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This new edition of Deep Tissue Sculpting, a how-to manual for cultivating consciousness, self-care and client connection-is very much up-to-date in providing a richly textured and uncomplicated mind/body perspective. Osborne-Sheets continues to make an important contribution to the massage therapy profession.
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If this text by Carole Osborne-Sheets had been included in their [many students] curriculum, the mystery of deep work would have been resolved and the relationship of “tissue sculpting” to many other forms of bodywork would have been explained.
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Reviews of the First Edition of Deep Tissue Sculpting

Connected touch has a quality which permits the practitioner to sink unintrusively into the tissue of the client,; at its most powerful, this is combined with the deep subjective awareness of the client which Trager calls hook-up and Osborne-Sheets describes as working from the physical, emotional, and mental body centers. Osborne-Sheets brings together a great deal of information usually available only in lectures at those massage schools which teach connected touch and at workshops.
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This is not just a technical manual. It offers clear descriptions of the principles upon which soft tissue therapy is based.

The real strength of this book is its artistic presentation. It offers a rare insight into the psyche of the massage practitioner who has transitioned into an artist. A must for anyone in the massage profession sincerely interested in becoming a professional and becoming an artist.
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The first technical manual from which a therapist can actually learn deep tissue massage...An excellent textbook by one of the finest teachers in the U.S. This is not just a technical manual. It offers clear descriptions of the principles upon which soft tissue therapy is based.

Review by Lisa Mertz in Massage Therapy Journal, Spring 2003

One of the basic principles of Deep Tissue Sculpting states: "Natural, effortless movement between receptive and active energy within both the client and the practitioner is the goal of many forms of body therapy" (p. 31). For me, this principle underlies the work described in this new edition, edited and expanded by Osborne-Sheets, a longtime AMTA member and co-founder of the Institute of PsychoStructural, now known as the International Professional School of Bodywork, in San Diego. In order to engender an effortless receptive/active connection, the book describes how practitioners need to continue to refine their perception and palpation skills, focus their intentionality, and sharpen their understanding of the human body.

To these ends, Osborne-Sheets, as the book's subtitle suggests, offers a holistic vision for bodywork, balancing both artistic and technical aspects. The more technical include the following: reviews of considerations for bodywork modification, for example, lightening pressure when a client cannot give reliable feedback due to medications; discussions of muscular and connective tissue anatomy and physiology; effects of deep tissue sculpting; and perspectives on structural alignment. She describes the body as "a sculpture formed around the framework of the bones ... Skeletal elements provide relatively solid base for creating a unique expression of curve, texture, proportion, density, and movement that is the individual human body" (p. 33). She explains structural misalignments and imbalances, but not the interwoven processes of growth and deterioration between hard and soft tissue. Why do so many elders require hip or knee replacements? What causes the neck of the femur to "wear out?"

Osborne-Sheets begins to answer such questions in Chapter 4, "Body/Mind: The Role of Emotions in Chronic Tension and Pain" (p. 47). Herein, she cites some of the leading thinkers in somatic psychology, which she defines as "the integral interaction between the physical body, the emotions, and the soul" (p. 47). She emphasizes Candace Pert's research in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which has demonstrated "beyond any doubt that the human is itself an interconnected holistic entity" (p. 48). She also refers to the work of Peter Levine, that memories of traumatic experience left unresolved remain active in the nervous system, "creating residual traumatic symptoms" that can lead to chronic emotional stress, which in turn becomes chronic musculoskeletal stress (p. 50).

With deep tissue sculpting, clients often get in touch with the underlying emotional issues. Along with continuing education in massage and bodywork techniques, many therapists supplement their practices with training in emotional release methods. Osborne-Sheets is a student of the Arica Institute, an eclectic school of consciousness studies.

The second half of the book is dedicated to the methods of deep tissue sculpting: how "to listen and intuit holistically so that clear session intentions can evolve"; how to develop graceful, self-nurturing body mechanics; how to enter and exit from the client's body with exquisite sensitivity; how to create a profound connection with the client, to be receptive and active (p. 57). In her section on perceiving the client, she includes physical and energetic anatomy. Osborne-Sheets then presents clear explanations of the techniques of deep tissue sculpting- compression and compression-to-stroke-to elongate and stretch the muscle and fascia. Precise application of these techniques arises from the practitioner's focused intention.

Following explanations and illustrations of specific applications, the book offers "tableside technique guides" printed on cardstock with tiny photos and reminders for the procedures, intentions, vectors (i.e., medial, caudal and inferior), and hints and precautions. I especially appreciate the reminders of precautions! The book concludes with a chapter on integrating the techniques into your practice. An example is included of a recommended 10-session treatment plan modeled on Dr. Ida Rolf's 10-session guidelines. Lastly, there are three case studies showing the effects of this work with individual clients.

This is the second edition of the 1991 text. Over the intervening 10-plus years, major research has been conducted on the psychological and physiological effects of massage. This new edition of Deep Tissue Sculpting-a how-to manual for cultivating consciousness, self-care and client connection-is very much up-to-date in providing a richly textured and uncomplicated mind/body perspective. Osborne-Sheets continues to make an important contribution to the massage therapy profession.

MTJ Book Review Editor Lisa Mertz, director of the massage therapy program at Trocaire College in Buffalo, New York

Review by Charlotte Michael Versagi in Massage Maganize, Spring 2003

Many massage-therapy students graduate from bodywork schools with a basic understanding of a solid Swedish massage and a moderate amount of knowledge in other modalities, but a woeful lack of understanding about respectful and intelligent deep work. Many students and new practitioners think that trigger-point work means leaning on a client with probing thumbs until the client squirms and then leaves the table—probably bruised and unsatisfied. If this text by Carole Osborne-Sheets had been included in their curriculum, the mystery of deep work would have been resolved and the relationship of “tissue sculpting” to many other forms of bodywork would have been explained. This book is not the only one to nicely explain deep bodywork, but it is one of the best.

In the first chapter, Osborne-Sheets states, “Deep tissue sculpting is one of the ... most effective, practical techniques for the release of chronic tension. Penetrating, yet non-intrusive, deep tissue sculpting has proven to be reliable in releasing soft tissue tension and pain associated with stress, overexertion and some injuries and illnesses.” Osborne-Sheets uses the remainder of the book to prove and explain this statement.

She carefully outlines the anatomy behind hypertonic muscles; offers a respectful nod to other forms of bodywork from which she has gained her understanding of the body’s physiological response to chronic tension; gives detailed evidence for this modality’s efficacy; and provides easy-to-follow protocols for specific conditions. Illustrations and photographs are ample and effective it supporting the text. Also impressive is her willingness to list 11 contraindications for this modality alongside pre-and perinatal sculpting precautions.

None of this is new or startling—and that’s what makes the book so attractive. It takes anatomical and physiological concepts we learned in school, combines them with our frustration as therapists at trying to into” bodies that can be unyielding, and gives us step-b~-step effective methods to help release tension. If you don’t have time to take a weeklong course in various forms myofascial releases just spend the money on this book. and you’ll be more effective as a therapist.

The author states that deep-tissue sculpting can often bring about emotional releases, “including intense crying, screaming, kicking and other expressions of anger.” She outlines methods to handle these outbursts, such as rubbing the belly and stroking the chin, which I consider to be invasive and well beyond my scope of practice. I would have preferred she strongly suggest that those of us who are not willing psychotherapist merely do no harm — sit near a client during these outbursts and then refer to an appropriate talk therapist.

Other than this objection, the book is incredibly valuable and can be immediately helpful.

Charlotte Michael Versagi, L.M T, NC. TMB., is a journalist, a hospital lymphedema therapist who also sees cancer patients, and a science instructor in a massage-therapy program at The Carnegie Institute in Troy, Michigan.

Review in Massage Therapy Journal (Fall 1991 Issue)

Deep Tissue Sculpting is Carole Osborne-Sheets' loving presentation of her work. In its two major sections, she describes the physical and metaphysical dimensions of bodywork. The physical dimension includes a brief explanation of her technique: "firm, constant compressions and strokes applied parallel to the muscle fibers" and instructions for working body areas (back and pelvic girdle, low back and abdomen, neck and shoulders) which evoke her background in structural balancing.

The metaphysical dimension includes the roles of connected touch and visualization. Connected touch has a quality that permits the practitioner to sink unintrusively into the client, at its most powerful, this is combined with the deep subjective awareness of the client which Trager calls hook-up and Osborne-Sheets describers as working from the physical, emotional and metal body centers. In visualization, as Osborne-Sheets understands it, the bodyworker uses anatomical, rather than metaphorical, imagery to see the body part being worked responding to the work. Thus the hands send many messages to the flesh.

In this compact, easy to handle book, Osborne-Sheets brings together a great deal of information usually available only in lectures at those massage schools which teach connected touch and at workshops. This is supplemented by information on the physiology of fasica, causes of neck and back pain, and an appendix on the origin, insertion and function of relevant muscles.

Review by Paul St. John, reviewed in Massage Magazine (July/August 1992 - issue 38)

This very reasonably priced book is extremely well written, the kind of writing you would expect from a former English teacher. But what this book offers goes far beyond good writing technique. It offers a blend of philosophy, science, art and love.

It has an excellent short review of the anatomy and physiology of muscles and their functions. Because we are in the muscle business, it is my opinion that everyone should know origins, insertions, functions and physiology - and this book adequately meets those requirements.

It addresses contraindications for deep tissue manipulation or body sculpting, as the author calls her work. But it is also the insight of someone who is in transition from a technician into an artist. The book covers the psycho-physiological connection and how our spirit intertwines with our physical matter.

Of particular interest is Osborne-Sheets' insistence on analyzing the client using all our perceptual sense. This is something that our profession must address. If we consider the other healing arts professions, we have to sooner or later consider that 90 percent of what a doctor or dentist is trained to do is making diagnoses.

Yet, e are being dictated to and asked to serve people who have psychological and physiological needs without making an adequate, or what Osborne-Sheets calls, "an appropriate analysis." She more than adequately addresses that process.

If there is a weakness to this book, it is that the photographs are not adequate to describe the degree of artistic work the author is trying to convey. Additionally, the part of the book that addresses the client's perceptions and responses could be expanded dramatically. It is that communication and the client's perceptions that add synergistically to their response to our work.

There's a portion that addresses the client's mechanics which is very well done. There are adequate techniques which also offer what the author calls "hints." There are caveats of her perception and her wisdom that she has gained during her artistic journey.

There is an abundance of techniques offered by this book with important considerations to each part of the body. She also offers a view of the future, of how soft-tissue manipulation can be integrated with other modalities. Each chapter is more than adequately footnoted with luminaries in the field of bodywork such as Rolf, Trager and Cottingham as well as others in the psychological field such as Dychtwald and Lowen.

The real strength of this book, though, is its artistic presentation. It offers a rare insight into the psyche of the massage practitioner who has transitioned into an artist. The book adequately states the importance of changing the health care system into a more spiritually based and humanistically evolved profession.

For example, on page 29, we find: "Observation, analysis and intuition produce a knowing of what work will be appropriate. Deep tissue sculpting and all bodywork can affect the client posturally, imagistically, archetypically, emotionally, intellectually, physiologically and spiritually. First there must be an answer or answers tot he question, 'What is the effect I want to create?' The practitioner then needs to hold this intention in her mind."

In my experience, much of what we accomplish or hope to accomplish comes from our intention. It is rare insights like this, and i might add the book is filled with many of them, which makes this book a must for anyone in the massage profession sincerely interested in becoming a professional and becoming an artist.