Rosen Method Massage
A Gentle Touch

Rosen method massage is a gentle form of body work that helps you overcome suppressed emotions and pain through the therapist's intentional touch. The belief that chronic pain comes from holding in emotion is one of the core principles behind this therapy.

Rosen method was created by Marion Rosen, a physical therapist and health educator. Rosen studied breath and relaxation in Munich, Germany in the 1930s. She studied with Lucy Heyer and the two did bodywork on patients prior to receiving psychotherapy. They found that patients released trapped emotions more easily if they receive bodywork before therapy.

Rosen was forced to flee Germany in the 1940s because she was Jewish. She moved to California where she started her own private physical therapy clinic. She continued to be fascinated by the connection between the physical and emotional. She found in her practice that if a client talked about their lives and emotions during therapy, they recovered more quickly and were less likely to return to the clinic because they had injured the same area again.

In the 70s, she started drawing on her earlier training in relaxation and breath work. She taught the therapy to others and it gained popularity quickly. Eventually, she started her own institute to teach her Rosen Method massage.

Rosen method bodywork is a somatic therapy. It is very gentle and requires the therapist to be completely present and aware during therapy. The therapist places gentle, listening hand on you. They don't manipulate tissue, but instead focus on monitoring breath and encouraging tissue releases and emotional releases. The therapist is trained to notice even the smallest changes in the body and breath.

This therapy is good for people who experience: