Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Keller.
Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was a Psychology major at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. I was in my third year of school when I took my first Somatic Psychology course. My professor created an assignment where we had to write a research paper on a holistic treatment modality of our choice. When I heard about Structural Integration, I was immediately fascinated.
I had to get a session from a local practitioner and write about my experience. When I first heard about Structural Integration is sounded like if you were to morph a Physical Therapist and Psychologist together and I thought to myself – Genius! Why doesn’t everybody do this? I got a session and was instantly in love. It was definitely the most conscious form of bodywork I had ever received coupled with the psycho-emotional aspect of the work designed to address emotions and trauma stored in the body.
I got an A on my research paper and, of course, went forward to graduate from University. In my second semester of my senior year of college, I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma – I ended up having to start chemotherapy while still midway through my last semester at college. This, of course, changed the course of my career as I was in the middle of applying for graduate programs in clinical psychology with the intention to become a psychologist.
My oncologist told me I would be doing chemo and radiation from anywhere to six months to a year – And of course, I did not want to be doing chemo and radiation while in graduate school, so I did not complete my application process and committed fully to my treatment. Several months later, I finished chemo and radiation and was in good enough standing to begin my full recovery process. Once my treatment was over, I wanted to join the workforce and ended up getting a job as a Care Coordinator in a homeless shelter in Far Rockaway, NY, for the next two years.
Needless to say, I was miserable at my job, underpaid, overworked and working in the field with minimal support from my agency I decided to quit and move to Ecuador with my partner of three years. After moving to Ecuador and working in hostels in exchange for places to stay, my partner ended our relationship and moved back to the States. I decided to stay in South America and travel the coast of Ecuador and Peru for four months. After many months of travel exploring the jungles, the coast, the amazon and the little cities, I decided to return to NY to pursue my career in Structural Integration.
I got a job in October, working for UPS as a package delivery driver for a few months to save the last couple of thousands of dollars I needed for school. I finished out the season with UPS and began my Structural Integration training at The New School for Structural Integration in Laguna Beach, California, in February 2017. I graduated June of 2018 and upon graduation, my mentor Aimee Kolsby asked me if I would have an interest in teaching Structural Integration. I said, of course, and now I am an assistant to the teachers at school and have my own private practice in San Diego, California. I have lived here officially since August 7th, 2018 and have been practicing here ever since.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle along the way for me was building a practice from the ground up. I loved San Diego when I was making my commute from NY to CA each month for my training and knew the culture there would be very supportive of my work. It took several months for my practice to take off. I attended every networking and vending event I could get my hands on. I spent hours a day contacting local Chiropractors, Yoga Studios, Pilates instructors, business owners, corporate work offices, etc., in order to develop relationships within the community. I viewed every single day as an opportunity to provide my services to those around me and I carried this mantra with me everywhere I went and then, of course, people slowly starting making their way to my office.
My advice to other women would be – Do not let anyone stand in the way of your ambitions. Do not allow the limited views of those around you impact the pursuit of your dreams. If I allowed other people’s doubt to shape my pursuit, I would not be the successful business owner I am today. If you believe in it enough – make it happen. You can do anything you set your mind to once your mind is made – remain true to yourself.
We’d love to hear more about your practice.
I am a Structural Integration practitioner. Structural Integration is a process-oriented systematic approach of bodywork that combines hands-on myofascial manipulation with movement education designed to realign the client’s relationship to their body and the world around them. What makes my practice unique is that my belief is that the power to change belongs to the client.
As a Structural Integration practitioner, I am interested in establishing an integrated, aligned body that moves harmoniously and efficiently within the field of gravity. I facilitate a process that allows the client to expand their self-awareness and develop new movement patterns gained through the Ten Series. The classic Structural Integration Ten Series is the recipe used to serve as a foundation upon which the client can learn to change habitual movement patterns, eliminate chronic pain and tension; avoid injury, and develop tools to quickly bring themselves back into balance through their expanded awareness.
Through the lens of Structural Integration, I seek to look at the whole individual instead of parts or pieces in order to understand the deeper underlying patterns at the root of each client’s issue. This modality allows the client to make profound and lasting improvements in their posture, energy levels, mobility, pain and body awareness. What sets me apart from others is that my goal is to encourage my clients to get back to the best versions of themselves so that they can feel empowered in their body and mind. I practice conscious bodywork in order to encourage my clients feel more at home in their skin.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
I often refer to The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk – A book about trauma, PTSD and all the different interventions available to address trauma in the body and mind. I have recently been listening to TED talks by Esther Perel on relationships and always find her influencing my understanding of the formation of healthy relationships. Relationships with partners, friends, family and, of course, the relationships we have with ourselves.
I am also a huge fan of Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication. This book has deeply influenced my communication style in listening to my clients, understanding their stories and the underlying needs expressed through their struggles.
Pricing:
- Structural Integration Session – 180$ per session
- Structural Integration Ten Series Package – 1700$
Contact Info:
- Address: Lauren Keller Structural Integration
2423 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 105
San Diego, CA 92108 - Website: www.LaurenKellerSI.com
- Phone: 516-884-0405
- Email: LaurenNicoleKeller@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkellersi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenKellerSI/
Image Credit:
@D_is4donuts
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