How is Rosen Method different from basic massage?
What are the benefits of general awareness?
How is Rosen Method different from psychotherapy?
Can Rosen Method help chronic pain?
What is the format of a Rosen session?
Who attends Lecture-Demos, Introductory Weekends, Intensives, and the Weekly Classes?
What are the requirements for enrollment in a Rosen Method workshop?
How can I learn more about the Rosen Method?

How is Rosen Method different from basic massage?

Basic massage concentrates on doing something to the person physically. Rosen Method elicits something from the person through touch, like feelings or memories, a general awareness.

What are the benefits of general awareness?

We avoid showing ourselves by using our musculature to create protective barriers around our vulnerabilities. By becoming aware, we have the choice to lower these barriers or to continue to live behind them. Maintaining the barriers expends a lot of energy that could be used for your life's purpose, for something other than retaining muscle tension or an emotional position. Rosen Method bodywork begins with the individual and his or her own growth, but it doesn't stop there. The individual's growth leads to action, and those actions cause a ripple effect in the world; the possibilities are unending.

How is Rosen Method different from psychotherapy?

Rosen is similar to most psychotherapies in that it elicits unconscious materials. Rosen differs from psychotherapy in that it does not interpret or seek to change the person being treated. Rosen enables people to become aware of the emotional, physical and cognitive aspects of their unconscious material. The safety established by the practitioner's touch, words and presence permits healing from within. Thus Rosen Method is a powerful adjunct to verbal psychotherapy.

Can Rosen Method help chronic pain?

Most pain therapy treats the symptom rather than the cause. By relaxing painful, chronically-tight muscles, people become aware of the reasons behind their tension. This relaxation occurs in the interaction between the Rosen practitioner and the client: the way we touch, the way we ask questions or make statements. People get in touch with the emotional pain that is behind the physical pain, and often, with that awareness, the physical pain goes away.

What is the format of a Rosen session?

Rosen sessions last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. The individual lies covered on a massage table, having removed his/her outer clothing - leaving on undergarments - and is draped with a light blanket or sheet. No oil and/or face cradle is used. The focus of the session is on specific areas of tension - not on the entire body. Practitioners use gentle touch and supportive words to direct the individual's awareness to shifts in their muscle tension and breath patterns.

Who attends Lecture-Demos, Introductory Weekends, Intensives, and the Weekly Classes?

Rosen Method attracts a wide variety of health professionals, including massage therapists and bodyworkers, psychotherapists, chiropractors, nurses, physical therapists, teachers, artists, and others interested in exploring the body-mind connection. Lecture-demonstrations provide a beginning awareness of Rosen Method and are open to anyone who is curious. Introductory Workshops and Intensives offer the opportunity for more in-depth personal and professional growth to those interested in giving and receiving touch for healing. Many participants come to learn about combining healing touch with psychotherapy and to develop verbal skills for bodywork; and still others come to begin their training as Rosen Method practitioners and movement teachers.

What are the requirements for enrollment in a Rosen Method workshop?

There are none for Introductory and Anatomy Workshops. Come as you are. Come without expectations and let yourself be surprised. Requirements for first-time enrollment in an Intensive are listed under Training.

How can I learn more about the Rosen Method?

Most learning comes through experience. It is best to receive some treatments from a practitioner or to enroll in an introductory workshop. Many people begin the work for their own personal growth rather than wanting to become a practitioner.