Trauma Informed Approach

Mellifera Bodywork was created with the desire to offer bodywork that feels safe, accessible, and comfortable. Whether you are new to massage and are nervous of not knowing what to expect, have had a massage experience that felt unsafe or that your weren’t given the support to speak up for yourself and your needs, you haven’t considered bodywork before as it seemed too vulnerable or for any other reason this approach to massage may be helpful to you. The philosophy of a Trauma Informed massage approach is built on consent and that the you knows what is best for you (your health, mind, and body) or that you have options and support to figure out what that is. The massage therapist brings their bodywork knowledge and works with you to create a massage session specific to you. Receiving touch can be very vulnerable and it’s important that you feel safe and comfortable. Massage should be an aid to you, a reliable support, and a space available for you to take time for yourself. You are deserving bodywork and the support it can provide.

Together we can shape a session that is supportive and adaptable to you. I am here to be patient with and an advocate for your needs. If you are interested in a massage but are wanting to chat about how it could look to fit your needs please reach out to melliferabodywork@gmail.com or on your intake form please let me know this is something you are interested in.

Some ways we can shape your massage session (these are available options to any massage*):

• You can have extra time allotted for you to orient yourself with the massage space

• We can discuss as much as you want about the massage before and throughout the session

  • That can look like a complete plan for the massage so nothing feels unexpected or during the massage you can be informed of what the next step of the massage will be

• You can undress to your comfort level (though the types of massage offered here are designed around working with access to skin some of these types of massage can be modified to work over clothes)

• We can discuss clear language that can be used so that you are able to express your needs or to use clear nonverbal signals

• You will be asked throughout the session how the pressure is and adjusted but also if its known that more pressure or a lighter pressure will help you feel safe we can start with that from the beginning

• The massage can be adaptable to any changing needs at any moment

• You can bring your own music or blanket/ weighted blanket (whatever you need to feel comfortable)

• The massage can be stopped or paused at any point in the session

• Other ideas you may have for how you can be supported

  *I am not a trained psychotherapist but have taken classes on and read up on Trauma Informed Approaches and how to integrate it into a massage session. Though these are all ideas to consider, together we can shape the session to work best for you.