Finding Wholeness: Ways that Psychotherapy and Massage Compliment Each Other

A guest Blog Post from Gabrielle Morse

As a psychotherapist, a lot of my work focuses on the mind-body connection. The gut, brain, and hormonal system are connected and constantly communicating. What happens emotionally also happens physiologically. I often encourage clients to address not just their mental well-being, but their physical state as well. Because of this powerful connection, a holistic approach to wellness goes a long way. 

Incorporating both psychotherapy and massage into your routine can be a game-changer for your wellness. Here's how they compliment each other:

1. Addressing Stress: If you are living a busy lifestyle, it’s possible that your nervous system is often on high alert. This is associated with stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which make it hard to shift gears when you need to wind down. Consequently, it becomes difficult to manage transitions such as relaxing, sleeping, or being socially present.

Psychotherapy deals with our emotional responses to challenges, the root causes of our distress, and concrete tools for responding to emotions effectively. Massage, on the other hand, helps relax the muscles and release tension, promoting a state of calm and reducing the physical manifestations of stress.

2. Body Awareness: Massage therapy can heighten your body awareness by making you more attuned to the sensations and tensions in your body. During a massage, the therapist's hands work to release knots and areas of tightness, which can bring attention to parts of your body that you might have been ignoring or unaware of. This process encourages you to notice how different areas of your body feel when they are tense versus when they are relaxed. This can be incredibly helpful for psychotherapy, as you can learn to recognize physical sensations linked to emotional states. A lot of distress comes from being disconnected from ourselves, so this awareness is an important tool for regulating your emotions more effectively.
3. Mindfulness: One important part of psychotherapy is mindfulness - awareness and acceptance of the present moment. This allows us to cope with difficult emotions effectively and helps to prevent ourselves from getting stuck in difficult feelings. Massage therapy promotes mindfulness by encouraging you to focus on the present sensations in your body, enhancing your ability to stay grounded and present.
4. A Better Relationship with Yourself: The self is evolving and ever changing. Every little action is shaping how you see and feel about yourself - which is quite an empowering concept. We can improve our relationships with ourselves through tiny behaviors that have to do with nourishing our minds and bodies. Both psychotherapy and massage help you learn to spend time with yourself - not plugged in or distracted. They allow time to sit with your feelings, time to be in your body, and time to simply exist. 

Similar to how you go to the doctor for your check ups, psychotherapy and massage are both preventative and nourishing practices to integrate in your wellness routine.