Trauma-Informed Massage

Unfortunately, trauma is pervasive. A person can be traumatized by one event, several events, or a set of circumstances, which ends up having long-standing negative effects on any level of their being – mental, emotional, physical, social or spiritual. For some people touch can be threatening, reminding them of past trauma or can simply be unfamiliar to them.

Trauma-informed massage is a therapeutic way to shift old, unwanted patterns. I strive to create a safe environment by using mindfulness and a gentle, yet effective, modality called Somatic Experiencing® (SE), which is a 3-year program based in decades of research. Each session is client-centered, which means my client determines what goal(s) they want to work on during our time together. I accept my clients as they are and see each of them as a whole person, despite what may have happened in their past or what issue may be present. I seek to change the nervous system using touch and SE skills. Both my training and experience have taught me that by staying present and encouraging my client to be with whatever is happening in this moment can result in deep transformation. I also understand the need for going slow, titration and regulation. We need relationships in order to heal, so it is my highest goal to provide a positive, safe space for people to soften, change old unwanted patterns and beliefs, and remember the goodness of who they are.

You can learn more about Somatic Experiencing® here

Massage and Fitness Magazine has an excellent article on the importance of trauma-informed massage here.

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Being [a] trauma-informed [bodyworker] is like learning a new language. It’s listening, but not just listening in the auditory sense… it’s learning to hear through visual experience, the ability to read facial cues, body movements, and tiny shifts. The ability to sense another’s state, or to listen through touch. To hear the words that are being spoken, and to also detect the words that are not being said. It’s possessing these skills and moving forward with loving awareness to allow someone to feel safe, heard, and met.” ~ Lauren Kenny