About My Work

For those of you who don’t know much about me, here is a little bit about my work…

To start, I will share two quotes that help shape how I approach my work.

The first is from Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. Many consider her one of the first wholistic physicians. She says…

“Helping, fixing and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul.”

The next quote is from Brené Brown. She says…

“I’m here to get it right. Not to be right.”

These two quotes help me remember that being of service to my clients is a gift. When I meet a client, I want to see them. Not their disease or dysfunction. And these quotes help me remember that I am human and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from each client I meet.

Along with these quotes, there are some great concepts that support me.

First are the four Tenants of Osteopathy. They are…

1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

... Add in the light touch subtly and power of craniosacral therapy, a bit of neuroscience and a good dose of horse sense and you have how I practice.

Craniosacral Therapy and Remote Energy Sessions

And now I have added back into my practice, doing remote energy sessions. Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a hands on modality. So when I am treating off the body or at a distance, I refer to my work as remote energy work.

With Craniosacral therapy (CST), I listen with my hands to the rhythm and flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The rhythm and flow of the CSF creates the craniosacral rhythm (CSR).

• This rhythm can be felt anywhere on the body depending on the health of the body.
• In a body that is optimally healthy, there is a nice rhythmic, balanced feel to the flow of the CSF expressed by a rhythmic, balanced feel of the CSR. When the CSR is expressing in any way other than rhythmic and balanced, it is a sign of dysfunction.
• Throughout each treatment, I get to feel, palpate and have a conversation with my client’s body, via the expression of the CSR. I get to feel how this rhythm, the fascia and fluids become optimized during the treatment.
• As the body comes into balance, the CSR becomes more balanced. I’m feeling what’s working well and what needs extra support. All this is available for me to palpate in the body.

And now, with the remote energy work, I get a similar feel. This is one of the values of 20 years of my experience.

Inner Physician/Inner Wisdom

Dr Upledger, a pioneer of CST, developed the concept of the Inner Physician or Inner Wisdom. He suggested that each of us has a deep inner knowing of how best we need to heal. As a therapist, my Inner Wisdom gets to connect with my client’s Inner Wisdom. Together they formulate how to utilize my skills, how I can best be of service, to achieve a positive outcome for my client.

This Inner Physician, Inner Wisdom concept helps clarify that I am facilitating the healing process. I am not doing the healing. It is my client’s job to do their own healing. And this brings up a challenge for me. And that is ... I never really know how the client will feel at the end of a session.

• CST is a very subtle modality and each treatment is so unique. Sometimes the changes are very minimal. And sometimes miracles happen. Again, I facilitate each session for the client to do their own healing.
• The conversations I have with the body/mind/spirit are always individual to that client on that specific day. Allowing the Inner Physician to lead is key. Listen and follow. Listen and follow. Listen and follow and ask good questions. How can I be of service?

Most of the people I treat are considered ‘complex cases’ meaning they have multiple challenges or difficult diagnoses. Diagnoses like MS, Parkenson’s, Chiari Malformations, Ehlers-Danlos, Lyme, Mold and now, Post-COVID. Accompanying these diagnosis is often related trauma.

Complex cases require a team to optimize their healing process. A team of healers, physicians and more. Sometimes fear can get in the way and the client won’t put a team together. I understand this fear. I have been on the receiving end of good doctors telling me there is nothing wrong. Or admitting they don’t know what to do with me. This is why the complex cases need a team to support the client through their challenges. If the client won’t put one together, sometimes situations will force them too. This can be their Inner Physician’s way to get them the healing they really need.

Typically, in the sessions I do, the client gets deeply relaxed.

Releasing the tension on the nervous system allows the body to deeply relax. When the body is this relaxed it is easier for it to process and release deep stress and tension. This is often where healing happens at its best. For me, when a client drops into this deep relaxation, it’s really one of the most amazing spaces to be in. The frequency and vibration of healing is optimized and it is the most delicious feeling.

Does this deep relaxation happen every time? No. Does it happen most of the time? Yes. It does not matter if my client has two legs or four. Knowing that the light touch of the work, whether I am touching the body or the energy of the body, the subtle yet powerful way healing happens in this space lets me know I am being of service and getting it right.

And I am grateful. I love my job.