Alan Richardson

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About Me

Having qualified in 1998, I have been Rolfing for a significant amount of time and taken several hundred people through the Ten Series. The quality of my work is quite different now from how it was in my first two years – this is evident not only from my own sense, but also from feedback from clients who have come back after several years. Now I am much more confident, more humble, my touch is more sensitive and more skilled, I see better. Experience is very important in this profession. Each client teaches me something new, adding an extra piece to a large jigsaw.

Another major step in my continuing development as a practitioner was doing the training to become a Certified Advanced Rolfer at the end of 2006 and the start of 2007. The teachers in the training are all excellent Rolfers, each with over twenty years experience. It was a privilege to learn from such dedicated and talented people as Jan Sultan, Tessy Brungardt and Harvey Burns and the step-up in my quality of touch and confidence was more than I had expected. It was also an excellent reciprocal learning experience with Walter De Mello, who was my model and practitioner in the series of seven sessions we gave each other over the six-week class.

As well as gaining experience just through doing the work, the workshops I have taken have added to my skill set, the biggest contribution being my Cranio-Sacral Therapy training, ranging over 2001 to 2003. Qualifying as a Cranio-Sacral Therapist dramatically improved my quality of touch. Cranio-Sacral is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Rolfing. It is gentle and energetic and one learns to be extremely patient ( to go deep, like the blue whale ). Although most of my work is in Rolfing, I believe that my Cranial-Sacral skills enhance my effectiveness as a Rolfer and I occasionally do pure Cranial-Sacral sessions. If someone is interested in both therapies I will usually recommend doing the Rolfing Ten Series first, because I believe structural integration should be fundamental before any other treatment. What is the point in fine-tuning the wiring of a building if it is falling down? I have also attended two workshops in visceral manipulation (with Upledger and Liz Gaggini of the Rolf Instutute), trained as Pilates instructor with Body Control Pilates, and attended various other workshops, including Trauma Energetics with Bill Redpath and Spinal Manipulation with Jim Asher. I am commited to continuing education as the best way to remain in formed and fresh in my work.

After many years and clients I am still passionate about the work. Rolfing satisfies those who come to get fixed, as well as those who come for more. For all the talk about holism, Rolfing is remarkably effective at fixing physical problems. I have had clients who have developed healthy arches in their feet, scolioses dramatically improved, short legs getting longer, knee pain, neck pain and back pain disappearing, jaw-grinding stopping, migraines stopping, RSI symptoms improving significantly and so on. Rolfing also achieves what we claim, namely it realigns the body and improves posture, something I think no other therapy really does.

But Rolfing doesn’t just fix pain and improve posture. My clients often describe to me in many ways that they are clearer about themselves and their lives because of Rolfing. They have a sense of grounding, they stand up for themselves when previously they may have been pushed around, they deal with stress better. Some even describe the Rolfing experience as catalyzing a major life change or decision – changing jobs, improving a relationship, travelling, dedicating themselves to physical health by taking up Pilates or Yoga or improving nutrition.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this work for me is being able to meet so many interesting people. Each has their own story. Each has come a long way before even doing the first Rolfing session. Each teaches me something. Each changes throughout the Rolfing. To be witness to all this and to be able to add a significant element in a person’s development means that Rolfing is always interesting, challenging and mysterious. I feel privileged to be in such a profession.

After practicing for 25 years in London, Alan has been living in Brazil and running a practice for a year. He is returning to continue his practice in London in March 2024.