ERT FAQs

1. Come As You Are — And Rest Well

This work welcomes you exactly where you are. That said, arriving well-rested can support your body’s ability to stay present and regulate. If possible, give yourself some quiet time the night before and the day of your session.

2. Limit Stimulants + Disruptive Input

In the 12–24 hours leading up to your session, consider:

• Avoiding alcohol or recreational drugs (unless prescribed for a medical condition).

• Limiting violent, disturbing, or overstimulating media (TV, podcasts, social media).

• Reducing caffeine or sugar (stimulants) if you’re sensitive to those.

Your nervous system is preparing for deep attunement—giving it space helps the work land more fully.

3. Eat Lightly + Hydrate

Come nourished, but avoid heavy meals right before your session.

4. Set a Gentle Intention

There’s no need to "figure anything out." Instead, simply notice:

• What feels alive in me right now?

• What might be asking to be felt, expressed, or heard?

Each Emotional Release Therapy session begins with a short check-in to ground and set intentions, followed by the hands-on bodywork portion. During this time, I’ll guide you through breath, sensation, and emotional processing as I work with specific points on the body where emotions/trauma may be held.

Some people feel emotional releases (tears, shaking, laughter), others feel physical shifts (heat, tingling, or release of pressure), and some feel subtle changes over time. Every body is different, and every session is unique.

We will close with time for integration and reflection, allowing your body and nervous system to settle.

Clothing: You’ll be invited to remove certain articles of clothing depending on the areas being worked on, to allow for intentional skin-to-skin contact. You will be covered appropriately at all times, and your privacy and comfort will be deeply respected. You are always in control and can communicate what feels right for you.

Physical Sensations & Pain:
ERT works with the fascia and emotional holding patterns in the body, which means you may experience pressure, tenderness, or intensity at certain points. The goal isn’t to cause pain, but sometimes discomfort arises—especially in areas where the body is holding emotional residue or chronic tension. You are always in control, and your voice, boundaries, and consent are honored every step of the way.

This is a safe space to meet yourself as you are—and to listen deeply to what your body is ready to let go of.

Check out @openingshift or @jackman.pat on instagram for a sense of what the work can look like. 

Releases, also called ‘shifts’, can look like all sorts of things, including, but not limited to, crying, laughing, sweating, shaking, anger, or nothing outwardly visible at all... you name it - none of it is off limits. The premise is that having full permission to feel and express whatever you’ve been holding frees you of the burden of it and you can often physically feel the difference in your body. Being fully witnessed in your process is important too. Our bodies are extraordinarily wise, and when we trust their process (however weird or outlandish), we begin to access the deeper truths, emotions, and healing that words alone can’t reach.

I’d love to say it’s a one and done, but the truth is that our work is continuous. And it is subject to change. We're layered - like onions. And life continues to happen, so we are continually triggered. That said, what it feels like to have your points opened can shift dramatically session to session. And what you feel like in your body can do the same. It's not a requirement to do this work on an ongoing basis. There is very real potential for dramatic and lasting changes from very few sessions. That being said- you can come in to “work” on something but something entirely different may arise.

It’s not supposed to hurt, but it can, especially in the very beginning. Our cells hold memories and store emotions that we either did not have the skills to navigate, or the environment to feel safe to do so. The longer and tighter you’ve had to hold something, the more likely it is to hurt when being opened. Generally, the more of this work you do, the less it may hurt to open these ‘doors’.  

Not at all. ERT is for anyone who wants to release emotional blocks, reconnect with their body, and deepen self-awareness. While it can be profoundly helpful for trauma, stress, or emotional pain, it’s also beneficial for personal growth, self-care, and cultivating a deeper connection to your inner wisdom.

Do you want it to? I believe this work can support anyone—but it may not be the right path for everyone. There are many ways to heal; this is simply one, and it’s the one I’ve found to be both quick and effective after trying many other approaches myself.

The more willingness and vulnerability you bring, the deeper the impact. Anyone can simply lie on the table and ‘take it,’ but that’s not the point. When you give yourself full permission to feel and express, this work has the potential to open powerful change.

In my experience, the success of ERT often matches the level of someone’s readiness—how truly fed up they are with their current patterns or reality. You’ll usually know within one or two sessions whether this work feels like a match for you.

It can feel scary to step into something so deep and unfamiliar — and that’s completely normal. Your fear is welcome here. My role is to walk alongside you, creating a safe and supportive space as you move at your own pace.

It’s completely natural for fear to arise when stepping into somatic and emotional release work. Fear often shows up when we move toward something new, vulnerable, or deeply healing—it’s a sign that part of you is protecting itself. And yes, it can feel scary! I can vouch for that 100%. You’re choosing to enter the deepest parts of yourself, sometimes touching the most painful places—and that takes incredible courage. In our sessions, there’s no need to push past the fear. Instead, we welcome it, honor it, and move at a pace that feels safe for you. Many people find that once fear is acknowledged and embraced, it begins to soften, and they feel more open to the healing that’s waiting for them.

Absolutely. Even those who spend their lives supporting others carry emotional and energetic burdens. ERT and bodywork provide a safe, embodied space to process and release what you hold, helping you reconnect with your own vitality, clarity, and inner guidance. Many practitioners find that doing this work deepens their capacity to show up fully for others while caring for themselves.

No, ERT is not a massage. While it does take place on a massage table, the work is not passive—it isn’t something done to you. Instead, it’s a deeply participatory process that invites you to engage with your body and emotions. My role is to open the doors, hold the ground, and witness you fully. Your role is to choose how deeply you want to explore, how vulnerable you’re ready to be, and how much you allow your body’s wisdom to guide you.

This work always moves at your pace. I believe the body will not bring forward anything you’re not ready for. And most importantly, you are in charge—if at any point you feel uncomfortable, you can say the word, and we will stop.

No. While the word “therapy” appears in the name, ERT and body-based sessions are not provided under my LPC license. These sessions do not involve diagnosis, treatment planning, or mental health counseling—they are experiential and somatic in nature, supporting personal growth, self-discovery, and emotional release.

No. ERT and bodywork are not a replacement for mental health treatment. If you are receiving mental health care, this work can complement it, but it is a separate, experiential modality focused on emotional release and somatic healing.