Client Experiences

Hello my name is Gavin and I'm 17 year old boy. During Rolfing with Allison, the experience is great. She is very caring and nice. The environment is peaceful and soothing but to be honest there is just a little bit of pain but that's to be expected and the more Allison works on that area the better that little bit of pain will get. The reasons why I chose to try it was because I went through about 13 -15 surgeries on my feet (honestly lost count after 13) and I could tell that a lot had been done. Everything was sore and not in the correct positions. Like my one side of my hip was more stiff and tight compared to the other. Also after all my surgeries, when I began walking again my feet would be aching if I walked 10-20 minutes and my back had a kink in it. After Rolfing with Allison, I notice my pain has gone down my back was straighter and I'm playing hacky sac for more than 3 hours . Also, after talking to her you have good tips and advice on how you can keep the pain away.

I first approached Allison with some lingering shoulder issues and overall pain from years of playing sports. Over the last year she has corrected my posture, my gait, and the pain is gone in my shoulder, as well as I now have full range of motion. Allison is very attentive to any discomfort while working on an area. I continue to see her for general maintenance and any new issues that pop up due to work or sports. She also has a wealth of knowledge in other areas that are helpful in overall mind and body balance. And she is always a pleasure to see and catch up on exciting adventurers she's been on.

I started working regularly with Allison a year-and-a-half ago and couldn't be more grateful. Everyone always says to me, "Doesn't Rolfing hurt?" Not with Allison is my response. Her hands on technique is gentle yet strong enough to work out the kinks. As a Pilates instructor, Rolfing is very healing to my body since I am consistently on my feet, looking down, putting myself in somewhat awkward positions to adjust people, etc. As a Pilates practitioner, Rolfing has advanced my practice by months if not years as an effect of having worked out some imbalances. On a personal level, Allison is one of the few that actually walks the walk. She will always be able to inspire you with numerous ideas on how to eat better, where to go for a great hike, or take your next adventure. When it comes to whole living, Allison Benner is a great example. She's passionate, caring, spirited and vibrant.

I have been working with Allison for a over a year and I am amazed at the changes in my body as a result of her work and guidance. My posture, which has been poor my whole life, has improved dramatically and the knee pain which was the original cause of my visits has dissipated significantly. I find that my gait is better and my overall physical health has improved as a result of the Rolfing Process. It's hard to explain to people the difference between Rolfing and Massage but all I can say is it works wonders over what a massage can do for your body! I could never do deep tissue/sports massage and yet with Rolfing, deep tissue work is different and doesn't cause continued discomfort. I was skeptical at first, but every time I leave Allison's office I can actually feel the difference in my body, the way that I walk and the way that I carry myself. I have continued to go because I am an avid water skier and I find that she continuously helps me overcome the minor injuries that go with the sport and my other activities. Working with Allison has been a pleasure because of her personality, experience, knowledge and dedication to her craft. I also like that she continues to grow and challenge herself to learn new things. I just wish I could go more often!

I found out about Rolfing four years ago while searching for a way to help with back pain caused by scoliosis and sitting at a desk all day. I decided to try it out based on all of the positive things I read online and I have not been disappointed. I didn’t notice any drastic results right away but after several sessions my normal began to shift from discomfort and pain in my back to not noticing it at all. My scoliosis also became less noticeable and a family member that I had not seen in a while commented that I looked taller. I have continued to do sessions every month or two to keep everything where it’s supposed to be and to take care of new issues that come up, whiplash being one of them. Allison is an intelligent, caring person who is dedicated to her work. She has taken the time to learn about me and give me advice on how to prevent issues from coming back. She is also trained in other practices such as yoga and craniosacral therapy which she has used to enhance her work on me. I highly recommend Allison to anyone who is considering trying out Rolfing.

What first brought me to Allison was a right hip issue. While teaching a group exercise class, I could no longer demonstrate lunges because it was so painful. A friend recommended I see Allison and explained what Rolfing was to me. I had NEVER heard of it before, and even had to ask my friend how to spell it. At this point, I had been teaching exercise classes for 20 years, and had 3 C-section deliveries within the last 5 years. All these factors, plus daily life stress, led up to my hip issue. I asked around to see if anyone else I knew had heard of Rolfing. The ones who had responded with “Man – that is excruciating, but totally worth it!” As much as my hip hurt, I really wasn’t interested in MORE pain to fix the problem. I called Allison after checking out her website, explained my issue, and asked her to please be up-front about the level of pain. If it was as bad as everyone else said it was, then I would find a different solution. Allison said on a scale of 1-10, most clients would say the intensity is never more than a 4. Okay, I thought, I can handle a 4, so I set an appointment. I have told the story of my first appointment with Allison MANY times – it is something I will never forget. I had not told my husband about the appointment, afraid he would not be supportive. I was also still skeptical, but figured I had nothing to lose. Allison did an initial assessment, asking lots of questions, then watched me walk back & forth. When she had me lie down on the massage table, she started messing with my right foot. It felt as if one of my kids was gently poking me to get my attention. In my head I thought, “Oh great! This is it? My husband is going to kill me if he finds out I spent money to get my foot poked. What does my foot have to do with my hip? Not sure why other people said it was excruciating – it doesn’t feel like she’s doing anything.” Then Allison broke my internal conversation and asked me to walk again. The moment I stood up from that table, my right foot went flat against the ground, my hip shot back in place, and I could stand up without any pain. It felt like a miracle, and I was completely sold on Rolfing and Allison’s expertise. I know others have not had as dramatic of an experience, but anyone I have ever referred to Allison has had a positive experience working through their own muscle & alignment issues WITHOUT experiencing excruciating pain - including my husband ☺ WHAT KEEPS ME COMING BACK: A painful issue got me in the door, but Allison's ability to help me create muscle symmetry is what keeps me as a client. Having Allison's help to keep my alignment intact allows me to live an active lifestyle without ''working through pain." Whether it is teaching classes, going on hikes with the family, playing tennis, or enjoying the occasional run, I want to enjoy ALL these activities and more without complaining about back / hip / knee / foot / shoulder, or any other kind of pain for as long as I can. Allison is a remarkable in many ways. She is an excellent listener, and is incredibly thoughtful & gentle in her recommendations. I always feel "lifted up" after leaving a session with her, never beaten down by what I haven't done right. I'm constantly amazed at her passion for further education in her field, and feel I always benefit from the latest research and techniques in regards to Rolfing. I am very proud to have been one of Allison's clients for the past 5 years, and would whole-heartedly recommend her services to anyone looking to bring balance to their bodies.

Rolfing has complimented my lifestyle in so many ways. Growing up and through my 20's I was an avid sports enthusiast. Soccer, tennis, running daily... I played soccer since I was 5 and then competitively through college. It was about 4 years ago that I was having ultra-tight calves after doing any activities for longer than 30 minutes. The tight calves were leading to many other muscle issues even up into my shoulders...It was time to give Rolfing a chance...luckily Allison was close. Once I spoke with Allison about my issues she walked me through the program. I did 10 visits in 6 months. After my first visit I was confident this could work...by the 4th visit I was well on my way. Allison explained Rolfing throughout the process and educated me on each and every area she worked on. I was back to running and playing soccer within 3 weeks of visits. I finished the first 10 sessions and continue to go back every 3-5 weeks for tune-ups. The tune-ups work on pretty much any issues from tightness in the forearms from being on a computer all day to sore hips...the tune-ups sometimes are just top to bottom to help posture My question is always- "How do people not get Rolfing done in order to maintain quality of life?"

Receiving Allison's specialized form of Rolfing work throughout my entire pregnancy and post-partum (& onward) has been tremendously supportive to me and my baby! My growing and changing body was educated from Allison's insights of how to move with more integrity, more wisely by learning how to carry myself with increased awareness in the foundation of my feet, all the way upward through my hips, pelvis, chest, neck, head...this whole ladder of integrated parts that she cares for brings forth a feeling a wholeness I am so thankful to have had such great pain relief from Allison's work on my hips, pelvis and sciatic area during pregnancy. I felt more spacious and lighter in my body as Allison worked with the connective tissue, fascia, nerve pathways and musculature to bring an expansive feeling to me and my baby's evolving positioning in utero. I have learned how to better breath into areas of my body that were feeling comprised or even "collapsed". Areas of my body that I didn't even realize were "stuck" & have been freed, reeducated and aligned to bring me more ease, grace and comfort. The scope of Allison's knowledge base, experience and additional holistic views on how the Somatic Body-Mind work together is just one of many other added benefits that she is able to offer as she integrates all her fields of study into a "more than just Rolfing" approach to her therapeutic offerings. I am so grateful for all I have received from Allison's skilled, caring and highly effective work!