What to Expect

Who invented Rolfing® and where does it come from?

Ida P. Rolf, PhD is the founder of Rolfing®. She asked the question: "What conditions must be fulfilled in order for the human body structure to be organized and integrated in gravity so that the whole person can function in the most optimal and economical way?" She believed that imbalances in the structure created compensations that would ultimately lead to poor health and poor movement. 

How is Rolfing® different from deep tissue massage?

Rolfing® is a process. It is a process we co-create together. Without your participation and active engagement, the work is just rubbing a sore spot. The work is for those more deeply invested and interested in their own process. Rolfing® and deep tissue massage are manual therapies, but my work really requires your participation. I am not doing something to you. I am attempting to elicit the change in your body and your nervous system. Your awareness is what makes the change happen. My work is actually a slow gentle touch that attempts to create a change at a deep level. 

What is somatic movement?

Many clients ask me how they can maintain that open and light feeling after their sessions. With my sessions we are not looking to fix a movement pattern by doing exercises to re-train the body to move differently. That’s just putting another pattern on the pattern. I like to start from the premise that the body is a deeply intelligent organism that knows how to find its way back to equipoise. There are no "should's" or "techniques". Instead we practice how to listen and have a conversation with the body. The results often lead to resilience, adaptability and enhanced coordination. You are the expert of your body. I reveal to you the ways you can reconnect with yourself.

What can I expect?

My practice is a manual therapy. This means my hands are going to come in contact with your body. Unlike massage I will not be looking for tight muscles and loosen them. Instead I work on the fascia, cranial-sacral rhythms and movement patterns. The fascia is like a network of fibers that run all around in every nook and cranny of the body. Fascia influences every system in the body! Its ubiquitousness is the key that makes Rolfing® so effective. Together we uncover where the strain patterns are to make new movement choices possible.

 I heard Rolfing® hurts. Does your work hurt?

Rolfing® has had a pretty negative reputation over the years of being the bodywork that hurts. In fact some people believe that if it doesn't hurt, it isn't beneficial. That cannot be further from the truth! Deeply held fascia that is thick and built up over the years isn't going to be a walk in the park, but it doesn't have to be painful. With somatic movement I can show you how together we can unclench that tough stuff and let it go. I never want to work in the realm where you feel like you are suffering. That is not the goal of my practice. The goal is to feel better and to leave better than when you arrived.

What do I wear to a session?

My preference is that you show up in yoga or gym shorts, a tank top (something sleeveless), a sports bra or a light weight t-shirt. You may change when you arrive. Please no denim and no thick fabrics.

What forms of payment do you accept?

I accept check, cash and visa/mastercard.

What do you charge?

I charge $200 for a 75 minute Rolfing® Session

and $200 for a 75 minute Reiki Session.

My massage therapist says s/he is doing Rolfing®

Rolfing® is protected by the service trademark. Only those of us that have graduated from the Rolf Institute may call ourselves Rolfers and the work we do Rolfing®. Rolfing® isn't a technique. There are no Rolfing® moves. Be sure to get the work from qualified people. You can check the institute's website at www.rolf.org to find out more.