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Interview With a Hellerwork Practitioner
Get a Hellerworker and Myofascial Release Career Overview
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| | Joseph Hunton, CHP/LMP |
Developed in the 1970s by Joseph Heller, Hellerwork integrates three vital components to help patients release tension and optimize their mind-body connection: bodywork, movement education and dialogue.
Hellerworkers provide not only hands-on muscle work and myofascial release (gentle stretching) but also teach clients healthy movement habits that prevent tension buildup. And they offer emotional support in dealing with the stress and attitudes that can exacerbate tension.
Does it work? Just ask Joseph Hunton, a Hellerwork practitioner for over a decade, who learned first-hand the holistic benefits of Hellerwork and myofascial release.
Hellerwork and Myofascial Release Career Inspiration
Seeking relief for a repetitive strain injury, Hunton was impressed with how successfully Hellerwork reduced his pain. "It had a powerful effect on the different levels of my body and my emotions." Hunton, who holds a psychology degree, was drawn to Hellerwork and myofascial release as a profession.
"I worked as a counselor after graduating from college," Hunton says. "But I also liked working with my hands, with structure," which eventually led him to a career as a general contractor. His experience with Hellerwork, however, inspired him toward a new career, one that he felt would bring his diverse interests together.
Hellerwork and Myofascial Massage Therapy Schools
| | Hunton attended the Northwest Hellerwork School where he completed the 1200 hour program in a year and a half. Hellerwork schools typically structure their training as a combination of intensives and independent study periods, Hunton describes. The intensives can last anywhere from five days to two weeks and involve full-time class work. In between, students have a two to three month space for independent study where they can integrate material and complete large blocks of homework. |
Hunton indicates that the majority of Hellerwork students work part-time or full-time while they attend Hellerwork school. Although many students have health care backgrounds, Hunton estimates that at least one-third do not have any prior health care or massage therapy school training, much like him.
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Hellerwork and Myofascial Release Clientele
In his practice, Hunton sees clients from infants through seniors, the majority of whom are in their late 30s to late 50s, with a little higher percentage of women than men.
Among the common reasons people come to Hunton's office, back pain, chronic pain (fibromyalgia) and repetitive strain (carpal tunnel) are prevalent. He also receives a lot of referrals from medical doctors, chiropractors, naturopaths and other health care practitioners who deal with muscular skeletal issues.
Hellerwork and Myofascial Massage Schedule
Hunton operates his own private practice, Repetitive Strain Injury Solutions, in Washington State. He typically works four 10-hour days. In an average week, he spends 25 to 30 hours conducting myofascial massage and Hellerwork, and devotes the rest of his time to paperwork, promotional activities, networking and other administrative tasks associated with his business.
Hellerwork and Myofascial Massage Work Setting
Three days a week, Hunton runs his practice in an office in downtown Seattle where patients find comfortable, private treatment rooms and a relaxing, professional office setting for consultations and interviews.
On the fourth day of his work week, Hunton practices out of a physical therapy clinic. "Some people like to work close to a medical model," he says, "in chiropractic offices, physical therapy offices and similar places. Others like to work in somatic, emotional realms, focusing more on the mind-body connection," which is what private practice has to offer.
Hellerworker and Myofascial Massage Session Preparation
| | For first-time clients, Hunton spends at least one-third of the hour-long session getting to know the client, going over intake forms that provide information about a client's condition, pain level and general health history. He also conducts visual assessments around the patient's alignment and range of motion, noticing restrictions, tensions or strains. During this initial session, Hunton might perform 20 to 30 minutes of actual bodywork. Ongoing clients receive about 45 minutes of bodywork during a standard one-hour session. Beforehand, Hunton reviews chart notes to evaluate a patient's progress and takes a few minutes to "quiet" himself and "tune in" to his own emotional and physical reality. |
Daily Rewards of Hellerwork and Myofascial Release Massage
Hellerwork and myofascial release provides tremendous professional and personal rewards for Hunton. "It's incredibly satisfying to help patients move through their pain. They come in holding tension, feeling restricted, and they leave feeling lighter and much less tense." Other rewards for Hunton include the chance to connect with clients on an emotional and physical level. "As a Hellerworker, you engage a person's body and their spirit, which is very rewarding for me."
In general, Hellerworkers come from a variety of backgrounds and often show different personalities. One common denominator Hunton finds is curiosity. "A lot of what you're doing is problem-solving," he says. "Working with the complexities of the human body involves being inherently curious and paying attention to what you see."
Hellerworkers and Myofascial Release Practitioners Offer Clients a Chance to Connect
Different from traditional massage therapy, the three components of Hellerwork make it a unique alternative for clients interested not only in relieving pain but exploring the relationship between their emotional and physical realities. As Hunton says, "Practitioners have more options for helping clients get where they want to go." And when they get there, they reach a level of mind-body connectedness that can truly change their life.
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