Information for New Clients
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Sessions generally follow a consistent structure. When you arrive, we will check in about how you’re doing and what you’ve noticed since our last session. If you haven’t already, you will change into your Rolfing clothes, and we will do a short movement assessment. We will then have about an hour for bodywork on the table and seated, including hands-on touch and movement cues, with opportunities to stand, move, and take note of what’s happening. We will close with movement integration, if appropriate, and a short post-assessment to notice what’s changed and where we’ll go next.
For more on what to wear and what to expect, check out the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
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New Rolfing clients generally start with the Ten Series. This gives us the space to be thorough and systematic with our work and set you up with a new baseline experience in your body. Read more about the Ten Series here.
You are encouraged to begin by scheduling 1-3 sessions. This will allow us to assess whether Rolfing is a supportive fit and what might be possible for you at this time. A minimum of 3 sessions is generally recommended if there is a project you want to explore together.
Our aim with the Ten Series is to create lasting changes in your experience of your body. There’s no requirement to return for continued work. Some clients will return to go deeper in the form of a Post-10 three-, four- or five-session series, or for semi-regular tune-ups. These sessions are always adapted to your individual needs, at the time and pacing that works for you.
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Session Length
Sessions are 75-90 minutes. Sessions are designed according to your needs: most sessions are around 75 minutes, but we schedule for 90 to create space for integration and the unexpected, and we will use all 90 if needed. I encourage you to leave time for yourself after to transition slowly (go for a walk, sit, journal, whatever works for you) to support integration before your next activity.
Session Frequency
Rolfing sessions engage the body in a process that builds on itself over time. In order to build momentum, especially if you are in your initial Ten Series, it’s best to schedule every 1-3 weeks. If this is cost prohibitive, we will work together to find a session style, schedule, and payment plan that work for you. If needed, we can also schedule breaks into the series if you are planning a longer time away.
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Rolfing sessions are on a sliding scale of $130-$150-$170 (flat fee for 75-90 minutes).
Check (to Jen Wenz Somatics) and Venmo (@jwenz12) are the preferred forms of payment, due at the time of your session. Cash and PayPal will be accepted if need be.
A note on my sliding scale: The sliding scale above reflects an integration of what is sustainable for me as practitioner and my commitment to accessibility. I ask that you choose a rate that reflects your current financial capacity while allowing me to continue offering this service. Those who can afford to pay closer to the higher end of the scale help make lower rates possible for others who need them. Please choose what works for you, and feel free to adjust if you need to over time.
If this sliding scale is prohibitive to you, please contact me to inquire about reduced rate sessions. If available, we can work together to find a setup that is generative for both of us.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Clients wear a wide range of clothing for Rolfing sessions. Traditionally, the “Rolfing uniform” was underwear. These days, “new school” Rolfing-appropriate clothing can include exercise shorts, a swimsuit, underwear (briefs or boxer briefs), a tank top, and/or a bra. The most important thing is that you are comfortable walking around and moving on and off the table during the session. There is a changing room available and a bathroom down the hall.
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I intend to maintain a fragrance-free space in my practice to support accessibility.
Please refrain from wearing any lotions or scented body products to your session. This includes, for example, moisturizing lotions, sunblocks, body oils, perfumes, colognes, body sprays, strongly scented hair products, and other products with scents, including essential oils. Unfortunately, applying these products before your session will negatively impact my ability to work with you. There may be other clients coming after you who are allergic/sensitive to scents as well. Thank you for your attention and care towards this important issue.
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If you wake up feeling sick the morning of your appointment, please contact me by phone or text message to reschedule your session.
I am fully up-to-date on Covid vaccines and boosters. There is a HEPA air filter in the office space, and Thornes has updated all of their HVAC system with a top-of-the-line filtration system. I am happy to wear a KN95 mask for your safety; please let me know during your intake call if you would like me to mask during your sessions.
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There may be times when you need to miss an appointment. Please email or text me at least 24 hours prior to your appointment time to cancel or reschedule. If you cancel within 24 hours or no show, you will be charged your regular fee (what you last paid for a session) via Venmo or the credit card you enter with your appointment. Please note that if you are more than 20 minutes late to your session, you can choose to either pay in full for a shortened session or reschedule/no show and pay for the missed session at your regular rate.
Exceptions will only be made the in case of communicable illness that began within 24 hours of your session (especially respiratory, gastro-intestinal, or skin rash) or emergencies beyond your control. If you have an active respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness or skin rash in the days before your appointment, please reschedule at least 24 hours ahead. 48 hours is always preferred as it will allow me to fill your spot. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
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Rolfing originally got the reputation for being painful back in the 1960s-70s. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about the neuroscience of change and have adapted as a modality. Rolfing should not hurt. We will always work together to find the level of engagement that works for you. One of the things we will be practicing is how to distinguish between intensity, pain, and discomfort. Like any good learning, we want to keep your body engaged and interested, but not to a degree of danger or pain where you can no longer learn something new.
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No. There are many ways that Rolfing differs from massage. One key difference is that Rolfing is educational: we are teaching your body to access new options and possibilities for movement, sitting, standing, and being. Another is that Rolfers work holistically, observing how patterns express through the whole body, and then working specifically through the fascia to reorganize those patterns. Sessions are collaborative and engaging, meaning that you will be asked to pay attention to what you are experiencing, whether it’s a certain kind of touch or a movement cue. As it’s often said, “instead of tuning out, let’s tune in.”
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Some clients find that creating extra space in their lives for integration and reflection upon their experiences is supportive. This can look like time for journaling; taking a walk; resting; taking an epsom salt bath; hydrating; eating foods you know support you; and connecting to the people, activities, and places that resource you. If you enjoy exercise, doing so during your Rolfing series can be beneficial, especially if you can take the opportunity to notice any new possibilities in your coordination and movement. Generally it is best to wait until about 24-48 hours after a session before pushing your limits with an exercise or training regimen. If you are interested in receiving Rolfing during in-season competition, let’s discuss further so we can schedule your sessions appropriately.
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Rolfing Structural Integration was developed by Ida P. Rolf, PhD in the mid-20th century. Dr. Rolf received her PhD in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920s, where she studied fascia, the dense, fibrous connective tissue that supports our whole structure and surrounds and interpenetrates bone, nerves, blood vessels, muscles and groups of muscles. Seeking solutions for her health problems and those of her family members through study with chiropractors, osteopaths, homeopaths, and yogis, she came to understand that functional alignment, physiologic function, and anatomical structural are related. Building on this, she turned her attention to how the repetitive motions of our everyday lives, lived under the pressure of gravity, can put undue strain on our fascia, causing it to shorten, thicken, and tighten — and thereby restrict movement. She asked, “What conditions must be fulfilled in order for the human body-structure to be organized and integrated in gravity so that the whole person can function in the most optimal and economical way?" From here, she began to develop her method — what she called “Structural Integration” — in which, through soft tissue manipulation and movement education, the fascia can be restored to support a lasting improvement in alignment and overall sense of well-being. Dr. Rolf continues to be recognized as a pioneer and leader in soft tissue manipulation and movement education.
Since her death in 1979 at the age of 83, the Rolf Institute© of Structural Integration in Boulder, CO, has continued to share her work by certifying Rolfers© and Rolf Movement Practitioners, supporting research, and building upon her inspiration. Today, there are more than 1,950 Rolfers and Rolf Movement Practitioners worldwide.
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Ready to Get Started?
Reach out for a free 15-min consult call to see if the work is a good fit for you.
“Rolfing does not ‘cure’ symptoms. The goal of Rolfing is a more resilient, higher-energy system. The organism is then better able to defend itself against illness and overcome stress, and the greater energy does its own beneficial work in healing and relaxing. Rolfing does not achieve perfection; it begins the process. Its goal is to establish balance in gravity. The ten-hour cycle is a first step in that direction. Rolfing is an ongoing process that continues long after the work has been completed. Bodies have natural liking for uprightness, comfort, and ease. Insofar as they can experience it, they try to live in a place of balance. In this place, the energy of gravity can flow with (not counter to) the energy of the individual.”
Dr. Ida P. Rolf