Hellerwork is a somatic therapy that uses movement education, deep tissue bodywork, and self-awareness to restore balance and ease of movement by focusing on the fascia. Developed by Joseph Heller, it involves a series of sessions tailored to the individual and aims to provide tools for sustained self-exploration, expression, growth, and balance.
Hellerwork is a form of somatic therapy that encompasses movement education, deep tissue bodywork, and self-awareness. As a bodywork discipline, Hellerwork is concerned with restoring balance and ease of movement by focusing primarily on the fascia, or connective tissue, of the body. This is the extensive system of soft tissue fibers that wraps around muscles and tendons and forms an attachment to bone.
Joseph Heller, a native of Poland, developed this therapeutic modality in the late 1970s. His experience as an aerospace engineer over the previous decade seemed an unlikely inspiration to study bodywork. However, it actually provided the basis for his vision. Hellerwork is the culmination of an expert understanding of structural stress and years of subsequent study in psychology, bioenergy, and gestalt.
Hellerwork is not intended to cure the disease, although it may provide short-term relief from certain symptoms. Otherwise, the therapy is not “one shot” treatments to achieve some kind of relief. Instead, Hellerwork is a progressive process involving a series of sessions, the number and intensity of which is tailored to the individual. In each session, the patient learns to restore and integrate the balance between the body and the mind. This is accomplished through mindful breathing exercises, guided movement, deep tissue bodywork, and an awareness of related emotional patterns throughout.
Expression of habitual emotional patterns is most empowering for the client as they work toward reframing body movement and alignment. One of Hellerwork’s main tenets is that emotional residue can reside in connective tissue in the form of tension. This is what can lead to blockages, knots, and other restrictions. By acknowledging and releasing these emotions, a new sense of body awareness can develop and physical tension can be replaced with flow.
While all Hellerwork sessions are guided and coached by a trained professional, the healing process continues with the client after the sessions are discontinued. In fact, the last session in the series is known as “Coming Out” and is a unique experience for each individual. This serves as a reminder to the client that what he has learned from his therapist is more than just breathing and movement techniques. Hellerwork’s ultimate goal is to provide the individual with the necessary tools for sustained self-exploration, expression, growth and balance.
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