Anxiety: A Bodyworker Approach

I have seen this client regularly, her and her husband actually. One visit, I started work on her back and she was unusually jumpy and sensitive. Usually, regular clients don’t react this way since their body is familiar with my touch.

“Is there something going on?” I questioned

Her husband, who I saw the day prior, received news that his cancer had returned. This explains why she was so sensitive to touch on her back.

Why would this cause her back to be sensitive?

Let’s look at this from a yin-yang theory. In Chinese medicine, there is a theory of the feminine (yin) and the masculine (yang) that complement and balance each other.

Yin is associated with nurturing, gentleness, vulnerability.

Yang is associated with guarding, strength, protection.

Parts of the body have an association with either yin or yang. In this case, the back is yang energy and the client’s guard is fortified to protect her from having a complete meltdown.

Changing my approach

Having learned this information, I remember something I learned from my training and from having my own bodywork: working on the extremities help draw the built-up energy out and away. I covered her back and moved to work on the back of her legs. This gave me a chance to draw that excess energy down and let her body know that it wasn’t in any danger. After I worked on her legs, I returned to work on her back which was non-reactive to my touch.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of trust to let someone, let alone a stranger, make physical contact. When working with high-anxiety clients, consider this approach to build that unspoken trust. You can even start the client facing up and begin the session with the upper extremities. The head and neck might be okay but the extremities will more likely be more effective. However you approach an anxious client, make sure you are grounded, set your intention, and lead with empathy.