What to Expect
At Empower, we want to create a comfortable environment that allows you the time and space to decompress and replenish your resources. Please know that your time and wellbeing are important to us and we strive to sustain a process of healing for you.
As such, we will take the time to listen to you throughout your appointment, from the intake process to the hands-on work and beyond. When you book an appointment we will email you a health history form and ask some basic questions about your needs and concerns. This will ensure that we have a clear idea about who you are and that the room is setup appropriately. (For example, if you are pregnant or have limited mobility, we want to make sure everything on the table is in place and accessible.) Once the session is over, we will stay in contact with you to make sure our work together is helping you achieve your goals.
We are always open to feedback and questions, whether our appointment is only starting or if we haven’t spoken in a few weeks.
Before the hands-on work
We want to spend some time getting to know you. Because you are neither a list of symptoms nor a list of aches and pains or problem areas, we honor you as a whole person.
We will take a few minutes before you get on the table to discuss your needs in more detail. Sometimes, when applicable, we’ll go over postural and functional assessments to get an idea about what might be causing more physical stress than necessary.
Please allow enough time in your schedule not to rush, as this part of the process really helps us make the hands-on work more effective for you.
On the table
We will listen to you and be present with you through the whole session. You may think our work is intuitive, but know that we are constantly assessing and reassessing the pressure, quality of contact, and listening to your body and how it responds to the work. And while quietude is encouraged we might sometimes ask questions about how you’re responding to the work. We encourage you to ask questions as well.
You will be modestly draped at all times, unless our session is sports- or structurally- oriented. In this case you should wear either both running shorts and sports bra (where applicable) or swimsuit, because the work involves different assessment needs and more stretching and movement while on the table.
And while warm sheets and blankets are standard, we use heated towels where appropriate as well. Our table also allows us various angled positions for legs, low back, and upper body support.
After the hands-on work
Sometimes you may want to remain in quietude, deeply feeling the movements of your body: we will honor you in this and not hinder the process.
Other times you may have questions about how to practice more effective self-care, or the hands-on work requires exercises for you to do at home as we continue to workout patterns that have been developing for a while. If these are the case, we will spend more time with you doing stretches or exercises with you until you have a good idea about what you can do at home.
Frequency of work
Whether our session is a treat or you want more long-term pain relief, receiving bodywork frequently will help you. Depending on our goals, the frequency of work will vary. In general, we suggest receiving bodywork every 2 to 4 weeks.
However, for more focused structural work, receiving bodywork every week or every other week for four to eight sessions is ideal. This way, you will have time for your system to respond to the new stimuli and the constancy will encourage a deeper level of response, which will help create more long-term achievement.
It is also a good idea to do receive “a good ol’ squish” in between structural sessions. These will take the “work” out of the work and keep things refreshed and relaxed.
After a full series, it is common to take a few months off from specific treatments. This will allow you to grow into the changes we helped create.
