Empathy for me starts with having a genuine interest and curiosity about you, you
r life and your concerns. At the start of a session this means listening attentively to what you say and in the emotions behind the words. When it comes to the hands on work, I am open, compassionate and curious about what your body is experiencing. This could be the tone of your nervous system… is it relaxed or busy? Your muscles… are they clenched? Your gut… is it happy? This physical empathy means I’m working alongside you rather than 'on' you. Although I may ask you gentle questions and give you feedback on what I am feeling, I am always sensitive to when you need silence then I can be with you in a deeply restorative stillness. Your body has an innate intelligence that responds to being in this relationship without the need for words.
The relationship is is an empathetic one where you can be heard and seen at the mental, physical and psychological levels. You can find your best self and respond to what your body is asking for.
Over many years I have found this approach to be effective in helping people with a wide range of physical complaints or anxiety related problems.
"The gentle and sensitive companionship offered by an empathic person... provides illumination and healing. In such situations deep understanding is, I believe, the most precious gift one can give to another".
Carl Rogers, A Way of Being, Houghton Mifflin, 1980