About
Grief Massage

Grief is a full-body experience. It is found in the mind, the heart, stomach, muscles, and even in the breath. Whether your loss is due to death, separation, a life turned upside down, or an unexpected change you didn’t choose, your body is carrying part of the burden.

 

Grief massage is a therapeutic approach designed to support the body as it processes grief. It is not a fix, and it’s not a replacement for therapy. But it is a gentle invitation to reconnect with your body, to breathe again, and to make space for your healing. I helps remove emotional blockages that prevent you from experiencing and processing grief. 

 

What Is Grief Massage?

Grief massage is a specific modality of bodywork that combines gentle, rhythmic massage with meditative stillness. Sessions typically begin with quiet presence, soft lighting, and non-stimulating music like solfeggio tones or binaural beats. The massage itself is slow and intentional — often starting with the back and moving through the body, ending with a calming scalp massage.

 

Special attention may be given to the abdomen, a common place where grief physically manifests. This part of the massage is optional and only done with your informed consent.

 

When Is It Appropriate?

Grief massage is appropriate for anyone experiencing grief who is also physically healthy enough for gentle massage. This includes people coping with:

• Death of a loved one

• Divorce or relationship changes

• Unwanted moves or job loss

• Health diagnoses or caretaking roles

• Traumatic or unexpected life shifts

 

If you're experiencing complex grief, prolonged grief, or untreated trauma, grief massage is best used in partnership with professional counseling or therapy — not in place of it.

 

What Can I Expect?

Grief massage doesn’t aim to “move energy” or “fix you.” Instead, it offers a neutral, grounded space where your body is allowed to feel. Emotional release during or after a session — tears, sighs, quiet reflection— is common and completely normal. These waves of emotion are typically brief, and often bring relief. There is no prescribed length of time for the emotional release. Everyone will experience it differently. 

 

As described by the Massage Therapy Foundation, touch therapy “helps regulate the nervous system and fosters a sense of safety, making it a valuable support tool in the grieving process.”

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A typical grief massage session is roughly 90 minutes long. It begins with a short conversation, a short guided meditation to connect the mind with the body and pinpoint areas of tension, pain, or discomfort. The majority of the time is spent on the massage table.

 

How Can It Help?

• Reconnects you with your body when you feel disconnected

• Supports the nervous system in shifting from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest

• Provides a safe space to release emotional tension without needing to “talk through it”

• Encourages deep relaxation, grounding, and sleep

• Offers a compassionate pause when life feels overwhelming

 

A Gentle Note

Grief massage is a practice of being — being with what is, and allowing your body the softness it needs to heal in its own time. It is not a cure. The only lasting cure for grief, is time. 

 

If you're in the midst of grief and want to explore this form of body-centered support, I invite you to reach out. I’m a trained grief massage therapist, and I hold space for every session with care, consent, and quiet respect for your journey.

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With hope for healing,

Jackie Allen, LMT