To complement the MASSAGE Magazine article, “Coming Back to the Body: 3 Keys to Unlock a Massage Session for Survivors of Sexual Abuse,” by Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, C.M.T., C.S.T.-D., in the March 2013 issue. Article summary: The chances are someone will come through your office door wanting you to help him or her heal from this kind of trauma. In my 30 years of working with this population, I have found three areas that are particularly important: listening with compassionate neutrality, being fully present and utilizing noninvasive touch.

One easy shortcut to getting grounded is to feel the sensation of your feet on the floor.

1. Try rubbing your feet back and forth, or put pressure on them to generate more feeling.

2. Allow yourself to imagine putting down roots into the earth beneath you and drawing in whatever would nourish you most from the rich energy field of the earth.

3. Notice how the rest of your body feels when you do that. Most people describe a feeling of steadying and centering.

More resources are available for this process on my website, www.healingfromthecore.com.

Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, C.M.T., C.S.T.-D., creator of the training and audio series, Healing From the Core: A Journey Home to Ourselves, has taught CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release for Upledger Institute International since 1986, and for the past 10 years has provided staff-development training at the Esalen Institute. Information on her workshops can be found at www.healingfromthecore.com. Read her blog here.