Offloading means the patient is in a pretty negative state of mind and heart due to stress at work or at home. It’s a bit of “kick the dog” syndrome or “scream at the waitress” kind of thing where the practitioner, me, is considered sort of a neutral person they don’t live with and maybe could be replaced if the client doesn’t get their way. It’s childish. Maybe they think they’re paying me to listen to them offload when that’s actually not my job or any bodyworker’s job. Therefore, the client dumps their negativity off in my office. This is the first time it’s happened consistently in one week; last week.

I’m not a counselor, so honestly, I’m not sure if talk therapists allow offloading or in fact, are paid to listen to offloading from clients and then at some point turn the session around. I do know from talking to other therapists that a continually negative, immature client isn’t one we’re likely to keep. We call it “firing a client”. They refuse to turn it around so we can refuse treatment. I actually did just fire a client for this reason. The week after that I had a consistent spate of regular clients coming in with very negative experiences they just threw-up verbally all over my office who don’t usually do that. It can’t happen again so I’m about to set a boundary.

How will I set the boundary? If it wasn’t a one-time-enigma and happens again I’ll just say to everyone, “While you’re on the table and I’m working let’s practice mindfulness. I need you to focus on your body, how it feels as I’m working and how you’d like it to feel once it’s aligned.” That should quiet them down.

All bodyworkers know that the body holds energy in its crystalline structure that is resonant. There is crystal in all ELM devices so, they are in our bodies as well and more. There are even minute magnets in the brain. I’m not keen on my patients making me look bad because I do very, very fine work. So, I think patients need to help themselves and help us out by turning their focus to a positive state while they’re on our table and even off the table just in the office.