Which massage you should choose depends on your goal.: sink into relaxation, addressing a complaint, or change a pattern.
I primarily use deep tissue in massage therapy and Rolfing SI sessions. See also my background article on deep tissue and the myths.
Book a Relaxation Massage as:
- You primarily want your nervous system to calm down and your body as a whole to relax..
- You do not expect one problem area to be central for the majority of the session..
- You want a full-body massage (professional, non-erotic) with pace and pressure tailored to your preferences.
- For example: with stress, burnout symptoms, or getting inside your body.
Book Massage Therapy as:
- You have acute pain (short-term) or recurring symptoms (long-term).
- You want a targeted approach, including a simple plan.
- You prefer focusing on specific areas rather than full-body.
- For example: for lower back pain, a (chronic) stiff neck or shoulders, painful feet or knees, and focusing almost exclusively on those complaints..
Book Rolfing Structural Integration as:
- You are willing to examine your posture, movement, and habits.
- Pain (chronic or recurring) may be present, but you want to work on posture and organization..
- You are looking for lasting change, not a one-off fix.
Are you still unsure??
- Do you want full-body relaxation? Choose a Relaxation Massage..
- Does one complaint clearly dominate? Choose Massage Therapy.
- Do symptoms keep recurring or shift? Choose Rolfing for long-term improvement or Massage Therapy for targeted results..
Clarity in advance:
- By appointment only, no walk-ins.
- Book at least 6 p.m. in advance. Cancel until 24 hours in advance (emergencies per situation).
- Booked time is longer than the hands-on time (intake, changing clothes, integration).
Deeper: what is the difference that really matters?
Choose based on your primary goal: sink into relaxation, addressing a complaint, or change a pattern.
1) Relaxation massage (full-body, nervous system focused)
Many people are overburdened and under-touched. Relaxation massage is safe, intentional touch that gives your system time to soften..
- Goal: sink, integrate, back to “a foundation of calm.
- How: slower and holistic; responsive to what your body indicates.
- Not: a spa routine or “performance”; it is tailored bodywork.
- Limit: due to time constraints, no long-term, intensely targeted treatment of a single area.
Do you want clear and long-lasting focus on one area of complaint? Choose Massage Therapy.
Massage therapy (complaint- or theme-oriented)
When strain (stress, sitting, work, training, sleep) builds up, stiffness and discomfort emerge. Massage therapy is for when symptoms recur, or when there is one clear complaint to address..
- Goal: reduce symptoms, improve function, support recovery, clarify drivers.
- How: targeted tissue work + body awareness + simple adjustments in load/recovery.
- System lens: Symptoms are often a consequence; we look for the cause or the pattern, not just the “loudest spot” of the pain..
- Typical fit: acute pain; long-term recurring complaints; desk/stress patterns.
Not a substitute for medical diagnosis. Not a diagnosis or treatment of disease..
3) Rolfing Structural Integration (attitude + habit patterns)
Structural work is for people who want to explore how posture, breath, feet/pelvis/ribs, and habits determine how the body feels. Pain may improve, but the primary goal is the pattern..
- Goal: change how the system organizes itself over time (movement, posture, load pathways).
- How: progressive sessions; hands-on work combined with attention and movement experiments.
- Best for: curiosity + commitment; attitudinal goals; recurring, shifting complaints.
- Status: I currently conduct Structural Integration sessions. From late 2026, I expect to be a Rolfing practitioner and be formally authorized to conduct Rolfing Structural Integration sessions..
Contraindications (when to postpone or adjust)
- Recent injury (especially with acute inflammation) or recent surgery: session may be postponed or adjusted.
- Fever, infection, contagious disease: postpone.
- Unexplained progressive neurological complaints, severe nocturnal pain, loss of strength, or concerning new symptoms: medical assessment first..
- Always share relevant medical context in advance; pressure and approach are tailored accordingly..
This is wellness/functional bodywork, not medical diagnosis or treatment of disease..