The way I begin

We have arrived at the end of the class. We have traced the threads that have woven the feelings, biofields, and chemical compounds into the fabric that forms the living body. What we need to do now is to observe even more closely the intricacies of the client and the practitioner together. You have been working with each other all this time in class. When you begin with a real client you will not have the class structure to work from. The expectations will be different. It might seem scary. Each practitioner has her own sense of what works best. You will do it in your own way.

We sit down together for a few minutes at a desk, and talk about her concerns. I jot down notes — sometimes illegible — about what she wants to cover. I scan the intake form she has filled out, and ask her to elaborate on some of the stuff she has circled. My questions don’t pry into uncomfortable areas. I indicate interest. My intention is to kindle trust and a nice rapport. If she has pharmaceuticals, I look them over carefully, and ask her what they are for. I am familiar with many of them. Some are self-conflicting. Some may be blocking a few critical metabolic processes. Without expressing judgment, I will need to figure that out when we begin working together on the table. After we have talked, I tell her what the work is about, the limitations and possibilities, explaining muscle testing and meridians if she hasn’t heard of them. Then it is time to invite her onto the massage table. From now on the body-consciousness is totally in charge. Approach it with reverence, for it is an exquisitely sensitive conscious creature. Speak gently to it as though it were a shy uncertain animal.

During a session, never argue with your Co-P. Honor their input. Muscle test to check their suggestions. One of Kapel’s Co-Ps worked very differently from her. She backed off and made space for that. One time she confronted her, in session, about something that ran counter to what she was trying to do. The client looked up and said, “Are you fighting? Is that the way you fight?” That was funny, and they all laughed, but the client was right. It was a moment of dissonance. Mention it later. Not in front of the client. It’s his appointment.