believe that health is never lost no matter what the ailment.  We use our ability to identify the parts of the nervous system that are not functioning optimally and our awareness of the “always available health” in the body to assist the system in bringing itself back into balance. This supports greater ease and helps the body decrease symptoms.

Source: Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America

https://www.craniosacraltherapy.org/what-is-bcst-

What is Internal Family Systems?

IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us. Self is in everyone. It can’t be damaged. It knows how to heal. 

IFS is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.  

Source: IFS Institute https://ifs-institute.com/