James’ Work
James is a skilled therapist who has been in the practice of helping love on people for 18+ years.
It’s become a running joke in our family that every time someone asks, “What is it that you do?” he can never quite describe what really goes on inside the office. And those that come to see him also find they can’t quite describe what happens.
While people often come in at first to ease their body’s acute or longstanding pain through bodywork, the somatic practice of working through these patterns of restriction often leads to deeper transformational work.
The patterns that show up in the body are reflected in all aspects of our life: in how we relate to ourselves, our kids, our partners, our work, even how we do the laundry and clean the floors. To work on the body without working on our attachment to these other patterns of restriction is to keep the divine therapy at the most superficial level: you may see a change in the tissues and find bodily relief, but for how long, and to what degree?
One of James’s clients said to him once, “Oh, you just do bodywork to get people through the door.” This kind of deeper transformational work can only happen when we are willing to surrender to a compassionate therapeutic touch and presence.
We must be willing to feel the pain to allow for its release. We must be willing to experience noble suffering to come into a newer, and free-er, reality.
So, while people have come to see James for bodywork, the deeper transformational work happens with the sharing in spiritual dialogue and dropping into a deeper place of prayer together.
These days, James’ therapeutic style is a spontaneous blending of somatic movement therapy, spiritual dialogue, centering prayer practice, with a sprinkle of touch therapy thrown into the mix. The resulting plate is mighty delicious, highly nutritious, and deeply nourishing.
Other than 1:1 client work, he guides people in intensive retreats and regularly offers somatic movement classes, meditation groups, and ceremonial tea sits at Reclaim Wellness in North Ogden, UT.
As he usually tells clients before their first session, “Come in with an open heart and an open mind and let’s see what happens.”
”God (Reality) wants to experience you as much as you want to experience God (Reality).”
— James Thomson