I tried to go forward, injured
before trauma had processed
today I was taught by a girl
half my age, how to rest my mind
in my body. To stop running
and smelling every flower, to forget
every remembered pain.
And to stay in one safe cup
of existence, the safe cup
a plant provides its blossom.
I was battling, then shifted
into the safety of warm hands.
-Carla
Evaluation from supervisor at Womankind:
Isabel is a gifted practitioner. Her curiosity and enthusiasm are inspiring. She
shows up 100% for her clients and is thoughtful in considering her treatment
plans in between sessions. Isabel established a strong rapport with her clients
from the beginning of the internship, set reasonable treatment goals with
them, and helped them achieve those goals. She was not hesitant to try
different approaches, positions and techniques to adapt to her clients needs.
She understood when a client disclosure required potential supervisory
involvement. Both of Isabel’s clients showed up consistently to all six sessions,
which shows the strength in her relationship with them and their
commitment to self care.
"I first took [Isabel’s] movement and meditation classes and had a remote session over the phone, and both experiences were wildly transformative for me. I was dealing with several injuries at the time… and I felt immediate effects physically. [I] also felt effects emotionally… which coming at a time… with a lot of change… is still a helpful tool.
I would absolutely recommend this therapy to anyone who is dealing with physical injuries, [and] for anyone who has.. built up trauma- whether that’s from a physical… or emotional experience. I have felt that… emotional baggage has been released through this practice." - Audrey
"BCST, to me, is a deep listening and honoring of the body and its systems. The hour-long sessions are very supportive and non-invasive. They begin by lying down and settling on the back. Then a resource is identified as something that lets me know I am okay and that I can come back to at any time. Typically Isabel will mentally or physically bring her attention to my feet and get a feel for what is going on that day. After that, we deeply listen and follow the body's lead. What unfolds from there is different in each session. A sensation will come forward and gather our attention. We bring awareness to it and stay patient. There is not so much any "doing" in the session as "witnessing." My body will then take the time and space to digest or process what is coming up as it begins to reorganize and find alignment. All the while Isabel is there as a support and guide, sensing into what is happening, offering gentle touch or awareness, and remaining literally and figuratively by my side. Often I find a sense of great spaciousness, relief, and rest from each session.
I find BCST especially helpful for relieving muscle spasms, sciatica, headaches, tightness, and general funkiness. I couldn't recommend it enough especially these days where a lot of mental back and forth is going on. I find great value in BCST for its gentle and potent support of the inherent intelligence and pace of my body's own healing process."
-Larissa
"I did an emergency distance Cranio Sacral Session with Isabel after an immensely stressful event that had brought me to the ER with a migraine.
This one session with Isabel brought me back to health in no time and has stayed with me as an uplifting resource since then. Isabel’s sensitivity as reflected in the graceful assessment of my physical state at the time helped to shed a light on the causes of my bodily reactions. Her analytical understanding of the interplay between emotional, physical and institutional processes I think are remarkable and gave me access to a deeper understanding of my soma. After the assessment a 45 min session helped to realign and relax my body. During the session we uncovered resources that I have, and Isabel showed me how to access, so I can activate my body’s self healing capacities. The session felt very natural and comfortable to me. At the end had I not only released the tension but could also step into a sense of wellbeing and ease. Thank you Isabel for this experience and your empathic guidance!"
-F
“After a class with Isabel, I find that my body is more connected to itself. My balance improves, execution of any task becomes more efficient, cleaner, healthier feeling, and just better. I can lift heavier weights with better form. Playing guitar becomes cleaner and faster because I support my limbs with my spine and pelvis. I become better at multitasking. My mind is better able to manage physical tasks and more able to engage with metaphorical and physical instruction while still engaging the physical body.
While attending Isabel’s classes regularly I have experienced complete relaxation of chronic pain and injuries, and that relief lasted for a Long time.”
- D.C.
"The session was very gentle and uplifting, I felt very supported, seen, and heard by Isabel and the care she provided. That's not an experience that I get a lot from the healthcare field, which is why I really like the BCST approach because it feels way more personal, respectful, and less like a doctor/patient hierarchy. The most prominent thing – and, later, change – that occurred in the session was I was able to let go some very deeply stored emotional residue. I remember crying a lot during and after the session, and it felt like I was letting go of a lot of inner tension/turmoil I didn't realize I had been holding. That one session didn't provide any huge realizations, but it offered me a spiritual and emotional safe space that I didn't realize I needed so badly, especially when these last few months were so rough."
- Lars
“Isabel lays the foundations and the context for me to tune into… what’s true for my body, my mind, my heart. [Isabel] guides me to be able to access that inner wisdom… that [when] you can tap into… is a really powerful and healing thing.” -Guillaume
"Isabel creates an embracing space to work through physical and energetic discomforts. Her touch, perception, and presence exudes gentle affirmation. To this day, when I experience mental distress and disembodiment, I repeat to myself a phrases that she spoke to me during our first cranial sacral session, “Stay with the body.” And this is what she does. She helps move stagnant energy, increases the body’s natural intelligence to heal, and ushers in a state of ease so that one can return to the body a little bit more at peace than before."
-Natalie
"Sensing the body from inside out, feeling the support of the ground
align... connect foot to shoulder to hip to finger... I zoned in to a moving meditation guided by clear and evocative instructions from Isabel."
-Angela Morris
"I'm hopelessly out of touch with my body. Inflexible, uncoordinated and lacking grace. And I'm very self conscious about dancing or expressing myself physically. Isabel threw all of that out the window and got me out of my head and into my body. I moved in ways I'd never moved before and when I left the class I could feel my whole body humming."
-Ben Cohen