Psychologically-Informed Massage
cultivating safety, relaxation & healing through massage
Have questions or want to learn more in person? Contact me at hello@owlfinchtherapies.com to arrange a quick call, or book your first 90-minute appointment here.
This treatment is provided by Phaedra Owlfinch. Learn more about me here.
A Psychologically-Informed Massage is essentially a holistic massage that utilises psychological principles to tailor the treatment to your body and your mind. The techniques I use can be Swedish, deep tissue, wholly intuitive and more, and together we can customise a treatment that makes you feel more relaxed than you've ever been before. It’s particularly well suited to long-term goals such as stress reduction or pain relief, as I use outcome measures to make sure we’re making progress and working on what feels right to you!
Practically, I can utilise a combination of massage with mindfulness, somatic, polyvagal and other therapeutic techniques meant to reintegrate the mind and body and to bring forth rest, relaxation, joy and release from anxiety, pain, and numbness.
Our first session will be 90 minutes long, and subsequent ones will last 75 minutes. We always start with a crucial and free flowing discussion to clarify your needs and determine the treatment goals for this session and longer-term. These goals can be as simple as relaxation and self-care, or more complex like relief from chronic physical or emotional pain. The treatment then takes place on a massage table or a chair, followed by a debrief and check in about the experience, and potentially exercises to take home, and thoughts for the following session.
Interested? Contact me at hello@owlfinchtherapies.com to arrange a quick call, or book your first 90-minute appointment here.
What you can expect from this treatment
A lovely massage combined with open communication about what works for you, experimentation with evidence-based techniques for relaxation and pain relief, playful curiosity and collaboration! While I can’t promise that we’ll solve the problems you bring to the table (I wouldn’t trust any therapist who promises that, personally!) you’ll have my full commitment in learning and developing with you.
My aims with this treatment
Less pain, more joy, more rest.
I want to help you achieve reduced pain and stress, but also develop and enhance your trust in yourself, when it comes to knowing what’s best for your body.
I’m hoping to share with you skills that prolong the effects of a relaxing massage even when going about your day, and a proactive attitude to taking care of yourself.
What I’ll use to achieve that
I have many tools in my toolkit that I’m excited to explore with you. I have years of training and experience in professional massage therapy, and also counselling skills and psychotherapy. I will use evidence-based practice such as co-regulation, attuned touch, breathwork, creative visualisation and more to find the combination that works best for you and helps you delve deeply into healing restoration.