Julie Nathanielsz
Gentle, Deep, Therapeutic Bodywork
Ithaca | Trumansburg
Hi, I am Julie Nathanielsz. I work from the principle that when we attune to our body’s signals, we can more confidently develop the small steps that support vitality and purpose in our lives.
When we learn to trust the body, we can enjoy more flexible and durable responses within the complexity and challenges of life, and discover where desire, curiosity, or urgency might lead us.
What wants to be heard? What is longing to be known? My approach invites rest, recovery, and self-discovery, within a context of co-created safety and inquiry.
For over 20 years, I have helped people achieve greater balance and wellbeing through informed touch and subtle-movement modalities.
Photo credit: Unsplash / Vladislav Klapin
Informed touch and subtle movement, on the table
My approach to therapeutic bodywork focuses on exploring sensations and the nature of being in a body. It connects to the phenomena of the body expanding and contracting in a rhythmic or tidal way - a tide expressed throughout the human system, and known by every cell. This is sometimes referred to as a biodynamic approach, and by various other names across a range of therapeutic practices.
My approach also experiences bodily intelligence as an expression of a wider universal ordering principle, that we can directly encounter in movement and in stillness. In the biodynamic tradition, it is light and specific touch that encourages the fullest expression of our tissues. Such contact with inherent health resources can reveal a widening field of possibilities for clients in the growing of life.
Biodynamics unveils stillness, and the power and nerve within that stillness from where our own gestures, symbols, healing can emerge.
In a session, we will often begin by focusing on the cranial bones, spine, sacrum and dural membranes, soft structures having both protective and expressive characteristics, containing the brain and spinal cord. These membranes, when in balance, give rise to suppleness and flow that is deeply relaxing for the whole body. Sleep, breathing, adaptive mechanisms (neuro-endocrine and autonomic nervous systems) respond positively in this state.
We will also address impediments to movement and function of the body that arise from daily-life conditions.
For artists, athletes, and creatives, this often translates into more spacious attention, clearer access to flow, more emotional range, and more available energy and resources.
The shape of session work
About Julie
I am a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist, a Certified Advanced Teacher of Skinner Releasing Technique, and long-time practitioner of biodynamic healing arts, based in Ithaca and Trumansburg. Through many years of professional dance and movement work, including performing and teaching in the US and abroad, as well as depth-studies in Body-Mind Centering®, Embodied Neurobiology, and meditation, I have developed a nuanced understanding of the body, paving the way to opening private practice. I started my career in the healing professions as a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2003, working in rehab settings with physical therapists and their patients, as well as with private clients. Following a years-long break, I returned to working on the table after receiving powerful cranial sessions from colleagues. Reconnecting with skills that harness the power of touch to enliven and awaken inner resources in my clients, I am delighted to be offering individual sessions again. My bodywork practice focuses on craniosacral therapy as I find it is the most compelling method for connecting to wells of resource in the living body. As a former college lecturer, I have taught courses in experiential anatomy, creative somatic practice, and improvisation, and work at the intersection of arts and science. As a client and student of BCST, the work has provided a way forward through difficulty, trauma, and transitions, and I greatly appreciate BCST for the way it addresses physical and emotional states of disease.
What to know about your session
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Sessions are 1 hour (make time for 1.5 hours). At your first appointment we will take additional time to find out about you, your general wellbeing, and what brings you in.
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Sessions are $95. Payment can be made online, or via cash, check, or the ‘friends and family’ option on Venmo or Zelle.
Please respect a 24-hour cancellation policy.
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Please wear warm, loose fitting clothing. You will be asked to lie on the treatment table, and if you need anything to help you be more comfortable, please let me know. If you prefer to receive your session seated, this accommodation is also an option.
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Appointments are in person in either Ithaca or Trumansburg. Location, parking details will be emailed to you before your appointment.
Currently, I hold office hours on Thursdays, 9am-7pm in Ithaca, and may be able to offer alternative days/times if needed. If you are interested in receiving a session in Trumansburg, we can discuss if my home studio is suitable.
Schedule & Contact
Interested in working together? Curious how this work can support you in your life? We can start with an informational consultation by clicking below to schedule a 15 min appointment.
Existing clients can also click below to schedule a full 60 min session.
You are also welcome to call me directly at (512)669-6985 or use the contact form for scheduling or more information.