What is an Initial Consultation?

Initial Consultation is your first 60 min long appointment where you tell me what and when hurts or is uncomfortable, and I offer you possible recovery strategies.

Chronic pain, movement in pregnancy and labour, postpartum recovery – all these are great topics for the initial consult. You will get a recommendation on what kind of sessions would work best for you (group or individual), and I’ll point you to resources you could use effectively on your own.

At the end of the consultation, you’ll decide whether and how you’d love to continue working with me.

If you decide to continue with individual sessions, we’ll discuss how effective could be a long-term collaboration (a block of 10 sessions).

My clients say that after the first consultation, they already walk out of the door with a number of working strategies and an understanding of how their body works and what to do when it hurts. Most importantly, they start using these strategies. And many come back for long-term work to achieve sustainable improvement.

We can meet in person (Gordonton) or virtually in Zoom.

The cost of an initial consultation is $97, you can make an appointment via my Booking page or by messaging me.

FAQs

  • I am not a medical professional and am not always interested in diagnoses. The important thing is that you are unable to do things or live the life you want due to pain or discomfort, but you want to. And we’ll look for ways to make it happen.

    Endometriosis, pelvic pain, pudendal neuralgia, pelvic organ prolapse, stress incontinence, symphysis pubis dysfunction in pregnancy, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome – are a few examples of diagnoses that my clients came to see me with, and they left with significant improvement.

  • If we have never talked before you scheduled the appointment, I’ll email you and ask you to tell me about your concerns in a few words. That’s it.

    On the day of the consultation, I’ll ask that you come in comfortable clothes that do not restrict movement. It doesn’t need to be any kind of exercise outfit – just something comfy to wear.

  • A device with a video camera (so that I can see you) and Zoom installed (or updated) on it. Basically, your smartphone, tablet or laptop. Internet connection.

    A comfortable space on the floor, quiet and warm if possible.

    Bolsters, rollers or padding that you might be using to make yourself comfortable, or just a couple of towels you can roll or fold.

  • The Feldenkrais® Method will help you learn to observe yourself and become aware of how your everyday movement impacts your condition. Also to find easier and more efficient movement options.

    Explain Pain (Neuroscience of Pain education) will help you understand how pain works and reduce the fear of injury during movement.

  • 100%. You can find the systematic review on the effectiveness Feldenkrais Method® here.

    Explain Pain is created by pain scientists who are practising clinicians as well. It’s the most updated knowledge of pain, used in the most advanced clinics internationally.

  • No, I am not a doctor and I won’t promise a cure or a fix.

    You will learn about yourself and your habits with the help of movement, and I’ll show you how. I believe that recovery or improvement requires your active involvement. I will be your responsive guide and will show you how to make it easy and fun, but if you want a magic pill – I am not your person.

  • This approach requires a new skill of self-observation. Many of my clients say that it was not hard to learn this skill but as a result, they spend very little time and effort on this “work”. My motto is “no pain, more gain”.

  • No, it doesn’t. I don’t make a diagnosis, don’t give prescriptions, or do internal examinations. This is done by other people, we work as a team and I refer you to them if I see a need.

  • A women’s health physio will do an internal exam, make a diagnosis and recommend certain procedures or exercises. That you may do - or not, due to a lack of time or interest.

    I help you see how the way you move or hold yourself relates to your issues. When you see that there are other possibilities, it will be easy for you to create small changes in your daily life and many issues will resolve nearly by themselves.

  • The same. I won’t massage your muscles, adjust your spine, or give you a list of stretches. I help you see effective solutions at the level of your “control centre”, your central nervous system.

    I engage your natural curiosity and the ability of your brain to learn and change. You improve without long and exhausting exercise, regular massages or continuous adjustments.

  • I don’t: unfortunately, my services are not covered by ACC. But I recommend you make a request to ACC anyway – sometimes they decide case by case. The more people will contact them requesting to cover my sessions, the more chance that they’ll start accepting them.

  • You can always get in touch with me via email and ask to discuss your results or ask questions. If I am able to answer in a short message or video – I’ll do it. If not, I’ll offer you to meet again, and I’ll explain why.

Didn’t find your question?

Please send me a message via the Contact page and I’ll reply.