Patricia Wandler interview with Sara Soltau

SS: What qualities do you think are essential for those considering a career in Rolfing?

PW: First of all, a potential student would need to have some physical strength, more of a mesomorphic (muscular) body type in order to do the work without straining themselves. Secondly, an aptitude for observation is very helpful . The perception of form, space and energy is very useful in "seeing" how to work with each client. In addition, a prospective Rolfer should be able to listen to people and not impose an agenda. To honor and respect all aspects of the client in the moment. So a strong ego structure in the best sense would be helpful in order to not become defensive when the client presents their own defenses and emotional reactions. The idea is to be able to allow a space for the client to be themselves. In other words, appropriate boundaries. This will assist and allow the client to be open and available to all aspects of themselves, without interference, so that they are free to change. Or, free to Not change as is sometimes the case. You have to respect that.

SS: Could you say more about this idea, allowing space for the client to change?

PW: I had a male client who really didn't want his body to change. His posture did improve some, but, he wanted an emotional breakthrough. I had to tell him, look, Rolfing may not be your process for emotional discharge. We did do some exploration of his emotions, but, he was disappointed and sometimes angry with his sessions because he didn't have the discharge he sought. I completely understood his feelings. and we occasionally discussed other modalities, but he did want to continue and so we completed the 10 session series. The point is, however, I received a letter from him a year later thanking me and stating that even though he had wanted a great emotional breakthrough during the Rolfing, he realized that he did have profound changes in the way he communicated and received communication. He attributed the Rolfing to greatly improving his connection in relationship to other people and this had changed his life. So , the results were not what he had expected. But, he found that the changes he did have were very "useful" in his life.

SS: How do you think this change occurred?

PW: I think that by being able to work with him despite his disappointment and expectation, acknowledged and allowed something in his character to be okay , to be accepted , while the actual work on his body loosened the holding in his tissues. Rolfing loosens the old mechanisms of holding in the body and it softens this protective armour. When there is a "holding in" of ones emotions , there is going to be a 'holding' at the body level that helps to keep it in. Once this is softened, it is easier for the person to sense themselves and to sense what they do feel. I think it took time for this client to integrate what did occur in the Rolfing and then time for him to experience and notice what was different in his life. Then because he had a better sense of himself, he could communicate maybe more of what was true for him and conversely be there for others when they were communicating to him.

SS: Do you think this is a common experience ?

PW: I suppose it is. Personally, in my own experience of being Rolfed, I was immediately aware of physical change. The final result being an ease and economy of movement, even beating an egg, it gave me such pleasure! I also felt like the communication between myself and my mind became quicker. The communication lag with myself about my experience was decreased and thoughts were computed more quickly. I am sure others have had similar experiences. It is also the case that the full manifestation of the results from the Rolfing take time to integrate into the body and into ones awareness. I always tell people, " It will be 3 months before you can realize what you have gotten out of the work, so be sure to take a look then". There is a delay with the Rolfing, maybe the posture looks much better right away, even better after a year and the emotional, behavioral changes take place in that ripple. It is a process that takes time.

SS: Tell me more about this process.

PW: It’s a process of moving toward the goal of integration for the whole person and the individual goals that each client has. We are not necessarily going to achieve that ideal, but we are moving toward that goal. So it is good to have a way to assess the progress of it. I judge my work on the freedom of movement that can be achieved. That, of course, brings other levels of discernment.... body type, physical impairment, emotional resistance etc. all need to be taken into account in achieving the goals. That being said, I still believe, and I am alert to, any emotional or spiritual (and these days, political) agendas that have no place in the Rolfing room. Then it frees me to work with what can be seen and communicate with my client on what they want to reveal or not. I happily accept what changes do occur- such as improvement in their golf or tennis games or riding horses. And if they have emotional or spiritual break throughs, I'm equally happy. But, I believe that the client has done the emotional/spiritual change - not me. As Ida Rolf so often repeated, "gravity is the therapist".

In Memorium – Patricia A. Wandler, 1927-2006

One of Santa Barbara’s great treasures, Patricia A. Wandler, passed away at age 78 on April 28, 2006 after a valiant battle with cancer. Patricia was known to many as a Rolfer, healer, and friend. She had a larger-than-life existence that changed the lives of others forever. Her ability to heal the body and see through to the soul was a gift to all who knew her. She had a keen sense of self, encouraged the personal growth of others, and delighted in hearing their accomplishments and triumphs.

Though she would never admit to it, Patricia was a gifted healer. People said she could “unhook” pain as if by magic. She mastered the technique of Rolfing and brought to it her understanding of mind and spirit. The way Patricia treated her clients was part of the healing process. She saw people for who they were and she most always appreciated what she saw. So much laughter came out of her Rolfing room. The camaraderie she established with her clients and the delight she took in them fostered their healing. In her later life, she operated as a Rolfer from a deep level of intuitive knowing. She was truly a master Rolfer.

Reprinted from the Santa Barbara Independent "In Memorium" by Joyce Johnson, with Dona Haber and Marsha Elleston