Dr. Nina Galin, manual and movement therapist, somatic educator
PhD Performance Studies, University of California, Davis, 2012
MFA Dramatic Arts (Choreography), University of California, Davis, 2010
Licensure as Massage Therapist, New York State Board of Education, 1991.
Certification as Massage Therapist, Scherer Institute of Natural Healing, Santa Fe NM, 1990.
Contact at nina.galin@gmail.com
Overview of my treatments
To maintain and keep developing your movement capabilities, I offer body awareness training
and movement education. I draw on several bodies of work, including Alexander, Feldenkrais, yoga, Pilates, BodyMind Centering, Structural Integration, Network Spinal Analysis and modern dance.
To address both chronic and acute areas of restriction and pain, I offer
gentle orthopedic manipulation with soft tissue release (skeleto-muscular and fascial). This
hands-on work draws mainly on connective tissue massage, shiatsu and passive stretching.
My sessions are tailored to your changing needs. Each one may involve some combination of
massage/manual therapy and movement work.
Methods
I offer gentle orthopedic (skeleto-muscular) manipulation with soft tissue release. I
support one part of a joint (for example, neck, shoulder or hip) while very gently, passively
moving the other parts of the joint through an appropriate range.
I begin by listening to you. First I listen to you talk, about your health history, and what
you are currently experiencing in your body(mind). Then I place my hands on you and listen to
what your body feels like. When I start to get a sense of your current state and limitations, I
begin to offer suggestions, through words, touch and movement. You and I proceed together--
my input is based on the information I receive from you.
By listening to you/your body through my hands, I use gentle, sustained stretching and passive
movement to simultaneously de-compress restricted areas, and facilitate your sense of integration
of one body part with the others. As I touch and move with you, I practice paying attention to the
same areas and relationships in my own body. The result is a complex dialogue that includes
awareness of our nervous-system-to-nervous-system exchange as a vital dimension of our social
interaction.
I support your limbs in relation to your torso, reminding your joints of what it feels like to move
with less restriction. By using passive movement, I kinesthetically suggest to you certain
structural relationships: support for your head and limbs from deep within your own body, close
to your spine. I echo, or reiterate, these structural relationships by striving to feel them in my
own body as I touch yours.
FAQ
How long is a full-body session?
Approximately one hour and forty-five minutes; this includes setting up and taking down the table; doing an intake interview on health history and current concerns; hands-on time on the table (usually about 75 minutes); and closure conversation.
How much does it cost?
Ideally I receive $150 for a full-body session. This is on the low end of the going rate, especially considering my level of experience, training and skill. Since I want to make my work as accessible as possible, I offer a sliding scale fee. This means that if you cannot afford $150, I will accept a lower payment, depending on both of our circumstances. I am also open to barter.
Is this bodywork suitable for all ages?
Because it is extremely gentle, my work is especially suited to elders. I also love to work with children and teens. I consider it a great opportunity to offer positive body-based educational experiences to young people.
All genders?
As a practitioner, I am an ally to people of all genders and gender identities. I have experience working with people before and after gender-shifting surgeries.
All racial identities?
I listen to your body, in this moment, both in the context of our personal histories and the social context that we share. I am “white” and anti-racist. I am aware of how white the somatic fields tend to be, and am interested in sharing this therapeutic/educational work across lines of racial difference.
Is this work for me if I am differently-abled or disabled?
I welcome clients of all kinds of ability. I have worked with people who use wheelchairs and crutches. The work is for you if you are open to learning and growing by using mindful touch and movement.
Why don’t you just call it “massage”?
Though I am certified and licensed as a massage therapist, and massage techniques are among those I employ, the most important elements in my work are 1) bodymind awareness, and 2) awareness of how all areas of the bodymind are dynamically related.
Massage is one of the approaches I use to facilitate these kinds of awareness. Other approaches are Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis, Pilates, yoga, modern dance and ballet.
PhD Performance Studies, University of California, Davis, 2012
MFA Dramatic Arts (Choreography), University of California, Davis, 2010
Licensure as Massage Therapist, New York State Board of Education, 1991.
Certification as Massage Therapist, Scherer Institute of Natural Healing, Santa Fe NM, 1990.
Contact at nina.galin@gmail.com
Overview of my treatments
To maintain and keep developing your movement capabilities, I offer body awareness training
and movement education. I draw on several bodies of work, including Alexander, Feldenkrais, yoga, Pilates, BodyMind Centering, Structural Integration, Network Spinal Analysis and modern dance.
To address both chronic and acute areas of restriction and pain, I offer
gentle orthopedic manipulation with soft tissue release (skeleto-muscular and fascial). This
hands-on work draws mainly on connective tissue massage, shiatsu and passive stretching.
My sessions are tailored to your changing needs. Each one may involve some combination of
massage/manual therapy and movement work.
Methods
I offer gentle orthopedic (skeleto-muscular) manipulation with soft tissue release. I
support one part of a joint (for example, neck, shoulder or hip) while very gently, passively
moving the other parts of the joint through an appropriate range.
I begin by listening to you. First I listen to you talk, about your health history, and what
you are currently experiencing in your body(mind). Then I place my hands on you and listen to
what your body feels like. When I start to get a sense of your current state and limitations, I
begin to offer suggestions, through words, touch and movement. You and I proceed together--
my input is based on the information I receive from you.
By listening to you/your body through my hands, I use gentle, sustained stretching and passive
movement to simultaneously de-compress restricted areas, and facilitate your sense of integration
of one body part with the others. As I touch and move with you, I practice paying attention to the
same areas and relationships in my own body. The result is a complex dialogue that includes
awareness of our nervous-system-to-nervous-system exchange as a vital dimension of our social
interaction.
I support your limbs in relation to your torso, reminding your joints of what it feels like to move
with less restriction. By using passive movement, I kinesthetically suggest to you certain
structural relationships: support for your head and limbs from deep within your own body, close
to your spine. I echo, or reiterate, these structural relationships by striving to feel them in my
own body as I touch yours.
FAQ
How long is a full-body session?
Approximately one hour and forty-five minutes; this includes setting up and taking down the table; doing an intake interview on health history and current concerns; hands-on time on the table (usually about 75 minutes); and closure conversation.
How much does it cost?
Ideally I receive $150 for a full-body session. This is on the low end of the going rate, especially considering my level of experience, training and skill. Since I want to make my work as accessible as possible, I offer a sliding scale fee. This means that if you cannot afford $150, I will accept a lower payment, depending on both of our circumstances. I am also open to barter.
Is this bodywork suitable for all ages?
Because it is extremely gentle, my work is especially suited to elders. I also love to work with children and teens. I consider it a great opportunity to offer positive body-based educational experiences to young people.
All genders?
As a practitioner, I am an ally to people of all genders and gender identities. I have experience working with people before and after gender-shifting surgeries.
All racial identities?
I listen to your body, in this moment, both in the context of our personal histories and the social context that we share. I am “white” and anti-racist. I am aware of how white the somatic fields tend to be, and am interested in sharing this therapeutic/educational work across lines of racial difference.
Is this work for me if I am differently-abled or disabled?
I welcome clients of all kinds of ability. I have worked with people who use wheelchairs and crutches. The work is for you if you are open to learning and growing by using mindful touch and movement.
Why don’t you just call it “massage”?
Though I am certified and licensed as a massage therapist, and massage techniques are among those I employ, the most important elements in my work are 1) bodymind awareness, and 2) awareness of how all areas of the bodymind are dynamically related.
Massage is one of the approaches I use to facilitate these kinds of awareness. Other approaches are Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis, Pilates, yoga, modern dance and ballet.
