Refining My Offerings After a Decade of Practice

As I continue my journey through as a manual therapist, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on how to better serve the diverse needs that walk through my door. Every body that comes to my table carries its own unique story—some seeking simple relief from the stresses of daily life, others navigating complex patterns that have persisted for years despite their best efforts.

After hundreds of hours of additional training and thousands of hours of hands-on experience, I've noticed something important: What serves one person beautifully might leave another feeling unsatisfied or overwhelmed. And truthfully, different types of sessions require different energies and preparations from me as well.

For years, I've offered "massage therapy" as a catch-all service while privately adjusting my approach based on what I sensed each person needed. But this silent adaptation has created confusion—both for new clients trying to understand what I do.

The deeper, more integrative work I've been trained in requires a different kind of presence than a relaxation-focused session. When I move too quickly between these different modes of working, I can feel myself unable to fully settle into the depth that certain approaches require. This reality has had me brainstorming for a long time. How do I show up fully for each client while meeting their needs?

So I've spent months contemplating how to honor both the diversity of needs I encounter and my own capacity to show up fully for each session. The result is what I'm calling my "Service Pathways"—three distinct approaches that clarify both what you can expect and how I prepare for our time together.

Each pathway draws on different aspects of my training while remaining true to my fundamental belief in the body's wisdom and capacity for healing:

Relief & Relaxation is my most accessible offering—therapeutic massage that goes beyond the standard approach but remains comfortable and familiar. Here, I focus primarily on physical tension while creating space for your nervous system to find its natural balance.

Structural Integration is where I apply my osteopathic training to address persistent patterns that create dysfunction. This approach looks at how your whole body organizes itself and works to restore more efficient movement patterns—often addressing the root causes rather than just the symptoms.

Somatic Visceral Awareness represents my most comprehensive work, particularly through Chi Nei Tsang and integrated approaches. Here we create space for deeper patterns to reveal themselves, especially those held in the abdomen—what many traditions consider the body's emotional center. These sessions involve gentle exploration of the abdomen where energies, emotions, and stories are often physically stored in the body.

I've realized that being clear about these pathways honors your ability to choose what's right for you in this moment of your journey. Some of you come to me specifically for relaxation and want hands-on work from start to finish. Others are seeking deeper understanding of persistent patterns and are willing to move more slowly to allow insights to emerge.

By clarifying these pathways, I can better prepare for each session—mentally, energetically, and logistically.

I'll admit—there's vulnerability in defining these distinctions so clearly and leaning into them. But I've learned that the greatest gift I can offer is authentic presence and clarity about what I've found most effective.

The truth I've discovered after a decade of this work is that slowing down creates the conditions for deeper healing. When I try to do too much in a session, I often find myself skimming the surface rather than addressing the core patterns that would create lasting change.

These pathways aren't rigid boxes—they're starting points for our conversation about what would serve you best. Some of you will find that different approaches are appropriate at different times in your life. Others might discover that one pathway consistently resonates more deeply with your needs.

As I refine how I practice, my commitment remains steadfast: to meet you where you are with presence, skill, and compassion. To create a space where your body's wisdom can emerge. To support your journey toward greater ease, whatever form that takes.

I look forward to continuing to evolve alongside each of you who trust me with your care. Thank you for being part of this ongoing discovery of what being human in these human bodies truly means—not as an abstract concept, but as a lived experience on my table..

With gratitude for the journey,

Samantha