About Lisa 

Education and Experience 

I have a diverse educational background, merging philosophy, the arts, and science. A writer, poet, and intuit, I have acquired my Bachelor’s in Writing and Philosophy from NYU, completed my training in massage therapy from a group of progressive nuns in a convent in Philadelphia, as well as my training in Structural Integration (Rolfing) at the Rolf Institute in Colorado. I began my structural bodywork practice in a Psychologists office. My clients ranged from teenagers to the elderly, and I have experience with abuse cases, tourette syndrome, fibromyalgia, clients who experience hallucinations, and much more. Many of my clients were without serious afflictions and pasts, but desired to find balance in their lives. 

After establishing myself, I went on to acquire my Masters in Biomechanics and Ergonomics at NYU. Biomechanics is the study of the human tissues and joints, while Ergonomics looks at the interaction of humans and their work environment. Bringing all the facets of my education and experience together, I have developed this system to help others find long-lasting balance in their lives. My life has been an endless self-exploration of my physical body, its relationship with my immediate environment, and its effects on my mind and spirit. No stranger to disease and injury, my perseverance and insatiable thirst for knowledge led me to find peace in a body that had often felt alien to me. An old soul, many would say, I am empathetic to the pains and challenges of life, and seek to provide a new perspective to my clients, a path out of the ruts we often get ourselves into.

Why I developed my approach 

The Body Disconnect and the Quick Fix: I have seen all sides of injury and pain. I have been assisted and seen others assisted by both the progress of the medical field, as well as the benefits of a more holistic approach, two models that can interact harmoniously. I have seen the man behind the curtain during research and the beauty of the progressiveness of research studies. I have learned from alternative healers and done rounds with orthopedic surgeons. Regardless of which model’s glasses I peered through, throughout these experiences, I have seen how disconnected the majority of us have become with our bodies, seeking others to fix us and fix us quickly. However, those who seek quick fixes and do not enter a relationship with the healing body are setting themselves up for failure, maybe not immediately, maybe down the road, but the patterns and habits that hurt them before will return.

My role in the process

I see myself as a facilitator to the healing process. Change requires fluctuation away from that which is known. We must in the flux find a new sense of balance. Anyone who has tried to stand on one leg with their eyes closed, or perhaps juggled a child and a career, knows that finding balance is not always easy. Change towards balance is hard work. In this erratic and high paced world, life seems to deplete our energy. In fact, most of us give it away, leaving little for our own sustainability and growth. I inspire people to accept responsibility for their health, their bodies, and their lives. I challenge them to gain experiential insight into themselves, such as how they deal with difficult situations and stress, or perform habitually and unconsciously their daily activities. I am neither a miraculous healer nor an inventor of something new. I am the catalyst for my clients to find value in experience, which is more valuable than the aesthetic ideal of body symmetry or any socially imposed norms of the ideal.

Acknowledgements

As the innovator of this approach, I have not designed a new method, but have brought diverse methods together, in a comprehensive and systematic way, to integrate with and complement each other. This approach is the porthole to long-lasting life changes. 

I acknowledge and honor the pioneer and creator of SI work, Ida Rolf, the innumerable philosophers, both new and old, that have guided the evolution of my thoughts, the scientists who have tested theories and sought truth through measurable means, and the poets and writers who have amplified and communicated the emotional nuances of humanity, the suffering and triumphs of man, and the universality of experience; and of course, all my wonderful teachers, whose own experiences brought life and understanding to what only theory could never communicate by its lonesome.