09/13/2025
Sometimes your body speaks the truth before your mind can catch up.
Recently, I had a client break down in tears during the middle of a massage session. She came in for relief from some intense pain in her hips that had been waking her up throughout the night.
During her intake, she mentioned that she had been carrying a lot: caretaking for a loved one while working full time. Her goal was to get some relief from both her stress and hip pain.
A little over half way through the session as her muscles began to soften, her shoulders began to lower and relax, her breath slowed, and then came the tears.
This is more common than people think. When we are in a state of constant “go mode,” all the emotions that we are ignoring don’t simply disappear. They live in the shallow breaths, in the clenched jaw, in the shoulders that are inching up toward our ears, or in the depths of the hip flexors that keep one tossing and turning in the night.
As she experienced this emotional release, I held space for her and made sure she wanted to continue. I reminded her that this is a normal response and is a healthy part of the process.
We finished the session, and afterward she looked at me and said, “I feel so much lighter.”
What’s interesting about her session is that she came in for hip pain that had reached the point of impacting her sleep, but was able to release more than just that hip pain during the session.
“The biopsychosocial model posits that the experience of health is multidimensional, composed of interdependent factors,” says Erika Larson, LMT. “Physical well-being and emotional well-being are interwoven. While some clients may seek treatment primarily focused on one dimension of health, treatment effects cannot be restricted to a single dimension.”
Research shows that massage therapy is beneficial for mental health by lowering the stress hormone cortisol, improving mood by increasing the neurotransmitter oxytocin, increase bodily awareness, increase mindfulness, and help reduce chronic pain symptoms.
Emotional release on the massage table is not often talked about but it is a very normal response to bodywork.
If you were to ever have an emotional release on the table at our studio, know that you are in a space with trained professionals equipped to provide you a safe space to process your emotions. Allow yourself to feel what is coming up and know you are in an environment free of judgement. Communicate with your therapist what you are experiencing physically if you are comfortable doing so that they may adjust the session or techniques to best support you. Focus on your breath and increase the depth of your breathing to help keep you present and grounded. Practice compassion toward yourself and know this is a positive step toward letting go.
Keep in mind, massage therapists are not psychotherapists and are not equipped to talk you through emotional experiences or to give advice. That is beyond our scope of practice, but we can facilitate a safe, supportive environment for you to process emotions rising from sensations in the body during a bodywork session.
Here is a link to an article by the American Massage Therapy Association that outlines the benefits of massage therapy for mental health: https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/mental-health-benefits-of-massage-therapy/
Although this story was shared anonymously, I obtained permission from the client to share this.
