One of the things I'm asked most often is, "What should I book with you?" I have a handful of offerings in my Oregon City location and virtually on my scheduling page, and I wanted to break down what each one is, when to book one over another, and how often I typically recommend sessions. Here's the breakdown.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Pain relief, relaxation, or easing into somatic work: Bodywork/Massage. I recommend a 90-minute session monthly.
Old patterns, feeling stuck, or feeling disconnected from your body: Somatic Experiencing. Most people start with weekly or every-other-week sessions. I am always happy to do a call prior to booking if this of interest to you.
A shorter, more targeted session, or curiosity about abdominal work: Abdominal Massage, 45 minutes.
Ready to book? You can find my schedule HERE. Read on for the details of each.
Thai Bodywork/Massage
60, 90, or 120 minutes · $120, $165, or $210 respectively. Oregon City
This is a common place to start if you're curious about Thai bodywork, or if you know you're carrying old stories and patterns in your body and want to ease into the work together. It's a good fit if you want pain relief, relaxation, and a sense of what a fully clothed bodywork/massage modality feels like.
This modality works with the body in front of me. What symptom do you want to see move? That is where we go. Many people prefer this type of massage, and the areas I treat most often are neck/shoulder pain and back/hip pain. Thai bodywork allows me to work really deep into the tissue without creating bracing, which is counterproductive when we're going for pain relief.
My standard recommendation, if you're looking for a wellness addition to your routine, is a 90-minute session monthly. This allows for consistency and symptom relief. More than a month between sessions is a challenge: when that happens, we're often starting over on the progress made in the last session.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) Sessions
50–60 minutes · $140 · in person in Oregon City or virtual
These sessions are for people who are ready to do explicit trauma healing work. Maybe you have old patterns you keep repeating, you want to look at what's keeping you feeling stuck, or you feel disconnected from your body and are ready to try a body-based healing modality. I work frequently with people who have experienced developmental trauma, neurodivergent humans, people who have a history of an eating disorder and are now in midlife and noticing old patterns reemerging, and women going through perimenopause who are done living a life for anyone other than themselves.
We work directly with your nervous system and your physiology, not your psychology. The story is often part of our work together, but it isn't where the emphasis lies. I'm interested in what's happening in your body when you recall different events. We notice, we get curious, and we learn to speak the language of your body. The basis of this work is slow and relational. We look for small shifts that, over time, add up to a big difference.
Why try SE? It takes a different lens to trauma: a nervous system lens, a body-based approach to working through triggers. SE is a cumulative process, and most people start with weekly or every-other-week sessions. This can absolutely be adjusted; it's simply what I see being most beneficial, especially at the beginning.
SE is not a replacement for therapy, and most people I see also have a therapist. It is not for acute mental health work, and that is not my role. My role is supporting your body to process stored trauma.
Abdominal Massage
45 minutes · $85, Oregon City
Most people have never experienced abdominal massage, and it has quickly become one of the things I do most often in my practice. These shorter sessions are targeted directly at working with the viscera (the organs of the abdomen), and the benefits are both physical and emotional.
I wrote a blog on abdominal massage a couple of weeks ago, and you can read it HERE. It is such a deeply nourishing session, and I hope you'll learn more about it.
A Thank You
One thing I don't talk about very often is the privilege I feel in being able to do the work that I do. The honor is not lost on me. Being able to sit with people in their stuff, hold it with them, and help them move it is a privilege, and one I do not take for granted.
So if you've been on my mat, if you've sat across from me during a Somatic Experiencing session, if you've allowed me to work on your abdomen, or if we've sat together on Zoom and moved through an emotion together, thank you. It is an honor to be with you on your journey.
And if you're thinking about booking a session with me, I hope you leave feeling seen, supported, and cared for. Ready to book? You can find my schedule HERE.