Deb DeAngeles
Certified Advanced Rolfer™
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
Tao of Trauma Practitioner
Certified Qigong Instructor
“Strength that has effort in it is not what you need; you need the strength that is the result of ease. ”
Dr. Ida P. Rolf
About Deb
For Deb, working with people is about building a partnership. She is looking forward to working with those
who want to use Rolfing™ or
trauma-informed touch work as
the next step in their own well-being.
Deb worked as a physical therapist assistant for 17 years in hospitals and rehab settings. Working with people in healthcare raised a lot of questions for her about how we move through our lives physically and emotionally.
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How can I stand up straight without always having to think about it?
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How do I get rid of this chronic tension and anxiety for good?
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Shouldn't athletes be able to do the sport they love without injuries?
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So many people become more and more bent over as they get older.
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Does that have to happen to me?
Her search for a path to greater physical mobility and emotional well-being led Deb to study Rolfing™ and trauma-informed touch work.
In Rolfing, she started to understand that tension held in the body can lead to poor posture, low energy, or pain. After receiving her certificate from The Rolf Institute, she began her journey of bodywork as a vehicle toward change.
Deb became a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner through Somatic Experiencing International. There, Deb began to understand how overwhelm can get physiologically lodged in the nervous system. Whether it’s through a physical injury or an emotional scenario, it can play out in our lives in a number of ways. These can include chronic stress, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or digestive issues.
Deb studied trauma-informed touch work with both Dave Berger, who created BASE™, and Alaine Duncan, the creator of Tao of Trauma. These are hands-on modalities, focusing on bringing regulation back to systems that have fallen out of balance due to physical or emotional overwhelm.
Deb believes that being human is an amazing adventure. She believes that pain-free movement is available to each of us, and that Rolfing and BASE are tools that can help bring a sense of easy, flowing mobility into everyday activities.
About Rolfing
How Rolfing Works
Rolfing Structural Integration is a bodywork technique that uses hands-on work and movement to improve alignment and reduce tension in the body.
Some people might experience lack of ease in their bodies as pain, some might experience it as fatigue, while in others it might be postural misalignments.
Where tissue in the body has shortened and tightened, imbalances or lack of alignment can create pain, fatigue, or postural misalignment.
As a Rolfer, Deb's aim is to identify ways in which a person holds structural imbalance. Rolfing uses tissue manipulation and movement to tap into the human body's innate resilience and capacity to change. As the body's inherent organization and order are reestablished, self-healing and self-regulating capabilities can be dramatically enhanced.
Rolfing typically takes multiple sessions, depending on how deeply entrenched the imbalance has become. The focus of each session as well as the frequency and number of sessions can vary from person to person. Rolfing can also be done in a series of ten sessions, known as The 10-Series. These sessions are designed to systematically work through the entire body, moving from one area to another. Working together, Deb and the client will decide the best approach to take.
About Dr. Ida P. Rolf
Rolfing is named for its creator, Dr. Ida P. Rolf. She received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920. Family health problems spurred Dr. Rolf to study osteopathic medicine, yoga, and chiropractic medicine among other techniques in her search for answers. For more information about Dr. Rolf visit the Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation website.
About QIGONG
Qigong (chee-gong) is an ancient Chinese movement practice with the goal of opening the joints and tissue.
Typically done in standing, these are often repetitive movements coordinated with the breath.
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Why would I do this?
The goal of qigong is to train the body to move without tension and to open tissue and joints.
As a Rolfer™, I always try to find ways for myself and others to create healthy movement habits. Are you ready to change old patterns that create pain, tension, instability, and misalignment?
Doing Qigong has helped me recognize when I’m falling into the old, familiar movement habits that I’m trying to change. It has helped me find a more balanced and aligned way of moving.
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When and where are the classes?
Wednesday mornings at 8am at Yoga Patch in Waldo.
This class is $16 for a drop in, or Yoga Patch offers a variety of packages.
You can sign up at their website https://www.yogapatch.com/
Tuesday evenings at 5:45 down the hall from my office at 8900 State Line Rd in Suite 240.
$15 for a drop in or a 10-class package with a 3 month limit for $130.
Sign up online at https://DebDeAngeles.as.me/?appointmentType=60025913
Text me at 913-205-6929 to sign up or for more information.
About Trauma-informed touch work
Growing evidence shows the importance of touch in healing from trauma and overwhelm. Bodywork and Somatic Education™ (BASE™) and the TAO of Trauma are hands-on approaches to helping people return to balance and health.
The body is where we live. The pain from a physical injury or the stress from an emotionally overwhelming situation all get played out in the body. If the body is sending sensory information that registers as discomfort, pain, or stress, this can become a cycle of dysregulation that feeds on itself, resulting in the person feeling bad emotionally and physically. Common symptoms of this are PTSD, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, feeling detached or forgetful, stress, irritability, or sleep difficulties.
The gentle technique of BASE work can help the body start to move toward regulation again, often easing the symptoms that were the result of dysregulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear for Rolfing?
Traditionally, Rolfing is done with men in underwear and women in bra and underpants. If you want to wear gym shorts, that’s just fine. If women would prefer to wear a camisole or a tank top I can usually work around those. I may ask you to take the shirt off for some sessions, so ladies, please wear a bra.
Clothing should allow me to view and work your upper legs and arms, mid-back, and neck.
If you’re wearing a shirt with sleeves and/or a high neck, I may ask you to take it off so I can work on your shoulders, neck or back. Clothing should not pinch or bind. If you can lie on the table and pull one knee to your chest without resistance, you’re in good shape.
What NOT to wear for Rolfing
Please don't wear denim, heavy sweats, tight tights or heavy spandex. It’s difficult to work tissue through heavy material.
Please apply moisturizers, lotion, or oils lightly.
What should I wear for touch work other than Rolfing?
Clothing that is comfortable and allows you to move easily is best. Unlike Rolfing, I don’t need direct contact with the skin to work, so workout clothes or leggings are fine.
Does Rolfing hurt?
Rolfing has a reputation of being a very painful technique. The purpose of Rolfing is to help the body open up and move more freely. Painful work is counterproductive to Rolfing’s basic goals.
My goal as a Rolfer is to work with each individual to find the amount of pressure that is both comfortable and will open tight areas of tissue.
How many sessions should I get?
With either Rolfing or the trauma-informed touch work, I suggest you come in and get one session, and see how you respond to the work. If you like it, go on to try a few more sessions.
How long does a session last?
The length of a session can take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes for both Rolfing and BASE. I aim for an hour and 15 minutes, but it varies depending on what we're doing.
How is Rolfing different from massage?
People often confuse Rolfing with deep tissue massage. Rolfing and massage may look similar at times, but the goals of the two are different.
Generally, the goal of massage is to decrease tension, improve circulation and bring a sense of relaxation to the client. The goal of Rolfing is to bring about structural changes with lasting benefits in posture and quality of movement.
Do the benefits of Rolfing last?
Yes. With areas of tension or old injury held in our bodies, we unconsciously move in ways that accommodate or protect these areas, pulling the structures out of alignment. In addition, gravity has a downward pull over time, leading to postures and habits of movement that can cause discomfort, pain, or a lack of energy.
As Rolfing brings length and openness to areas that have been tense and contracted, the body will start to find a new way of aligning on its own. People often find that the old way of moving starts to feel uncomfortable or awkward, reminding them to keep moving in a new way.
Habits of moving that have been established for a long time are unlikely to be completely changed in ten Rolfing sessions. However, Rolfing can reverse the patterns of habitual movement and create the trend toward realignment. Rolf clients will often experience reduced tension, less pain, increased range of motion and improved energy, as the body rediscovers its capacity for resilient change.
Who can benefit from Rolfing?
Anyone who is looking for more comfort and ease in their body can benefit from Rolfing. Many people who come to Rolfing want relief from chronic pain or help to rehabilitate an old injury. Other people come to correct a lifetime of poor posture that is worsening with age. Many athletes and artists use Rolfing to improve performance and extend their careers. Some people want more flexibility and energy. And others are seeking change in their lives and in their bodies. They see Rolfing as a way to reconnect with their bodies - emotionally, physically and spiritually - and ultimately acheive greater confidence, peace and joy.
Who can benefit from BASE or Tao of Trauma touch work?
People with PTSD, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, feeling detached or forgetful, stress, irritability, or sleep difficulties might benefit from BASE.
How much does a session cost?
Each session costs $150.00.
