what is structural alignment therapy?

Structural Alignment Therapy is a form of manual therapy that provides specific, hands-on treatment to the connective tissue (which envelopes every muscle, tendon, ligament, joint, nerve, organ and bone) to treat restricted movement patterns and chronic pain caused by injury or repetitive stress. It incorporates a combination of direct manual therapy with client education to encourage clients to regain a more active, comfortable and pain-free lifestyle. 

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what's a session like?

Sessions are 75 minutes long. During your first session we will spend 15 minutes going over your health history and goals for our work together. After we've had some time to chat, I will assess your alignment and movement patterns in standing and walking (this is done at the end of the session as well). This helps me to see where your compensatory patterns are in your body thus, where we will focus on achieving more space and balance.

For most of the session you will be laying on the table as I work with you, applying a variety of pressure and asking you to contribute at times with small movements. The treatment ranges from very light pressure (nerve manipulation) to deep and intense (scar tissue and adhesions). It should never be painful, i.e. your body is resisting my input.

Typical attire for men and women can be regular underwear or loose fitting gym/yoga wear. Access to skin is great but your level of comfort is more important. 

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how often do i go?

This approach is most effective in the context of a series of sessions. The results of the sessions are cumulative and this allows us to more fully address your body's restrictive posture and movement patterns so that you can feel more comfortable in your body and stay that way.

Traditionally, a 12- session series that addresses the entire body. In this treatment plan, the sessions aim to systematically realign the body's "blocks" from the ground up (feet, knees, pelvis, spine, arms, shoulders, neck, occiput) in order to relieve strain from accidents, injuries, overuse and/or misuse. When these body-blocks are realigned, the joints articulate congruently, the muscles around the joints are balanced in tone and begin to work more effectively - this allows for new possibilities in movement and function. 

Most people space their sessions one to two weeks apart. Some people space their sessions out as far apart as a month however, there is the possibility that spacing them that far apart will result in a loss of momentum. For those eager for immediate change, 2-3 sessions per week for 4-6 weeks will challenge old patterns while not over-taxing the nervous or hormonal systems. 

Whether you decide to do the full series or just a few, healthier alignment tends to relieve most painful symptoms and results in an increase in energy and vitality; the body will only be doing as much work as it needs, no longer unnecessarily recruiting muscles to maintain faulty posture and patterns of compensation. 

After the initial series of sessions (whether 12, or fewer), people do "tune up" sessions at whatever interval they deem necessary. Some continue to come bi-monthly, while others choose to get a "tune up" at the change of seasons.

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Josh's approach

Josh's practice is based on over1600-hours of technically trained touch and as first year medical center student.

Melding myofascial release, joint manipulation, corrective exercises and neuropsychology - he has a unique ability to weave together the technical and the subtle, awakening awareness and grounding it in felt sense. 
Josh has worked with clients from ages of 8 to 93. Athletes, desk workers, adventurers, musicians, meditators and trades -men and -women have gone through series work with him. He most enjoys working in conjunction with other health care professionals to fine-tune the treatment of the client. Structural Alignment Therapy supports the goals of chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, pilates and yoga.

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we're all connected

Just as a river tells the story of the effect that the weather had on the land, so too does the body tell the story of our environment. Our social, psychological and biological experiences have a massive effect on our posture and movement patterns. Since your personal story plays such a key role, it is of paramount importance that you view our work together as a participatory experience rather then me "fixing" you. One of our goals together will be to be curious about the sources of your discomfort so as to better understand why the pain or inhibited movement pattern is present. Josh's main objective is to educate each individual client to find a relationship with their body - in a new way - by having a different, kinesthetic experience. ​​

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what structural alignment is not​​​​​​

​​​​​​Structural Alignment Therapy is not a quick fix. One of the distinguishing features of this work is that it is designed as a series of sessions, systematically and methodically working through the whole body to provide lasting change and integration. This effects the individual on the physical, psychological, energetic and psychological realm. It is a methodical process to release, re-align and re-educate the body and nervous system over time.