Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FAQ about Structural Integration at ASI
What should I expect from my first session?
Before beginning any sessions, your therapist will take relevant medical and personal history. You will be asked to discuss what you hope to gain from the sessions. Then you will typically start the session in your underwear, two-piece swimsuit or sports wear, for your therapist to evaluate your posture and body structure for signs of tension and misalignment. Movement, breathing, and holding patterns are observed. Holding patterns are places in the tissue that reflect a "gluing" of the fascia. This "gluing" interrupts energy flow and range of motion. When muscle groups are glued together, they cease to function with ease and efficiency, and throw your body off balance.
Unlike some therapists, we no longer take "before and after photos" to study your structure. The treatments themselves are performed while you lie or sit draped on a massage table or bench. You'll probably be asked to synchronize your breathing with the therapist's manipulations. You may also be asked to move your body, arms, and legs in certain ways.
During each session, the therapist will concentrate on a different set of muscles and fascia, starting with those nearest the surface and moving on to those deep within the body. To maximize the benefits of treatment, the therapist may also teach you self-help exercises known as "movement integration."
(See Linda's Story for a client's account of her sessions.)
Last Updated: 2017-01-06
How should I prepare for my first treatment?
Your experience can be more fulfilling by attending to the following:
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Before your session, please drink plenty of water and eat no more than moderately.
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To maximize your session time, please bring the following forms with your information completed as well as you can. Click on each link, print the form, and come back to this browser window tab for the next form. (You may have to close the form's window tab to come back here to this browser window tab for the next form.)
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Directions to the office are below. Parking is free in our lot.
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Please arrive a few minutes early if possible and enjoy your quiet time in our lobby. Before your session you are welcome to use the restroom, off our lobby.
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Please text me at 828-230-9218 so that I know when you arrive, and I will meet you in the lobby. I am committed to your experience being informative, productive, and enjoyable.
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Please call if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting you.
What is your typical process with a new customer?
New clients receive a free 30 minutes of education to enable them to understand what we do, and how they most might benefit from it. Their first introductory session is highly discounted so that clients can make an informed decision as to whether to continue, and if they feel their therapist's work style feels like a match that they feel comfortable with.
What should I know about your pricing (discounts, fees)?
I provide several ways to make my services more affordable to more people. For example, office charges are waived if clients pay ahead for services. When people commit to a 3 session package, they get a 15% discount. When people commit to a 5 session package, they get a 25% discount. When people pay with cash or a checkbook, there are no bank transaction fees to pay for.
What education and/or training do you have?
I am fortunate to be trained by Dr. Rolf's first student at the Guild for Structural Integration. My education has continued with some of the top Rolfers TM in the world. Skills keep being perfected during 17 years of practice with a diverse client base and continuing education required for licensing.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
I use to feel stuck with my body, feeling limited, low on energy, and aging too fast. My experience of too much pain, strain, stress, stiffness, and fatigue was a significant part of my life. Then I discovered the Original Rolf method of Structural Integration, that transformed my life. It seemed like a type of massage therapy or bodywork that not only felt good; it got lasting results! When I first felt my new experience of a spring in my walk, I cried. Never in my life did I anticipate the possibility of a new experience like that in my body. Yet here was proof of a new paradigm that was easy and enjoyable to implement. I had to share this gift with others.
What is a recent project you are fond of?
Being able to help people reduce chronic pain is always rewarding. I am proud of an out-of-state client who regained so much of her life back after suffering for half a century from severe congenital challenges in her rib cage and upper body. She was able to reduce her level of pain from chronic to 80% less in about a dozen sessions.
What should I look for in a Structural Integration Bodywork Therapist?
You want a therapist willing to take their time with you and go really slow, at a pace that works for you. Fast work can be painful and less effective, which is why I do not work fast.
What questions should I think through before talking to other Structural Integration therapists?
Be aware of your body, and what it can or cannot do. Pay attention especially to pain, discomfort, or range of motion issues that have been around for a long time. It may not "have to be that way".
What are the directions to your treatment office?
DIRECTIONS: From Asheville I-40 exit 53A to Charlotte Hwy (Alt 74), turning southeast toward Reynolds and Fletcher.
Proceed straight for 1 and 1/2 miles until the traffic light for Ingles and Eastwood Village at 4 Olde Eastwood Village Blvd.
We are in the center of the main building upstairs in suite 207 E, with our entrance right next door to the Great Wall of China.
Text me when you arrive so I know you are in the lobby.
For Directions From Your Current Location to
4 Olde Eastwood Village Blvd #207E
Asheville, NC 28803
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