THE SOMA STORY

Dr. Bill Williams developed SOMA or Soma Structural Integration in 1977 upon the bones of Ida Rolf’s classic 10 series of Structural Integration, which addresses the body’s structure and relationship to gravity. Williams, who held a PhD in Psychology, studied directly with Rolf and created SOMA with her blessing. With his mental health background, he saw a need to address the whole being and wove the connection between body, mind, and spirit into the work. Williams handed over the work to Karen Bolesky in 1986. Bolesky later added the Arm Session to the 10 series because she observed in American culture a need to address the hands and arms with more specific work. She also created Somassage®, a type of massage specific to SOMA that supports the structural changes made through the Series.

Structural Integration works to release chronic structural aberrations and realign the body. As the body rebalances and its movement becomes more efficient, people notice they have more coordination, ease, and grace. The result is a body that can process experiences more effectively with greater awareness and creative options.

MY STORY

Deborah Nimmons, BCSI, CSP, LMT
Board Certified Structural Integrator
License #MA60318139
Member: IASI (International Association of Structural Integrators)

I come to Structural Integration from another world of study and work. Taken as a whole, the story makes up a life’s journey home to healing and movement. I hold a B.A. from Baylor University in Philosophy and German, a J.D. from the University of Texas, a Massage Technician’s Certificate from the Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing, and a Certificate in Structural Integration from the Soma Institute of Neuromuscular Integration®. Since graduating from the Soma Institute, I have studied with teachers who trained directly with Ida Rolf and have ventured into more specific work (including neurovascular release, ScarWork, other movement modalities) and into completely new areas such as Craniosacral Therapy. All of these studies have been part of a quest to understand more about how to help my clients.

As a child, I was fearless, full of life, and loved to run, climb, play, and dance. I loved to move. I also loved to work with my hands, finding objects and working to transform them into something beautiful: weaving pine needles into nests, not because anyone taught me, but because pine needles could be woven together to create something new and useful. My mother engendered in me an awe of the natural world which developed into a love of science, or perhaps more broadly, a love of observing, engaging, and learning. Curiosity.

My work returns me to these roots: I get to work with my hands affecting a person’s physical body to improve movement, form, and function, to reduce pain and limitation, to create the beauty of freedom and grace. Every day I get to study science, nature, art, movement, and (most importantly) the person in front of me. I get to use all of me to help someone else.

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