Your First Session

If you have never had bodywork before, or never had it with me, it helps to know what the hour is actually going to be like. Nothing here is a surprise. This is how a first visit goes.

Before you come

When you book, you are asked to fill in a short intake form as part of the booking. It asks about your health history, what brought you in, and anything you would rather I left alone. Doing it then means we spend your session on the table rather than on paperwork. If you would rather talk something through in person than write it down, that is fine too.

Eat something light beforehand if you can, and drink some water during the day. Arriving very hungry or very full both make it harder to settle.

When you arrive

The studio is at 549 Frederick St in Santa Cruz. Give yourself a few extra minutes the first time so you are not walking in rushed.

We sit down and talk before anything else. I will ask what is going on in your body, what you are hoping for, and whether anything is worrying you. This part matters more than most people expect. Almost everything I do in a session is decided in that conversation, and it is also where you get to say what you do not want.

On the table

You undress to whatever level is comfortable for you, and you are covered with a sheet the whole time. Only the area I am working on is uncovered. I leave the room while you get settled, and I knock before I come back in.

You do not have to hold still, stay quiet, or be a good patient. If the pressure is too much, say so. If it is not enough, say so. If you want me to move on, say so. Nothing about this is a test.

What the work feels like

That depends on what your body is asking for that day.

Integrative massage is hands on and direct. It moves at a pace that lets muscle let go rather than forcing it, so it often feels slower than you might expect, and the release keeps going after I have moved to the next area.

Biodynamic craniosacral therapy is much quieter. My hands rest lightly, and from the outside very little appears to be happening. Underneath, the nervous system is usually doing a great deal. People often describe it as floating, or as the first time in weeks their mind has gone quiet.

Most first sessions use some of both. I listen for what is there and follow it.

Afterwards

Take a minute before you get up. Sitting on the edge of the table for a moment is worth more than it sounds.

For the next day or two, drink more water than usual and go gently. If a spot feels tender, that is normal and it usually settles. Some people leave feeling loose and light. Others feel tired in a pleasant way and sleep unusually well that night. Both are common and neither means anything went wrong.

The day after, you will get a short note from me with the same reminders, so you do not have to carry them home.

Choosing a first session

If you already know you want hands on work, book the First Visit Massage. Sixty minutes is enough for one region, the neck, shoulders and upper back, for example. Ninety minutes is better if the tension is spread out, or if you know you take a while to relax.

If you are not sure what you need, start with the free fifteen minute call. We talk, you ask whatever you want, and there is no expectation that you book anything afterwards. Plenty of people use it to find out whether this feels like the right fit, which is what it is for.

A word about what this is not

I am not diagnosing anything and I am not treating a condition. What I do is help a body that has been holding on find its way back to a steadier baseline. People come in with stress that has settled into their shoulders, with backs that have not felt right in months, with the kind of tiredness sleep does not fix. If something needs a doctor, I will tell you that.

More of the questions people ask before a first visit are answered on the questions page.

Whenever you are ready, the calendar is here.