Straight Talk
This page is dedicated to exactly as the title says “Straight Talk” about your healing process. I have compiled a few of the most common questions and scenarios that I have encountered over the years during my Bowen practice. My goal is to provide you a clearer picture of the healing process, what works, and what doesn’t and how you can assist in your healing journey.
I would like to book a session just to check it out.
Ok, I completely understand the thought behind this very common statement. Most of us, when encountering something new aren’t ready to dive in without checking the water first. However, it is hard to make a proper assessment of any therapy from just one session. If you are one of these people I would ask you to think about “why only one session?” Do you want to see if you like the practitioner? That makes sense as you will get the best benefit of any therapy if you resonate with the health care provider. Even in conventional medicine, patients will have better compliance with physician’s instructions if they like their doctor.
Are you expecting dramatic results from the very first session? Are you jumping from therapy to therapy without giving each an honest effort? With Bowen Therapy, I recommend trying 3 sessions before you fully decide if it’s the therapy for you. It is a low commitment both in time and finances and you will give the therapy the benefit of the doubt.
Scenario 1 – client discontinued therapy claiming it didn’t work for them.
While this can happen with any therapy, consider this scenario. Client is a 24 yr old female with scoliosis (was not born with it, it developed around age 8). After about 3 sessions client saw 50% reduction in pain. I think most people would have to agree that a 50% reduction in pain in 3 sessions is pretty darn good! Client refused to discontinue wearing platform style footwear and to take breaks during long periods of sitting. This client decided that 50% in pain reduction wasn’t good enough because they wanted zero pain. From a practitioner point of view, sometimes (many) the client needs to meet the practitioner halfway. Clearly the treatment provided great benefit but without some lifestyle changes the client wasn’t going to receive the best chances of recovery.
The message here is that you as the client need to take some responsibility in your healing journey. If you feel that the therapy you are using isn’t providing the results you anticipated, make sure you have done your part before you move on to a different therapy. Meet your practitioner part way to get the best possible benefit.
I hurt my ankle (knee, back, etc); can you tell me what’s wrong with it?
This is a very common question, especially because I work with sports injuries. Unless a Bowen Therapist also has another designation that allows for diagnosis we do not diagnose injuries or conditions. We treat symptoms post diagnosis. Most of the time people who have had sports injuries have already had the diagnosis and therapy and an unresolved issue. In acute situations Bowen works very well (hamstring pulls, sore knees, rolled ankles, shoulder impingements etc) but it is not a replacement for a proper diagnosis. As Bowen Therapists we follow the presentation of pain and symptoms. I would LOVE to diagnose your injury, really I would, but even if I did know based on the symptomology it is out of my scope of practice to give any official diagnosis. It’s on my professional bucket list!
More to come!
