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Section One: Viola Frymann and the Osteopathic Origin Viola Frymann began her work in the cranial osteopathic tradition in the early 1950s, after the death of her newborn son led her to a course taught by William Garner Sutherland, DO — the physician who founded the cranial concept in osteopathy, the idea that subtle, rhythmic motion in the bones and membranes of the skull reflects and influences the health of the whole body. From there she became one of Sutherland's closest

THE PHILOSOPHY OF TOUCH Soul, Consciousness, and the Knowing Hands A Philosophical Pre-Read for All Courses Steven Goldstein A Note Before We Begin There are no right answers embedded in these pages, and the philosophers gathered here, no doubt would have disagreed with one another loudly and at great length — which is, in itself, a useful thing to know before you enter a clinical encounter with a human being who is far more complex than any theory we have encountered. Id

Threshold, Reverence, and the Shared Field in Touch There is a moment in almost every session where something changes, and it is not a moment either person produces alone. The practitioner has been moving slowly, breathing, allowing; the client has begun, in their own time, to yield. And then, sometimes, the two separate efforts stop being separate. What was two people cueing each other becomes, briefly, one field neither is generating by themselves. This piece is an attempt

I wish today to converse about what is termed ‘trauma informed touch’. I like to survey what is out there and offered from this viewpoint, linking historical contributers in this realm and add context to what it implies. Trauma-Informed Touch as a clinical approach is a relatively recent synthesis of trauma science and somatic/manual therapies, emerging from the broader trauma-informed care movement. It integrates principles from psychology, neuroscience, somatics, and bodywo

This now moves to my most thorny topic, that which I believe will give consternation and perhaps ridicule from some or many, or maybe an indifferent shrug, however I’m going to proceed and see how the reception and feedback, if any, unfolds... Let’s view the Soul and how these concepts and principles may be aligned into Bodywork. Understanding the Soul • Definition and Perspectives: The Soul is often viewed as the essence of an individual, embodying one's true self, spirit, o

In the Foundations course we cover a wide swath of application and modalities to integrate a fundamental understanding of how the fascial form can be influenced. Beginning with the Autonomic Nervous System which is the mediator of all soft-tissue change, we engage the body as a whole system. What does this mean? If I borrow from Micheal Shea in Myofascial Release Therapy, we take a ‘holistic’ view with holistic skills. “Myofascial release is usually taught as a positioning te

In the earlier years of the development of the Foundations course, myofascial lines of tension seemed to be a sensible direction to instruct myofascial applications around an anatomical template. Thomas Myers Anatomy Trains was seminal. As Myers indicated, his understanding that he developed drew upon the work of many others. Myers mentioned Raymond Dart. In Linus Johansson’s excellent text entitled Movement Integration; Gary Carter authored a chapter on Variations in Myofasc

My Foundations course was first delivered in 1995 in the University district of Seattle. I had been an instructor at the time for three years at Seattle Massage School, instructing with the likes of Andrew Biel (Trail Guide to the Body), Marty Ryan (Love Your Guts), Diana Thompson (Hands Heal), Barbara Frye, Anni Thoe, Diana Kincaid, Clint Chandler, Kate Bromley, Cynthia Wold and Dawn Schmidt, just to name a few of the local legends, some of which now have an extraordinary in

Partners in Sponsoring Fascial Therapy Courses around the World! Club Physio.com/.net Cape Town, SA https://club-physio.com/courses/the-fascial-therapy-course-cape-town/ Myofascial Release UK www.myofascialrelease.co.uk/http://www.rubbedtherightway.com/workshop-booking/steve-goldstein-fascial-approaches-for-the-spine-scapula-and-thorax-edinburgh-11-12-may-2019/ Blend Therapy & Training Liverpool-Wigan UK http://blendtherapytraining.com Jing Advanced Massage Training

Jeffrey Maitland in the Embodied Being makes a case for understanding organizing principles that allow us to be successful in the delivery of our treatment plan and application of techniques. “A common mistake involves confusing the principles of other related endeavors with the principles of intervention.” What does Maitland imply? “Often theorists believe they are articulating the principles of intervention when in fact they are discussing the importance of evaluation, o

Wonderful conversation with Stephen Braybrook http://www.themovementman.com/20-fascia-philosophy-with-special-guest-steven-goldstein/

Kristie hosted me on this podcast recorded in 2017. I hope you enjoy! iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/rubbed-the-wrong-way-with-kristie-melling/id1080215665?mt=2&i=1000375117223 or through Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/3gRpOUcIIaXGawDz2vcpMy?si=NTkNfkOoTGWpV2JH0bbB8w

Introduction Many manual therapists may not realise the intimate relationship that exists between the central-peripheral nervous system and soft-tissue release. This understanding of, and the ability to effect change comes in a large part with understanding of the sensory-motor system and in particular sensory-motor receptors. The ability to manipulate these receptors is at the heart of all soft-tissue facilitated by manual or massage therapists. Another premise this author