Craniosacral and Myofascial Release | Asheville

Hello fellow women+, after taking a grief course and reading The Wild Edge of Sorrow, I found a quote that sums up what I'd like to assist you in: "You are not one person, you are many people, you are a community of moods and selves under one name. Parts of you aren't even human, they're part mammal, part reptile, part rose, part moon, part wind. And life is a question of which parts are dominant- which in effect, possess you." -Michael Ventura

My clients primarily consist of women+ who are struggling with pain, life transitions, and/ or burn out. My offerings sit at the intersection of rites of passage ceremony, physical therapy, CranioSacral Therapy, Earth based practices, dream work, and movement which includes patterns from both modern dance and traditional belly dance.

As a woman living in a patriarchal society, I've felt that being around other women and being outside has been the most helpful in my own healing journey. Being seen as the person I truly am AND integrating that with body work helps me feel the most embodied and the most like myself (and therefore calmer, healthier, and happier). Part of my offering is to help my clients feel more at home in the body. I feel that I'm a facilitator of healing rather than a healer because when we are properly resourced and seen we have the capacity to heal ourselves- healing naturally takes place. As a Rites of Passage Guide, I find that restoring our connection to the Earth results in more long lasting results and a restoration and replenishment of soul, so my offereings are vast.

We've lived in a time where there have been layers upon layers of trauma and lack of emotional and spiritual resources, which results in us not really being able to be us: not being seen by parents, and teachers as well as living in hustle cutlure that focuses too much on productivity. A limited societal focus on academia vs authenticity in whatever form that takes means we have much to unpack which calls for a need to create many layers of proper resources and self care. I'd love to help you layer in as much self love as possible.

More details on how I work:

I find that if someone is dealing with pain on a consistent basis, it's extremely difficult to feel embodied and empowered when life revolves around pain management, so the first thing I address is pain. Once pain is almost if not completely resolved (or at least manageable vs taking over your life) we can take sessions a step further into becoming more embodied and empowered. Then, once movement is restored in certain areas I incorporate integration of the nervous system to keep the body in a more balanced state (which is also addressed on some level each session). The following sessions could be looking at your schedule and general flow of your day in order to add layers of self care into your life.

I do not need a referral as I do not take insurance, but I will require a note from a physician clearing a person for physical therapy in the case of car accidents or head trauma. Please note that I am not a mental health/ trauma therapist and cannot treat anxiety, depression, or any mental health issue. The work I do can support you, and I expect all clients to be able to self-regulate.

Not every session will incorporate hands on treatment if I feel the body is needing to reprogram more balanced movement patterns. With most patients I utilize a combination of techniques in order to address dysfunction in the body to the extent that it requires. Evaluation and treatments are approximately 65-70 minutes from start to finish including check in, treatment, and payment. With my wholistic and integrated approach, I have successfully treated the following symptoms of which patients reported a significant improvement: headaches, migraines, acute and chronic lower back pain, neck pain, whiplash, bulging disc pain, sciatica, rotator cuff pathologies, gait abnormalities/ deviations, scoliosis, bony misalignments, adhesions and decreased range of motion from scar tissue, and bowel and bladder problems. After receiving treatment, my patients tend to report a deep sense of relaxation, decreased anxiety, improved alignment, increased energy and clarity, and improved mood. Patients are provided with a home program if needed to maintain positive changes made in session. Sessions require your full participation, readiness, and honesty and are not a passive receiving of services.

There are two main ways to do a session with me:

1. Session in downtown Marshall in a space set up for both movement and body work consisting of the above except being outdoors.

(Tuesdays, Saturdays, and 1st Sunday of the month)

Reciprocity: sliding scale $87-127 for 60-70 min

2. Session on the land I live on to include being outside in nature incorporating more ceremony/ nature based practices as well as bodywork to integrate the session. Everyone is required to book a session in town FIRST to ensure that we are aligned so that you receive the most our of the session. If you have any questions, please contact me.

(Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, possibly some weekends)

Reciprocity: $497 for 2-4 hours

Not local? Contact me and let's see if we can work together via Zoom.

I DO NOT TREAT: post-operative conditions/ rehab for total joint replacements or spine surgeries, balance problems, vertigo, or Parkinson's.

I do NOT accept insurance for ethical reasons, nor do I do enough traditional physical therapy in order to justify billing insurance. My offerings extend beyond what Western science is capable of providing.

A more detailed description of each individual modality is below:

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

During a CranioSacral Therapy (CST) session the client lays fully clothed on a massage table while light touch is used, typically at the area of concern in addition to other contributing restrictions which my patient may or may not be aware of. Patients usually experience a deep relaxation during and after the session, and they will often have improved sleep and energy levels after being treated.

CST works in bringing balance to the nervous system by addressing restrictions around the brain and spinal cord. CST does not include spinal adjustments, but rather allows alignment to be restored gently and more naturally through releasing soft tissue. By reducing restrictions and therefore strain on the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) the entire body can experience positive effects. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a fluid that nourishes the brain and spinal cord. It also acts as a shock absorber for the brain. A balance in flow of CSF offers many benefits, both physically and mentally.

The treatment produces a range of results - decreased soft tissue tension, bony alignment improves, and many systems can self-reglulate: correcting both under-activation and over-stimulation in the nervous system. This may include and is not limited to the digestive system, endocrine system, and circulatory system. The limbic system (part of our nervous system that deals with emotions and memory) also can be brought back into balance.

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

Myofascial Release (MFR) is also a hands on technique that addresses restrictions specifically in the fascia or connective tissue and may not be as specific to the nervous system as CST. Fascia is 3D and surrounds and encompasses every structure in the body including muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerves, organs and essentially, every cell. A restriction in one area inadvertently affects other areas of the body which may or may not be the source of pain or dysfunction.

Both CST and MFR require constant pressure/long holds in one area for anywhere from 2 minutes to 35 minutes or more. The fascia loosens like taffy over a period of time and does not return to its unstretched state after a certain number of treatment(s) which is different for every individual.

Other modalities/techniques I may use are kinesiotaping to support over-stretched joints or support corrected posture.

I am grateful to my mentors as well as my patients for endless opportunities to learn and advance my skills.

Case studies, easy to understand explanations about these forms of therapy, and much more, can be found here.

COACHING

One of my friends once told me, "Erin, I feel like women need a coach or a cheerleader. What I love about you is that you don't stay in a job or relationship if it's not working out for you. I feel like women could use some of that guidance and positive energy."

I work with the medicine wheel or 8 shields model. This model follows the rythms of nature including a day and a year as well as a human life and a plant's life. It is found cross culturally with cultures of a similar latitude. For me, using this model in my life helps me feel more balanced, more connected to nature, and my day feels complete. Drawn out, the medicine wheel looks like a compass as shown above with 8 main points. I start in the Northeast which represents the place of the quiet mind. It's also representative of the time of day between midnight and sunrise and the time of year we call Imbolc (Celtic). It represents what we do before we begin a day, a project, or an adventure. Here I start with gratitude and tongue scraping Gratitude helps me Maybe for you, your Northeast time is taking 3 deep breaths before opening your laptop or before getting out of bed to get your kids ready for school. Then end of day repeating the same activity to come full circle. For me, it's repeating gratitudes usually out loud. Energetically I feel a solidity around my energy field and feel a sense of completness with my day (having already moved through the rest of the wheel clockwise).

Why mention this? Because the things we do daily can and will make a huge difference in how we feel. It is another layer of self care, and once you understand the model and how it works, you can change what you do and when to meet the changes in your life. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing a session to learn about this and come up with behaviors and activities to support you daily.

In addition to the above, we can definitely bring in animal guides, spirit guides, healthy ancestors, and whatever support you need. For people in transition this might be a good option then integrating it with bodywork.

"All signs and messeges in Nature work to accomplish 1 of 3 things: First, to stir a sense of wonder about the world around us, Second, to help us solve and handle the problems and issues in our life and Third, to awaken and quicken us to new potentials and creativity."

Example sessions from all of the above:

1. A patient comes to me after having had a straight forward, non-complicated surgery. This patient has a dream 2 nights after the surgery that someone stabs them in the leg (an area that was NOT operated on). This results in leg pain which is more significant than the post-surgery pain. I receive consent to address both the dream and the pain. Through soul-centric dream work I have my patient slowly repeat the dream out loud with eyes closed and in present tense. As we approach the time in the dream when this person is stabbed, I am simultaneously using myofascial techniques to release the stuck/ congested tissue. After the session, this patient reports feeling 80% better whereas using traditional methods had not helped.

2. A patient arrives feeling frustrated due to constant headaches which interferes with their work and home life. This patient is agreeing to extra support in addition to receiving CranioSacral Therapy (CST). I use my drum to call in the directions for support. They picture their own spirit guides, ancestors, animal helpers, in the room in specific spaces to assist with the session as they set their intention for the session. We proceed with a typical CST session and I tune into areas in the body that give me permission to address the source of the headaches. I find their sternum is stuck/ congested and gently treat using only the amount of pressure the body needs/ wants. End of session I release the directions.

3. A young woman comes to me with low back pain. Her pelvis is out of alignment and tilted forward. I teach her proper alignment through belly dance to activate core muscles and give her exercises to do and movements to avoid to retrain her body to be in alignment. I end the session with brain integration exercises to allow the nervous system to "soak in the treatment" more efficiently.

4. A woman in the "sandwich generation" (someone caretaking both children and older parents) feels exhausted, unorganized, and scattered. We begin by making a list of the following headings with how many activities are regularly done under each of the 8 categories: Peace of Mind; Inspiration/ New Ideas; Sensuality/ Sexuality; Life's Work/ Job; Body Care; Community; Grief; Sleep/ Deep Rest. I provide education on the entire medicine wheel, then we look at the list and choose where to make changes. This session looks more like a coaching session vs a bodywork/ movement session. I still end the session with integration with the body.

Office space: 7 North Main St. Suite 201 Marshall, NC. Due to the space being in an upstairs unit, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO INDEPENTLY ASCEND AND DESCEND 26 STAIRS. There is a railing on the right side as you go up.

By appointment only. 828-606-2264 (If you leave a voicemail and don't hear from me within 2 business days, please text me as voicemails do not always go through here in the mountains. Sorry for any inconvenience).

Myofascial Release

CranioSacral Therapy

TESTIMONIALS

"Erin is the rare therapist that combines the skills of the mind with the compassion of the heart. Her touch is informed, educated and finely tuned. Listening carefully to the messages of the body’s tissues, she treats accordingly with sensitivity and deep knowing. A highly skilled therapist, she continually seeks to hone her craft: the sign of an awesome practitioner."

C. R.

"I was referred to Erin after a car accident which had resulted in a bad concussion. I had headaches, dizziness, insomnia and depression as a result. I saw Erin for 8 sessions and the treatments were relaxing and wonderful and the results were amazing. I felt 100% restored as a result of my treatments. I had had persistent wrist pain for almost a year prior due to de quairvains tendinitis and as an added bonus that has completely resolved after some focused sessions as well. Erin is a talented therapist and I highly recommend her to anyone having pain, headaches, or sleep issues."

S. P.

"I came to Erin hoping to find relief for a neck injury I sustained from my exercise routine. An hour and a half session left me floating on clouds, but more importantly, the irritating neck pain I had been experiencing for the past month had melted away. Also, Erin has amazing hands! She's gentle, but also has this strength that makes you feel you're in good hands. I highly recommend her services. "

J. S.