Integrating the EMMETT Technique with Reflexology
A Gentle Partnership for Whole-Body Wellbeing
As complementary therapists, we are often looking for ways to broaden the choices we can offer our clients without losing the character of the therapy we already know and value.
For reflexologists, the EMMETT Technique can provide an interesting additional set of skills.
The two approaches are very different. They have their own principles, techniques and ways of working. Yet both are gentle, adaptable and client-centred, making it possible to incorporate selected EMMETT moves into an existing Reflexology treatment without turning it into something completely different.
For me, that is one of the most appealing things about combining therapies.
You don’t have to replace what you already do. You can simply expand your choices.
What is the EMMETT Technique?
The EMMETT Technique is a gentle bodywork approach developed by Ross Emmett.
It uses light finger pressure at specific EMMETT points, with the practitioner observing how the individual responds and selecting moves accordingly.
One of the distinctive features of EMMETT is how little force is required. The work isn’t based upon pushing harder, stretching further or applying increasingly deep pressure.
The touch can be remarkably light and individual moves are often quick to perform.
EMMETT practitioners use the technique with the aim of supporting comfort, relaxation and easier movement.
Moves can also be used individually rather than requiring a lengthy treatment sequence, which makes EMMETT particularly interesting for therapists who would like to integrate selected techniques into another modality.
What is Reflexology?
Reflexology is a complementary therapy involving the application of pressure to particular areas of the feet or hands and, within some forms of reflexology, the face or ears.
Reflexologists work with maps of reflex areas that are traditionally considered to correspond with different areas and systems of the body.
Many people choose Reflexology because they find the experience deeply relaxing and value the opportunity to slow down and focus on their wellbeing.
Importantly, Reflexology is a therapy in its own right.
Learning EMMETT doesn’t mean changing that.
Instead, it gives the reflexologist another set of practical techniques that can potentially be used alongside the skills they already have.
Why Might Reflexology and EMMETT Work Well Together?
At first glance, they may appear quite different.
But there are several practical reasons why reflexologists may find EMMETT particularly interesting.
Both approaches are:
- Gentle
- Hands-on
- Adaptable to the individual
- Compatible with a relaxed treatment environment
- Able to be incorporated without necessarily requiring lengthy additional treatment time
- Focused upon the individual rather than simply following an identical routine for everyone
There is also an important practical advantage.
A reflexologist spends much of a treatment working with the feet, but the person attached to those feet has a whole body.
A client may arrive mentioning that their shoulder feels restricted.
They may find turning their head uncomfortable.
Perhaps they have been sitting differently because of hip or back discomfort.
Or you may simply notice that their movement looks different as they walk into or out of the treatment room.
EMMETT gives the practitioner another option to consider.
When Could EMMETT Be Used?
There is no single formula for combining the two approaches.
Some reflexologists choose to use selected EMMETT moves before beginning their Reflexology treatment.
Others may identify something during the session that leads them to incorporate an appropriate move.
However, something I hear particularly frequently from reflexologists who have attended EMMETT training is that they enjoy using selected moves towards the end of the treatment.
The Reflexology session remains the main treatment.
Then, before the client leaves, the practitioner has the option of adding one or two carefully chosen EMMETT moves.
It doesn’t need to become another half-hour treatment.
Sometimes it may only take a few minutes.
And that leads to an important question:
What Could You Add in Just a Few Minutes?
As therapists, it is very easy to assume that offering more to our clients must mean making treatments longer.
It doesn’t necessarily.
Sometimes the most useful addition is simply another option.
If you already have a client on your treatment couch or chair, being able to select an appropriate EMMETT move can give you another way of responding to the person in front of you.
That might mean working with an area away from the feet.
It might mean looking at how comfortably the client moves.
Or it may simply provide an additional finishing element before the client gets up and continues with their day.
This flexibility is one of the reasons EMMETT can sit so comfortably alongside other hands-on therapies.
Supporting Relaxation
Relaxation is another obvious area of common ground.
Many people describe Reflexology as deeply relaxing.
Gentle therapeutic touch and bodywork may also contribute to feelings of relaxation and reduced physical tension.
Rather than making strong claims about exactly what is happening within the nervous system, I think it is more useful to listen to what clients actually tell us.
They may say they feel:
- More relaxed
- Less tense
- More comfortable
- More aware of their body
- Easier in their movement
- Generally more settled after their treatment
Those subjective experiences are valuable without needing to suggest that either therapy treats a medical condition.
Supporting Comfortable Movement
This is where EMMETT can bring something quite different to the reflexologist’s existing toolkit.
EMMETT practitioners frequently assess movement before and after selected moves.
For a reflexologist, this can introduce another way of observing the client.
How comfortably can they turn their head?
How does a shoulder move?
How easily do they stand from the treatment chair?
Does one movement appear easier than another?
It encourages curiosity.
Rather than thinking:
“Which routine do I use for this problem?”
we can begin asking:
“What am I noticing about this particular person today?”
That individualised approach is an important part of EMMETT.
You Don’t Need to Turn Your Reflexology Session into an EMMETT Treatment
This is something I think is particularly important to emphasise.
If you love Reflexology, there is absolutely no reason to replace it.
Your existing skills, experience and relationship with your clients remain at the heart of what you do.
EMMETT simply gives you something else to draw upon.
You might use several moves.
You might use one.
Or you might decide that on a particular day the client doesn’t need an EMMETT move at all.
Having another skill doesn’t mean you have to use it.
It means you have another choice.
Practical Ways Reflexologists Can Incorporate EMMETT
Depending upon their training and the individual client, practitioners might choose to:
- Use selected EMMETT moves before beginning Reflexology.
- Incorporate an appropriate move during a session.
- Add one or two moves towards the end of the treatment.
- Assess a simple movement before and after an EMMETT move.
- Use EMMETT as a finishing or re-balancing element.
- Offer EMMETT separately when appropriate.
The important thing isn’t to create another protocol.
It is to develop the confidence to choose appropriately for the individual in front of you.
Do Reflexologists Need Lots of Anatomy Knowledge to Learn EMMETT?
This is a question therapists sometimes worry about when considering additional training.
You don’t need to arrive at an introductory EMMETT workshop already knowing EMMETT.
That’s why you’re coming to learn.
Moves are taught progressively and practically, with plenty of opportunity to experience them yourself and practise with other participants.
For many reflexologists, this practical way of learning is particularly enjoyable because they are already comfortable working with touch and observing their clients.
You bring your existing therapeutic skills.
EMMETT adds another layer.
An Important Note About Complementary Care
Both EMMETT and Reflexology are complementary approaches.
They should not be presented as diagnosing, treating or curing medical conditions, and neither replaces appropriate medical assessment or treatment.
If a client presents with new, unexplained, severe or concerning symptoms, appropriate medical advice should always take priority.
Complementary therapy works best when we are clear about both what we can offer and the boundaries of our role.
I’m Not a Reflexologist — So Why Do I Teach EMMETT to Reflexologists?
It’s a reasonable question.
I don’t teach reflexologists how to practise Reflexology.
You already have that expertise.
What I can teach you is EMMETT.
Over the years, reflexologists who have attended EMMETT workshops and practitioner training have told me how successfully they have incorporated selected moves into their existing sessions.
Their experiences are one of the reasons I particularly enjoy introducing EMMETT to practitioners from other therapy backgrounds.
You already understand touch.
You already observe your clients.
You already adapt treatments to individuals.
I’m simply giving you some additional tools.
An EMMETT Workshop Specifically for Reflexologists
I teach an EMMETT workshop specifically designed for practitioners working with the feet, including reflexologists.
The workshop introduces a selection of practical EMMETT moves that can be incorporated into the work you already do.
It isn’t about abandoning Reflexology.
It isn’t about completely changing your treatments.
And it isn’t about making every appointment longer.
It is about asking:
“What else could I have available when my client needs something a little different?”
EMMETT moves are light, quick to apply and versatile. Depending upon the move and circumstances, they may be performed with the client seated, standing or lying down.
That makes them particularly adaptable within an existing complementary therapy practice.
Your Reflexology Remains Your Reflexology
Perhaps that is the most important message of all.
Training in another approach doesn’t diminish the skills you already have.
It expands the choices available to you.
You remain the reflexologist.
Your treatment remains individual to your client.
But when you feel that another approach might be useful, you have another option available.
Your Reflexology remains your Reflexology.
EMMETT simply gives you another tool to draw upon.
Curious About Adding EMMETT to Your Reflexology?
If you’re a reflexologist and you’ve wondered whether EMMETT could fit with the way you already work, my specialist workshop is an opportunity to experience it for yourself.
You can learn the moves, practise them, feel how light the touch can be and explore how they might fit naturally into your own Reflexology sessions.
You don’t have to decide that you want to become an EMMETT practitioner.
You can simply start by discovering what a few carefully selected moves could add to the therapy you already love.
Find out about forthcoming EMMETT workshops for reflexologists