CranioSacral and Emotional Release

[anonimitie]

Today I had my first client emotional release on the table during energy work/craniosacral.

First of all, I only know craniosacral from a weekend class taught by someone who went to Upledger, so I have taken some moves from that and also from Reiki and blended them into my own energy work type thing while doing massage therapy. Lately I have been letting my intuition take over more during massage and have found that I've had such great massages...to me anyway, and my clients are always happy too. They always feel very relaxed and I "found" all their spots.

Well today I get a referral from a cardiologist (who has never been my client, but knows me from another business venture). The lady he referred had a host of physical symptoms and ailments that sounded alot like fibromyalgia clients to me. Just about everything seemed to hurt and was on the verge of breaking down. I actually don't have clients like this and don't really want them. But this lady wanted to schedule for this evening and I met with her.

I immediately went with my intuition about everything from the intake discussion to the massage....which turned out not to be a massage but a "cranio-sacral-reiki" session! I was really just following my inner wisdom and my hands as I was guided through a very light touch and energetic experience starting from her head down to her feet. When I was doing a still point at her feet she said she was "starting to freeze up here" so I got her another blanket but then she was saying that her muscles were freezing and spasming...so I slide my hands under her from her head down along her erectors to hold her middle back to feel what her muscles were doing.....shivering. She was shivering, and then she put her hands to her face because she was holding back sobs. I continued to hold her that way and she apologized but I told her emotional releases were very common and perhaps she could just let the experience happen.

She eventually maintained composure and I held her head (fore/hind) until she let out a sigh. She never really did let herself cry however, but she seemed okay and I went back to her feet. I held her solar plexus reflex points and set my intention to allow an energetic balance to occur so she would leave feeling somewhat grounded. And then she started in to cry again and made a comment about how there must be emotions in her feet. She was completely holding back and was not going to release her emotions during our session together I felt. So I made closure with her feet and told her that what she was experiencing was really very normal with the kind of work I was doing. I told her to take her time getting off the table and dressing, I would bring her water, and we could talk about the experience and what sort of follow up she wanted.

Sorry this is so long.

When I came back I tried to explain my experience with the "massage" I let her know what technique I was using and that I made no pretense to know everything about energy work or emotional responses. I tried to explain what I have learned about those things (being a novice) and I encouraged her to allow her feeling to come when she felt safe (i.e. by herself, or where ever "safe" was to her) and that she might actually feel better then...she was saying how she didn't really feel very good....she felt confused about her response and still felt like crying, etc. I also told her that if she felt bodywork sessions with me would be beneficial to her I would be very interested in working with her, but if she felt she wanted massage therapy for her physical ailments, I would definitely refer her to another MT in town who handles many doctor's patients and would probably be more qualified than I.

I am feeling two things:

1) REALLY excited about energy work and working by intuition (and seeing results)

2) Like I led her out in left field and stranded her there.

At the end I know I was nervous because I felt I "had some explaining to do" and I'm not sure I lived up to that end of the bargain.

Thoughts?

 

[touchmypooter]

It doesn't sound like you've led her out into left field and stranded her there to me at all. If your post was anything to go by, you seemed calm, reassurring and friendly throughout the whole experience.
Emotional releases do happen... sometimes when we least expect them. I thought you handled it well however.
If you don't feel qualified to do the work she wants, there's nothing wrong with referring her to someone whom you feel would help her to deal with her physical complaints. Did she feel any better after her massage with you?
You did your personal best, try not to worry! You put the ball in her court though as far as rebooking, which is where it truly belonged!

 

[Bazz]

I would have to agree with Maestra. While you may feel somewhat guilty for "opening her can of worms", what she does with it is really up to her. She is searching for the root of her problems, and I would have to say that you touched it, at least on a certain level for her. When I have had clients on the table who have an emotional release as yours did, I reassure them also and explain to them that we do hold emotions in our body, and some times we don't even realize it. Blocking the emotions only serves to make the body hold even more, sometimes to the point of causing more pain than previous. This causes a viscous circle and an escalation at times. I think you handled the situation quite well, and indeed the ball is in her court.

On the flip side for you, didn't it just blow your mind when it did happen? It amazes me the results we can achieve with the cranial! Following your intuition will serve you well, it is just amazing stuff!

If you want to learn more about the cranial-sacral work with out getting too technical, read John Upledger's book, "Your Inner Physican and You". He discusses how he came into doing cranial, some of the early results he experienced, and about some of the patients he has worked on over the years. Fasinating stuff!

Great work akb!!!

 

[Tahneej]

Thanks Nancy and dodab!

Yes it did just blow my mind!! I have been allowing myself to be "guided" more during massage sessions, but not to this extent. Or maybe the other massages have just stayed massages because that's what the client needed. This time though I had no idea that I would not be doing a massage. It was amazing the energy I was feeling when I was placing my hands at different points on her cranium...I was feeling it so strongly like never before. I was much relieved when she chimmed in "that feels good" when I was manipulating her cranial bones with the slightest touch ever!

I guess I feel guilty because I think I didn't explain things very well. She had never had anything like that happen before and the whole "energy work" thing is completely new to her. She had never heard of CranioSacral and she definitely DID NOT feel better upon leaving my office. She said that the actual session was nice and soothing until I got to her feet (where the emotional releases were initiated), but she left feeling physically not any better and emotionally definitely worse.

So I know I can do nothing about it. It is what it is. During the discussion after the session I was very nervous and kind of wound up (excited for me, and empathetic for her)...but I really tried to act calm and collected.

I am left feeling so much gratitude to the universe for the whole experience, so I really don't think this will ruin my career as an MT....but I would hate for her to tell others that she left my office feeling like an emotional wreck and I didn't do anything to help her. I can only trust that this experience was meant for her at this exact moment so in that light I know the ball is in her court to further her own healing.

I seriously pondered telling her she sould take her money back if she wanted, but I get the feeling she was in some way satisfied enough so that she didn't feel ripped off.

I have read Upledger's book as part of the intro to craniosacral class that I took. But I am thinking of reading it again so I can better explain some of the phenomena of Emotional Release.

 

[ape shit]

You may want to consider calling her just to check in on her. She may have felt lousy when she left, but things can change after a day or two. A little concern for her may show her something more of you, too. Good luck!

 

[Sue C]

You may want to consider calling her just to check in on her. She may have felt lousy when she left, but things can change after a day or two. A little concern for her may show her something more of you, too. Good luck!

I concur!

 

[Andyman]

I was thinking that too. Her intake form says that she does not want to be contacted for discounts/specials or reminded of her appointments...so I wonder if she would feel invaded if I called to check on her....? Would you contact them anyway? It's not like I'd be calling to pressure her to come back, just making sure she is finding answers she needs?

 

[Strawberry Julius]

Hm, I am wondering in that case, if a "welcome to our practice" card might be a better idea. Just a brief thinking of you type message at this time might make all the difference in the world to her.
You might want to send a card to her doctor as well, to thank him for the referral. It shows you appreciate the effort he went to in referring a client to you and also would demonstrate to him at least that you really do care about the health and welfare of your client (his patient).

 

[Hesham]

The card may be a good idea due to her request to not be contacted, but a call shows you are concerned for her welfare because of how she felt when she left. You would probably be a better judge in this regard. In any case, contact is a must regardless of how you choose to implement it. 8)

 

[Saliva Man]

Anita, WOW! I absolutely love CST for the incredible energy/intuition combination that happens throughout the session. It is an awesome experience.

One of the mainstays in Upledger courses is the knowledge that the body only releases what it is ready to release. It sounds as if you took her to the precipice but she was not ready to go any further.

I would recommend you call and check on her. I would preface it with something along the lines of, "I realize you checked on the intake form you didn't want to be contacted about specials and such, however, when you left I sensed you were uneasy from the session. I want to know how you are doing and see if I can answer any questions for you..." I think a follow-up in this case is a good idea.

My experience with doing CST is there is a lot that happens within the week following the session.

Additionally, clients I've worked on that have had unexpected emotional release seem to be uncertain about what they are experiencing. I remember one client in particular who was very thrown by the emotional release he experienced, he is a devout christian and he initially thought there was something satanic or unpure about his experience. We spent a great deal of time discussing his experience, the science and research behind the technique, how the body holds memories and trauma on a cellular level and how these very light and subtle holds allow the body to release these things. As we talked about his experience his discomfort abated and he came to the realization that what he experienced was indeed something very special, an extraordinary session that brought much depth and understanding into his life. I did many more CST sessions on him after that one -- but had we not talked about his initial visit I would have never been given any further opportunity to work on him and I believe he would have stuffed everything that had come up in the CST session back into his body again -- making his physical ailments much worse in the end run.

 

[my my metrocard]

Thank you for your responses! You are all right, I will call her just to check in and also I will send a note to the cardiologist.

I think the majority of the reason I felt I left her hanging is that I am not well versed in cranio-sacral/energy work/emotional releases. I am not so sure I took the woo-woo out of the experience for her so that she could look at it objectively later....hopefully she did research it on her own, I wrote down the techniques so she could look them up.

Intuitouch, I appreciate you reiterating that we get only what we can handle. In my heart I feel this way and so in that respect I do not "take responsibility" for leading her somewhere she did not want to go. I am honored to have been a facilitator in the experience and also am honored that in the whole scheme of things I was ready for that kind of intuitive bodywork session.

I am so intrigued about CST now, when I took the class I was very frustrated and not interested in this "almost feels like" subtle energy technique that I just WAS NOT feeling. Now I feel that it would be a technique I could definitely get into as I have noticed that I feel alot of energy when I am at the clients head and feet.

But as with any modality and any session, I feel I need to have the "explaining" part down so I don't sound like some hippie space cadet in this bible belt southern town!

Anyway, I will call her tomorrow to see if she has any questions, and remind her that she can contact me about anything and I will do my best to help her find answers.

 

[ask me a question!!!]

You will find that if you take the level 1 CranioSacral with Upledger it will give you what you are looking for in the way of "technical" explanations. They aim it at medical professionals, although anybody can take it and do well with the work. Don't try to learn it from his text books, they are just too technical and medically oriented. "Your inner physician and You" is a good place to start as mentioned earlier.

Ain't it great, though when you help people with those break throughs. And yes, you will only get what you are ready for, as they will only give what they are prepared for also! It just works that way.

 

[Jan Brady]

I did call her yesterday. She appreciated it. She said she was doing fine and she had read quite a bit about CranioSacral and also Chakras after our session. She said she thought it was interesting and thought perhaps it would be something to try or experiment with, but not now. She felt she was already dealing with too much with her physical health too tackle anything more.

I told her she could call me even if she had questions of any kind.

We wished each other well. But she did appreciate the call so I am glad you all so strongly recommended it.

 

[Beeba]

I did call her yesterday. She appreciated it. She said she was doing fine and she had read quite a bit about CranioSacral and also Chakras after our session. She said she thought it was interesting and thought perhaps it would be something to try or experiment with, but not now. She felt she was already dealing with too much with her physical health too tackle anything more.

I told her she could call me even if she had questions of any kind.

We wished each other well. But she did appreciate the call so I am glad you all so strongly recommended it.

Anita I'm so glad you called her. It is wonderful to hear that she is doing some research on her own. Hopefully this will provide her some support for what she experienced and possibly down the road she will contact you again.

 

[J. K]

Hi Anita,

I'm glad you didn't take personal responsibilty for her journey... the entire experience simply wouldn't have happened were it not appropriate for you both at that time.

Some things you can do in the future:

Before
Create a safe container for folks to have such an experience, or a different experience, by explaining upfront that:

a) emotional releases can occur; this is normal, safe, and ok to do in your presence
b) everyone gets to have their own experience (this means not everyone leaves feeling better... sometimes, the opposite)

As well, you might find it helpful with some clients to create a "resource" & "receptacle"... the resource is a memory of a time in which they felt really safe, protected, and happy or, if they have no such memory, an idea of what it would be like to feel that way... the receptacle is a place not in their body & not in the room in which to discard "stuff" that no longer serves them... like the Grand Canyon, a blackhole, nature's compost heap, or the center of a mandala... so that...

During
As things are released, sometimes you may feel called to remind them to send the energy, or pain, or memory, whatever to their receptacle.

If things get difficult for them, remind them to watch/experience the proceedings of the session from their resource. If necessary, they can still move stuff to the receptacle from the safety of their resource.

After
Make sure that the client knows that they are NOT alone in their post-session process. Decide what you are comfortable with (e.g. can the client call anytime? What numbers can they call? How else can they contact you?) and offer it. See them again if it's appropriate, but also be ready to refer them if necessary to a body centered psychotherapist, counselor, shaman, whatever

Hope this helps!

 

[Peaches]

EgoMagickian,

Thank you so much for this. In the weeks following this session, I see that I am feeling more and more comfortable experiencing energy, although I have not had a session quite like this.

I have dug out my energy/vibrational medicine/craniosacral books and have embarked on a journey.

Your advice is so welcomed. I will definitely use it in my future.

Thank you!

 

[oikos]

This is a fascinating thread. Thanks Anita for sharing your experience. It was obviously a profound experience for both you & your client.

It got me wondering, though, about an ethical question. Where is the balance between following our intuition as bodyworkers, versus providing the client with the bodywork session they request & expect? It sounds like this client was expecting a typical massage and received an emotional release/energywork session instead. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that in the client's shoes.

Please know I don't mean to come across as judgmental. I'm just curious what others' thoughts are on this. I'm also curious if you'd do the same thing now, Anita, with your extra years of experience with both massage & energywork.

 

[Pompal 09.]

It's hard to answer 'would you do the same thing now' since I am a different person now, my practice is at a different level now, I am more comfortable with experiences and views now that I wasn't so sure about then. And what are you asking exactly?

If I would have allowed myself to be guided by my intuition? Then yes, I would still have and I still do.

If I would have continued with the session as an energy work session? Then no, I would have stopped and told her what I was feeling and gotten some feed back as to how she wanted to proceed. That is what I do now.

The work I do now is steeped in energy work and integrates several modalities. I have always marketed myself this way, but I have 'grown' into my own definition of my bodywork style (and I'm still growing). My comfort level in my own skin as a bodyworker would automatically make me do things different if the same type of client came in today. Different in my approach in being with the client, not different in what I offered during the session, although there is certainly more depth and less ego. Part of the difference in my approach in being with clients is to be more of an observer and less of a participant in their experience. So I may pick up on stuff but I don't feel so compelled to take action or shift gears, I just work with it in a different way. I still get to do my thing, the client still gets their experience, and if an emotional release happens we can deal with it, but even in a 'typical massage' an emotional release may happen even if it is not expected. The way you type that Blisss makes it sound like she received an emotional release instead of a relaxation massage as if 'emotional release' is something I've got on my menu that I wasn't telling her about and decided to give it to her at the last minute. I firmly believe that emotional releases are the body's response to touch and not something a therapist can 'give' to a client.



I think there has been some talk on the board somewhere about going in for one thing but getting another. But feel free to use this thread to discuss the ethics of it if you'd like. It's a perfect example.

 

[Aundrea]

Where is the balance between following our intuition as bodyworkers, versus providing the client with the bodywork session they request & expect? It sounds like this client was expecting a typical massage and received an emotional release/energywork session instead.

I think it's a matter of both marketing and client/therapist communication.

How do you put yourself out there? What information/disclosures do you require clients to understand before you work with them? What services do you offer and how do you describe them?

What did the client ask for? Did you make sure they knew what they were asking for? If they asked for, "Whatever you want to do--use your intuition!", did you explain what that could entail?

If, either before or during the session, you think the client could benefit for something besides what they asked for, do you bring this up with them, or just plunge forward and do it?

 

[NoBodyyy]

If, either before or during the session, you think the client could benefit for something besides what they asked for, do you bring this up with them, or just plunge forward and do it?

I'm a big fan of "bring this up with them," because I personally do not like an MT to just change things up without checking in with me. (That's an understatement - I won't go back to them, and I'll tell them why.) In fact, this is such a trigger for me, that if I am working on a client and I sense that we need to drastically change horses midstream, I may even continue the session as planned and then offer them the radically-different work as an additional session, bringing it up only after the current session is concluded and the client is dressed and sitting up. I *really* like to be careful with agreements about each individual session - partly because I want those agreements kept when I am the client, and have had them violated.

That said, I usually incorporate at least a little of all the things I do into each session, and I've had a lot of practice briefly explaining the various moves a client *might* feel, before they get on the table. So there's usually very little surprise.

(FTR, it didn't sound in the initial post like Anita changed the technical direction of the session - just that some energetics came up in the context of the agreed-upon techniques. To me, anyway.)