What is the EMMETT Technique?

So, what exactly is the EMMETT Technique?

The EMMETT Technique is a simple to apply, light touch body therapy. It is gentle and easy on the body and hands of the client and in the practitioner. Using light pressure, the technique works on unique points within the muscles and muscle groups. Triggering a relaxation response in the soft tissues of the body, resulting in the feeling of improved comfort and wellbeing. These unique points are present all over the body. All identified and taught by the founder of the technique, Australian therapist, Ross Emmett. The qualified practitioner uses their skills and targets the area of concern, to address the unique needs of each client.

Carried out sitting, standing or lying down, the relaxation response in the soft tissues is usually immediate. It is an extremely flexible technique and can be combined with other techniques to enhance the results. Due to this non-invasive therapy being so gentle, many people have it rather than pursuing heavier pressure therapies. The therapy being able to be offered through clothing, is a further advantage.

Emmett Technique Benefits

Any area of the body can benefit from a release in muscle tension. In my clinic, the major symptoms I have been helping with, over the 14 years of my practise of the EMMETT Technique, have been head, neck, shoulders and backs. Interestingly, if you asked many therapists the question “what type of problems do you help most?”, quite a number would say that they get a spate of the same problem. For me this past week it seems to be knees and also people who want to boost their immune system with a lymphatic treatment. The later not surprising after the pandemic.

The EMMETT technique is available for people, horses and dogs too.

Obviously, as the Covid-19 crisis draws to a close and we get back to more of a normal way of working, many of us are more involved in helping clients deal with the ongoing stress and anxiety of such uncertain times.

How Many Treatments Are Usually Needed

Often it is possible to make a change in the first session but it may be beneficial to have a follow-up treatment session to re-enforce the treatment.

The need for more sessions depends on the presenting issue and how long term the condition has been experienced.  Many people have a list of areas of the body that need help. In those cases it is important to take the sessions one by one, working with the client to identify their priorities fir each session. Making adjustments in tension in one part of the body can often influence the whole body and therefore further assessment is needed at each session as the body changes.

Many clients choose to schedule maintenance sessions, especially if they work in physically or psychologically challenging occupations. Also those clients with chronic conditions feel it beneficial to come for an EMMETT session on a regular basis to maintain their comfort levels. Quite a number of people choose to include EMMETT Technique into their health and wellbeing routines for relaxation as well as specific issues. Serious sportspeople also like to choose EMMETT and will often request what they call an “MOT & Service” session to check all their muscles and treat the ines that are out of balance.

Hospital Waiting Times

In times when hospital waiting times are increasing, keeping people comfortable is so important to their wellbeing and quality of life. Currently I have a number of clients facing long waits for joint replacement surgery and working to keep them able to function in a comfortable way.

The EMMETT Technique is a truly “complementary” therapy – and can work alongside all other forms of treatments, exercise regimes and medical intervention. It is suitable for all ages and for people of all levels of ability. My youngest client has been 10 days old and the oldest was 97.

Animal clients are the same – from puppies and foals to elderly animals, EMMETT can make a difference.

Training in the EMMETT Technique

There are a number of choices for learning EMMETT Technique.

a. Easy Muscle Management – also called EMM-Tech

There is an 8 hour Introductory short course available for those who want to learn 11 techniques for self care as well as for family and friends. At this level, this is not a professional training, although a lot of practising therapists, medical and exercise professionals do come to this course to see if it is something that they would like to take further.

These short courses are available to learn to help people, horses and dogs.

b. Specialist Courses

An exciting new development, which I have been heavily involved in, has begun to be rolled out across the World.

A specialist short course for people who have qualifications in a foot care profession – podiatry, chiropody, reflexology and foot health professionals. This 8 hour course adds more EMMETT techniques focussed on the lower leg and foot. It allows these professionals to integrate EMMETT with their other techniques to enhance their treatments. The EMM-tech course is a pre-requisite for this course.

More specialist courses are now available:

• one for specialising in hands / arms – great for hand therapists, massage therapists and hand reflexologists.     

• another for exercise professionals such as yoga teachers, Pilates teachers and personal trainers

On the animal side, specialist courses are becoming available for farriers and for saddle fitters.

c. Professional Training

The practitioner level training is a 12 day course, taken in two day modules with around 6 – 8 weeks between modules to allow for practise. This training allows students to be registered and insured as an EMMETT Practitioner.

There is no pre-requisite for this training and we have a number of students who are learning EMMETT as their first ever hands-on therapy.

Professional training is available to treat people, horses and dogs.

Adding EMMETT Technique To Existing Skills

EMMETT Technique is an ideal therapy to add to a therapist’s existing skills. We have the full range of complementary therapists who have trained, as well as a growing number of medical, veterinary and exercise practitioners. Being able to add a quick and simple correction in the middle of another treatment or exercise routine can add so much value for the client. It can also take the strain out of performing the heavier duty therapies. We also have people who are trained in the “talking therapies” who will often add a physical correction to allow the client to feel more relaxed and in less discomfort during a talking therapies session.

How long has EMMETT been around in the UK

Ross Emmet taught his first course here in the UK in 2007, and I was privileged to be a student on his first UK course. Since then, Ross Emmett has travelled the world running training courses and the technique has now reached 40 countries. There is a great little YouTube video showing Ross Emmett in action

More details can be found at :

www.emmett-uk.co.uk – for the human side of the therapy

Www.emmett4animals.uk – for the animal side of the therapy

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