Many people have “myth-perceptions” about Rolfing^® having heard of or experienced Rolfing as a painful process. Like any hands on approach, Rolfing is highly “practitioner dependent” as to its application and effect. Two people can receive the same training but their personal biases affect how they apply what they learned.

The irony is that Rolfing popularized this “myth-perception”. In the old days of cathartic therapy Rolfing’s approach to our work was “no pain, no gain.” In the past this worked with certain people but there were many where this approach was too much. We have also learned that this way of working is limited in its effect. There are more sophisticated approaches to touching clients and helping to evoke their personal ease and expression. We use these in our work recognizing that bodies change more readily when there is safety and no threat of having to manage additional pain created by the therapeutic process.

There are many clients who come into our offices with bruises from their PT’s or massage therapists who are pushing too hard trying to work deeply. It is inappropriate to work “on” someone so hard that they are bruised! The surface and middle need to be eased and organized before the deep can be addressed. Our approach is to work with our client’s, listening to their story and feeling its results in their tissue with our hands. We listen to what is most appropriate in their body to interact with at this moment. This greatly enhances change with ease.