FAQs
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I try to learn what I can from clients, to the extent they will share; their needs, both physical and emotional. New clients are requested to complete a client intake form. As well, I will inquire as to what has been maybe missing from their prior therapist work or what they enjoyed best - in other words what would be the ideal experience for them. The first session is partly a learning experience for me and for the client. It can take a couple of sessions with a client to really develop a connection and for this reason it is a good idea to try and find a therapist you like and have confidence and trust - and make bodywork part of a wellness regimen, not simply a once a year "treat"
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Training in such a modality takes years of dedication. It is not about doing one or two courses and then becoming a Kahuna Bodywork practitioner. One needs to find that space, awareness and wisdom within our own selves first before we are able to perform and provide the deeper healing space for others. Our training is mostly non-verbal, and certainly very physical (it has been compared to a martial art), giving us increasing access to the wisdom held in our bodies so that we can then learn to perform this wisdom on another. I request them to fill out a client intake form. I inquire as to what has been maybe missing from their prior therapist work or what they enjoyed best - in other words what would be the ideal experience for them. I have trained under the guidance of renowned teacher and mentor Robert Gantke, in a direct student lineage of Kahu Abraham Kawaii and then with renowned Hawaiian spiritual leader and Kahuna bodywork expert, Uwe Schorb My training has been a process of many deep transformations and experiences throughout the years of many workshops and student clinics. Each one has taught me new things about myself, and new ways of looking at the world.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
I would encourage people to avoid cookie cutter therapy at all costs. Don't base your selection on price. It almost always leads to disappointment, but rather choose based on who will listen and who you think will provide the experience you are looking for. Look for a provider who will attempt to understand you as an individual. I always try deliver to the best of my ability what people are seeking when they come to me. And always I strive for an experience that exceeds their expectations. A desire to return comes from an experience that people want to repeat. If you have never had bodywork from a male provider, consider it. In the US, female therapists are so much more common but that is not the case everywhere.