About 19 million Americans are living with Depression.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes constant sadness and lack of interest in life. It is often a place of feeling stuck or unable to move forward.
Releasing Pain
Speaking from experience while working with Massage clients, the worst thing a person suffering from depression can do it to isolate. Instead, it is best to look for long-term medical treatment from a doctor and a licensed therapist. When left untreated, depression doesn’t often resolve itself. In fact, by opening up to a healthy new way of processing, things can start to look a lot brighter. Why not ask for help?
If you are unsure if you are depressed, ask yourself if any of the symptoms below pertain to you?
Feelings of sadness, emptiness or unhappiness
Anxiety
Changes in appetite
Trouble concentrating
Suicidal Thoughts
Physical back pain or headaches
Fixation on negative beliefs
Lack of Sexual interest
Lack of Energy
Irritability
Angry
Insomnia
Massage therapy can be helpful as an additional complementary treatment for Depression. It is a wonderful modality to add to your wellness plan.
Questions About Massage and Depression? The AMTA’s position based on research can be found at: AMTA Research for starters.
In my own practice, I have seen clients find help through Structural Integration, Craniosacral Therapy, and Aromatherapy Massage. With massage and bodywork, when the tension in the body is lifted, the spirit frees up too. It’s amazing how much one’s mood can change when feeling better in one’s own body. Release of stress has been found to help one to sleep better through the night, balance emotions, and to help feel more grounded and embodies.
If you are looking for a Holistic Licensed Massage Therapist who has experienced working with Mood Disorders, Anxiety, PTSD, or depression, ask questions in an initial interview. Make sure the therapist who works with you is comfortable with working as part of your healing team.
If you have any questions, please call Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI for a free 15 minute phone consultation.
One of the questions I often get asked regarding Massage-
“How much do I need to come in and see you”?
This is a delicate question because most people would benefit greatly from getting 1-2 massages a week. Personally, I know that if I could… I’d get a massage every week, acupuncture, have a personal trainer and a cook that makes organic healthy great tasting meals each day:) However, many services are not covered by insurance, and many people these days are very busy.
So to be realistic- what I recommend is that one prioritizes time and finances regarding health and wellness. Some of the ways to look at this are:
Rate yourself from 1-10 regarding your pain level. If you are in a lot of pain, you may want to come in twice a week. Massage and bodywork can work wonders for relieving pain. The more work you receive, the better you’ll feel in most cases. Also remember, that while your pain levels most likely will decrease with each session, that if you have been putting off your health challenges for long time, it might take a while to get healthier again. For example- to work with postural alignment issues, count on the basic 10 sessions for a good foundation at 90 minutes a pop.
Finances are an important part of everyday life. Yet I do see people who go out to eat and drop $75.00 for a meal, but look for the cheapest massage deal they can find. Remember that you usually get what you pay for. If you are looking for a professional massage therapist with a lot of experience in bodywork, expect to budget for the best. After all, you do deserve to have your needs met, and actually exceeded. Someone who works at a big office for a low price is usually right out of school and doesn’t have the same qualifications as someone who has been practicing for 15 years.
Often people wait until they are in pain before they get massage. If you can afford it, treat yourself to some massage and bodywork bi-weekly or monthly just to stay feeling more fit and flexible. It’s much easier to move back into health when you haven’t strayed far. Being proactive in anything is smart.
Interview therapists. Each therapist is unique and has an array of different tools that they use to best serve their clients. Make sure that your Massage Therapist listens well and is educated about how they can help. Some protocols call for 10 sessions, some are based on your needs. But a good therapist will give you a general idea of a treatment plan that you can both agree to.
I often give my clients exercises or homework to do when they go home. If your budget is tight and you don’t have the means for this type of self-care on a regular basis- make sure you are doing some type of lengthening and opening exercise like yoga, pilates, gyrotonics, Feldenkrais etc… All of these help you to strengthen your core while releasing restrictions in the body. If you can do both, that is wonderful.
Your health is important. Too many people tend to ignore symptoms of pain and discomfort. Begin listening to your body when you are young. Eat well, Exercise, Stay hydrated, and get plenty of rest. As soon as you start to feel yourself losing balance, energy, or strength, turn it around by finding a local therapist near you to help you feel your best. Your intuition and self-mindful awareness will tell you what you need to do.
Knee injuryis one of the most common sports related reasons that bring patients to the doctors office.
knee injury
Be proactive if you feel any pain, notice popping sounds, see any swelling or can’t walk properly. It is important that you don’t put off getting the proper treatment for knee injury if you want to avoid long-term negative repercussions. If you are fortunate, with your physician’s recommendation, you can apply basic first aid, and take some Ibuprofen and everything will heal nicely. However, you don’t have to stop there. Structural Integration with its fascial massage can be very helpful in alleviating any stress around the knee, the quads, and the hamstrings. This can be done for minor ailments, or once your doctor recommends if surgery if needed. The body is miraculous at healing itself. However, the new tissue that is laid is not going to give you the same mobility you once had in many cases unless the fascia is spread, balanced and lengthens, allowing for more natural alignment.
If you are interested in playing sports and performing to your optimal level, Structural Integration can be very helpful in supporting you to relate movement to your activities with higher performance.
Working with the fascia can be done starting with the superficial layers to help ease the pain around the joint. As the work is deepened, it unlocks habitual patterns, and also those that resulted from the injuries. Often clients feel the positive effects from doing a series of session more than with other types of basic massage. That is because the adhesions and rotations, once they are released, stay that way, allowing for more freedom and flexibility.
If you have had a knee injury and are looking for a therapy that can make a difference, call Sharon Hartnett LMT at 740 966-5153 in Columbus, Ohio.
Curious about how many healing sessions you need to resolve pain issues?
Well, the truth is no healer or therapist can give you that answer if they are being honest.
What we can offer is that we will use whatever tools and compassion we have to help you along on your journey back to health. And if you are looking for the best massage therapist, healer, health coach that can help you to re-connect to that force inside of you that can shift things toward wellbeing, the best thing you can do is interview, try new healing modalities, and make a commitment to stay with your own process as you learn from each relationship and experience.
Healing
When you interview possible massage therapists, the first thing you want to do is check in with your own intuition to see if you feel comfortable with yourself when you meet. If his/her presence sets the space as a comforting and an honest environment for you to open up, then that is a good indication. Next, it is important that you feel like your needs are really heard. Some therapists have routines and just do their thing. It is much more helpful to clients if each session is set up as a unique and moment-to-moment type of therapy. That way the dialogue between you and the therapist is based on the body’s own wisdom to self-correct through positive intervention. On the same note, in regards to communication, let your therapist know what pressure works best for you. Often the body will say one thing, but the ego has a completely different itinerary. Both of these need to be alignment for the best results. Lastly, look online for testimonials and google reviews. There is a huge difference between beginner practitioners and people will experience. You do actually pay for what you get for the most part when it comes to massage and healing. This is not to say that you won’t receive a good session from someone right out of school, but they won’t hold the same depth and width of hands on experience.
I have lots of clients who tell me that they have tried everything and nothing works. Well- that can be a challenge if the client doesn’t learn and see the benefits of each interaction. What I can say is that if you are in pain, that is your body or spirit telling you that something needs to change and your own system doesn’t have the answer yet. With this said, the history in the biology has often taken a lot of time to go awry, it takes time to work through restrictions, compensations and such before getting to the Source sometimes. Open your mind to new things. Allow yourself to trust your intuition and the people you work with. With time and patience, and good work- things can and often do change toward the positive.
Stay committed to your healing process. Nobody can fix you, but plenty of people and life itself will help you to heal. Dance in the new relationships you make, and don’t let anything or anyone take you off course from yourself.
Pain is an indicator that lets you know that something needs to change. Trust what is being created and let go of what you no longer need. Whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual- with positive intention- you can find your way back to Source.
Exploration through the Human Energy Field can be life transforming.
Barbara Brennan
Open up to your Authentic True Self through Brennan Healing Science. As you let go of your old negative beliefs and painful energy blocks, you will be able to connect with deeper self-awareness and clarity.
At Lighten Up Therapies, Sharon Hartnett LMT, works with therapeutic touch through Massage and other forms of bodywork to help heal the physical body. In the auric field: Chakras – Sanskrit for “circles” or “wheels” – there are energy centers which can become blocked or unbalanced. This can lead to physical illness or other forms of dis-ease. These can be worked with by restructuring, clearing, charging and other methods that bring the chakras back into health. The dimension of hara is the level of intention which can be strengthened and aligned, and core star is the spark of divine essence in each of us. Reconnecting to this Source is magical and life changing. Working with these dimensions of human experience can help you find your soul’s task and live with a clear connection to your own divine qualities.
If you are looking for someone who can offer Integrated Holistic Support in regards to the mind, body & spirit connection, you have come to the right place if you call Sharon Hartnett LMT at: 703 509-1792 in Columbus, Ohio. She has a rich background in Energy Healing through eight years of study and being a faculty member at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. She has had a practice in the field of Healing for 15 years, and uses her healing energy therapy along with psycho-spiritual skills to help awaken that precious spark that lies in each of us.
Testimonial:
Sharon has made a profound influence on my life. Words cannot begin to express the love and genuine support I experience when we work together. Sharon is so intuitive and her energy so present and authentic that she often senses my feelings before I do. I am forever grateful for Sharon’s commitment and willingness to help me find my own spiritual path in a kind and loving way. I have a true love and admiration for Sharon and her work. – Tracy D.
Looking for a Massage Therapist in Columbus, Ohio?
You have come to the right place if you are looking for an experienced massage therapist offering skills in therapeutic touch and healing. Call: 740 966-5153
Massage Therapist
Sharon Hartnett LMT ( licensed massage therapist ), CST (Cranialsacral Therapist) is a nationally licensed professional Massage Therapist with over 16 years of experience, who specializes in pain relief, posture re-alignment and mindful body awakening. What this mean for you is that she works holistically to bring you back to center and feeling better in your body.
When you come in for a session, the first 15 minutes is oriented toward intake and learning about your history and what brings you into the office. This is offered for free during the first massage session so that your needs and background can be expressed. No rushing within this timeframe. The quality of the sharing helps Sharon to set a basic format for the session, yet at the same time stay open to the moment for whatever needs to happen during the table work.
The three areas where Sharon focuses are the:
Fascial System
Craniosacral System
The Energy System
The fascia is key is helping to relieve physical pain. It is the material that holds all the contents in your body together. Without it, we would be a liquid puddle on the floor. That’s how important the fascia is to our wellbeing. By listening and following the fascial diaphragms and layers, it’s easy to hydrate and differentiate the tissues to allow the body to release and come back into natural balance. It also helps circulation, lymphatic flow, and basic body dialogue to enhance overall body functioning.
The Craniosacral Therapy is geared toward listening to the activity around the brain and the spinal cord. By following the cranium’s bones rhythmic motion of the cerebral spinal fluid, one can support the body, especially the nervous system, to balance and feel enlivened.
The body is full of energy movement. Whether it be the liquids, the nervous systems or connection between the organs. When there is a block, it feels disordered. By connecting and releasing the “energy cysts” one can restore vitality and flow. This can feel like pressure is relieved or that more space is available for the body to relax.
Sharon Hartnett has been a practicing massage therapist columbus. Her current locations are in Upper Arlington and Johnstown, Ohio.
If you would like more information, please call (740) 966-5153 for a free 15 minute phone consultation.
