FAQ
Are you making in-person appointments?
Where is your office?
My office is located in the Baxter Building, at the following address:
NeuroBodyWorks2301 NW Thurman StreetSuite DPortland, OR 97210
(Fair warning; My building is next door to the French bakery St. Honore.)
That's a busy neighborhood, where do I park?
Luckily, the Baxter Building has a parking lot!
During your session, park in any spot labeled “Baxter Visitor.”
What are your hours?
9:30am – 4:30pm, Tuesday through Friday.
How do I schedule?
Do you give homework?
The short answer is yes!
The longer answer is that I try to find just the right homework for each person. And the right homework is the one that feels easy to accomplish. For some people that’s movement exercises, for others that’s an article to read.
I write extensive notes after each session and give you access to them. Re-reading the notes is a great way to remember the session and re-create the benefits you felt.
As you progress and improve, the homework becomes more extensive. And always, the best place to practice what you’ve learned in the session is out in your life. Being more aware of what you feel and notice in your life is the best homework.
How often do I have to come?
My intent is to help you reach your goals as quickly as possible, and set you up to keep yourself feeling good for the long term.
That usually means coming in more often in the beginning and then putting more space between sessions as you progress. It’s like learning a foreign language, frequency at the beginning builds fluency.
It depends on your goals and the how the process goes for you, and we will assess how it’s going along the way. But a typical schedule is once a week for a few months and then increasing space between sessions. I might recommend an intensive series of multiple sessions within a week in order to go deeper and faster towards a specific goal. And I might recommend an online session to prepare you for putting more space between sessions and set you up to do more of the work at home.
As your fluency with the process develops and you’re doing more on your own you’ll know when it’s time to come back in for a tune-up.
Do you take insurance?
I am considered an out-of-network provider, which means payment is due at the time of service. Your credit card is held on file and will be billed after each appointment. I will provide you with a Superbill, which is a fancy word for a receipt with all the necessary codes your insurance company will need when requesting reimbursement.
If you are interested in reimbursement, I suggest you call your insurance company to determine whether out-of-network massage therapy is covered. Here are some questions to ask when you call:
Do I have out-of-network benefits for massage therapy?
What percentage of my bill will be reimbursed for services from an out-of-network provider?
What is my deductible and has it been met?
How do I get reimbursed?
What’s your cancellation policy?
I don’t want to miss my appointment. May I come in even if I’m sick?
Due to this work’s proximity, we’ll need to reschedule your appointment if you’re sick.
You focus on getting better, and I’ll see you then.
Do the changes last?
How does this process differ from other therapies?
Most methods start by trying to “fix” the painful area. That sounds good, right?
But the brain works differently, when one part is in pain, it’s not the place that’s most available for changing and trying new things.
Don’t be surprised if you come in with your shoulder hurting, and I start working with your hips. Or vice versa. We will get to the more painful area, but instead of trying to fix it straight away, we’ll improve the relationship between all the parts.
What are Feldenkrais and ABM?
Feldenkrais is the method developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais to improve movement by improving the brain’s coordination.
He understood that the brain could change long before the popularization of the concept of brain plasticity. Today, scientific research validates his understanding from the 1940s of the brain as a dynamic, self-organizing system.
The Feldenkrais Guild is the national organization that inherited his name and method. A great place to learn more about Dr. Feldenkrais is here.
Anat Baniel was a student and colleague of Dr. Feldenkrais, and the Anat Baniel Method (ABM) is her evolution of Dr. Feldenkrais’s work. You can find more here.
What should I do to make this successful?
Yay! If you’ve here, you’re serious about improving.
To make this successful, you’ll want to prioritize the process.
Each session is gentle in terms of muscular effort – but potent in terms of brain learning. After the session, it’s helpful to create space before jumping to the next activity.
This approach can feel very different than anything you’ve tried. I recommend temporarily dialing down the intensity of your other activities so that we can increase your sensitivity and awareness with the goal of getting back to full intensity with better organization and no pain.
What results should I expect?
If this is so great, why haven't I heard of it before?
Applying brain plasticity principles is counter-intuitive. It goes against how most people expect to achieve improvement, and that can be uncomfortable.
But if you desire profound, lasting change, and you’re ready to take advantage of the brain’s incredible potential even if it feels unfamiliar, then this is the right place for you!
Do you get sessions?
Yes, absolutely! I take sessions with colleagues and I do movement lessons regularly.
What is your professional experience?
I graduated from the Feldenkrais Resources Professional Training Program in 2008 and from the Anat Baniel Method Professional Training Program in 2013. In 2016 I became a Licensed Massage Therapist in Oregon. In 2017 I became an Assistant on the teaching staff of the ABM Professional Training Program.
Before all this, I worked as a Media Planner in advertising agencies in the Bay Area.
Where can I find the best food in your neighborhood?
NW 23rd offers many delicious restaurants, cafes and food carts.
My favorite is the chicken mole burrito at Santa Fe. It’s flavorful and not too spicy!