Chronic Pain

Combining medical intuitive skills with her scientifically based hands-on diagnostic ability grounded in Craniosacral therapy, Ingrid provides a unique whole-body approach to healing from chronic pain (neck or back pain, tinnitus, TMJ, headaches, etc.). No matter how localized pain may appear to be, it always involves disruption to the entire body, and this disruption must be addressed in order to have full healing. For example, knee pain of necessity triggers or is triggered by compensatory patterns in the hips, back, and/or feet. This fact explains why a purely localized treatment like knee surgery, while it might provide relief to the specific pain, often results over time in problems with other areas. Lasting freedom from pain requires repatterining the underlying disrupted field of the body, and conventional medical approaches, as good as they may be, often fail to do this. With clients she sees in person, once Ingrid has identified the underlying patterns causing pain, she uses gentle touch and energy rebalancing to repattern the body, and follows this with suggestions for body-awareness exercises and tools (based on the Alexander Technique, Yoga and Qigong) to be explored at home. When she works at a distance, via Zoom, she teaches clients how to address and change their patterns of movement and body-awareness by demonstrating specific techniques that release tension and foster an enhanced sense of ease.

Craniosacral Therapy is a powerful yet gentle manual therapy unique in its ability to both effectively diagnose and treat the underlying causes of pain and discomfort. Integrating extensive anatomical knowledge with subtle touch and energy modulation, craniosacral manipulation works primarily with the musculo-skeletal and neurological systems. It is a therapy of choice not only for all forms of back pain, but also for headaches, TMJ, tinnitus, hearing issues, visual imbalances, sinus problems and more. Through its ability to mobilize somatic blockages and stimulate organic processes, Craniosacral Therapy also operates as an excellent adjunct in the treatment of organ-based discomfort and disease.

Because illness and pain can have emotional roots, Craniosacral therapy can also provide crucial assistance in accessing and resolving unacknowledged needs and feelings that may contribute to discomfort.  This process, known as somato-emotional release, involves the spontaneous releasing of suppressed emotions or memories, a release which is generally profoundly liberating and can result in dramatic improvements in health and well-being.

The Alexander Technique is a movement therapy and educational process that helps clients both reduce pain, improve alignment and enhance overall performance as they learn how to become aware of and release subliminal tension. Widely used as a teaching tool for actors, musicians (e.g. at Julliard School of Music) and opera (e.g. at Metropolitan Opera), it is equally well known for its ability to help people suffering from pain to recognize and eliminate the bodily habits that underlie their pain, and the presence of which may inhibit their ability to heal fully through other therapies or forms of exercise.

Yoga exercises can act as a powerful tool for healing, particularly when they are selected and taught in a way that addresses specific imbalances involved in a client’s discomfort. Identifying which exercises can be most helpful, and how they should be performed, depends on the therapist’s overall skill in diagnosing the underlying source of discomfort, especially since the location of pain (e.g. in the knee or lower back) may be far removed from its actual cause (e.g. in hip or neck constriction). Ingrid integrates her decades-long practice of diagnosing the causes of pain with her knowledge as a Yoga practitioner and teacher, to identify the best exercises for clients to move forward in their healing.