Snowdrop's Shiatsu and Acupuncture Therapies

In this blog, we're chatting to Annette, our Shiatsu and Acupuncture Practitioner, about how Snowdrop's Complementary Therapies help clients recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives. Find out more below! 

Hi Annette! Can you tell us a bit about what you do at Snowdrop? 

I offer sessions of Acupuncture and Shiatsu to individuals accessing support at the Snowdrop Project. 

The Acupuncture is based on Chinese Medicine theories, and for this I ask a few health questions, find out what's most concerning for someone, listen to their pulse and maybe look at their tongue. From this, we then agree what will be included in the session.

For clients who choose Acupuncture, I make it clear that the needles have nothing on them, that they are tiny, sterile, are used only once and then safely disposed of.

Shiatsu is a Japanese type of massage, practiced through clothes. This helps many clients I work with feel safe and more comfortable. It can be dynamic and may involve stretching, but is also very gentle. It can be practiced on a futon, a massage table or sat up in a chair.

We often use a heat lamp, which is wonderful and helps soothe, settle and warm. 

For most clients, this is their first experience of body-based therapies, so naturally there can be some uncertainty. Consent is, of course, central. It’s a collaborative space that can involve self-Shiatsu, self-Acupressure, dietary and lifestyle suggestions, or me needling or giving Shiatsu.

Sometimes health issues emerge that need medical attention or further investigation, and I will share this with the client so they can choose how best to follow up.

What kinds of things might clients want support with?

A real combination of physical and emotional pain. This can range from painful muscles, joints and headaches, to exhaustion, anxiety, depression, flashbacks, insomnia and feelings of detachment or losing time. Some may have absences of memory, for good reason - it’s helped them survive.

The sessions are also a creative space; they can involve music, humming, imagery and movement alongside needling specific points or massaging specific areas to help clients access their innate resources and increase their sense of ease.

Your body is an incredibly rich resource, and I also offer suggestions such as grounding exercises, stretching and focusing techniques to be used outside the sessions in order to promote relaxation.

What’s the best part of your job as a body-based therapist?

I am touched, to the core, to work with Snowdrop's clients, and this is kind of ironic as what I offer is touch therapies! Consensual touch promotes recognition, connection, the chance to be heard, and the opportunity to experience what, for most, seemed impossible. To have had opportunities to train and practice Acupuncture and Shiatsu is a privilege, it’s precious, and the exchange in a session embodies reciprocity.

I love a quote by Prentis Hemphill who says: "Some things are too big to feel in one body. You need a collective body to move them through. We need to come together in spaces to heal". This is so true - in every session there’s the possibility to share with another body (in this case, me as the practitioner). This also extends to working at Snowdrop alongside others who have shared values; everyone at Snowdrop is focused on empowering our clients and promoting healing in an incredibly challenging world.

What kinds of changes do you see in clients after having Acupuncture/Shiatsu?

Oh, so many! Pain often reduces, both physical and emotional, sleep improves. Often, clients experience a sense of aliveness and possibility - some describe their experience as spiritual, rather than just physical/emotional. This is often a first.

But don’t take my word for it! Here’s some of the feedback I've received:

"I feel like I’m in heaven, for a while I felt no pain, it’s so nice. Until you’ve experienced this, you don’t know what you’re missing…I feel less tense, free, like I’ve been let loose….I trust you, I feel lighter…I now have faith that my body will be restored to something I can manage...I feel like I’ve filled the room with creativity and stamina”

How do Acupuncture and Shiatsu complement Snowdrop’s other support services to help survivors recover from their experiences?

The Shiatsu and Acupuncture I offer is part of the first pathway within Snowdrop's Counselling service. The service uses the so-called 'bottom-up' approach, which focuses on the physiological and sensory aspects of traumatic experiences first, before clients begin talking therapies. This is so important - working with the body is known to be central to recovering from profoundly traumatic and distressing experiences.

Snowdrop is somewhere that survivors feel welcome, safe and heard. Different types of support are needed at different times, so it's great to know that I'm not working in isolation. This is key to being part of a truly holistic service. This means that, if a legal or practical issue arises during a session, I know that appropriate and essential support can be accessed through Casework support at Snowdrop.

Often, for clients, body work is the portal to being able to speak about their experiences. Counselling is available, and I can pass this information on to those who are ready to access support. Other body-based support is also available at Snowdrop, such as trauma-informed yoga. This quote is from someone who has accessed both Shiatsu and Yoga at Snowdrop: "You and Cat [Snowdrop's yoga practitioner] have helped put life back in my bones".

Thank you Annette! If you wish to refer someone to our Complementary Therapies, you can do so here.