Meet Emily Martin | Craniosacral Therapist & Bodyworker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, why did you pursue a creative career?

There are so many reasons people choose to start a business or to be self-employed such as “being their own boss” or “making their own schedule”. For myself, I found we can offer a profound gift to the world by being our most complete and creative selves. Before starting my own business, I had not found a place where the fullest offering of my knowledge and my most intuitive treatments could find expression. Even within the massage therapy field, there are expectations around pricing and treatment options that didn’t quite fit.

Choosing a creative career has allowed me to grow in unexpected ways that really add to my personal fulfillment as much as it has created opportunities to share my knowledge and recognize how in demand it is. A mentor of mine once said, “we are preparing for a job that hasn’t been created yet.” To be a part of creating this new treatment paradigm is as exciting as it is humbling.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Cottonwood Craniosacral Therapy is where it is today as an evolution of “next right steps.” Following my passion into supporting birthing women and new mothers connected me to the raw, vulnerable power of women, including myself, and the incredible professionals in our local community. Supporting parents and families can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Every family has very unique circumstances and needs. In an effort to be as impactful as possible, working with families clued me into the training I needed to pursue including working with infants, breastfeeding difficulties and the broad spectrum of trauma. What keeps me excited about this work is watching the impact of one family overcoming their trauma or difficulty ripple into their community. The solutions to the problems of our world can begin with small experiences of being supported at the right time in the right ways. We can empower individuals to become most dynamic version of themselves.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Even though we live in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, I would start with my own backyard and what I am growing this season before heading out for hiking and hot springs. We could start with lunch downtown at Poor Richard’s before heading out to Cottonwood Hot Springs near Buena Vista. If they wanted to take a tour of Garden of the Gods for sight-seeing walk, we would complete the day with dinner at Wild Thai Ginger. 

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Much of the credit goes to my parents who may have been skeptical of my career choices, but supportive. Hugely instrumental in setting my feet on the path are Mary Enger, IBCLC, who saw the value and the demand for my work before I did; John and Anna Chitty, the Craniosacral teachers who nurtured my learning with gentleness and clarity; and Margaret Rosenau, who unquestioningly pushes me to teach as if it was who I was born to be and what I have always done. Without these reflections of myself as a capable and valuable addition to the Craniosacral Field, I would never have pushed myself as hard or grown in the ways that I have.

Website: cottonwoodcranio.com

Instagram: cottonwoodcranio

Facebook: facebook.com/doulasprings

Image Credits
Katherine Wight Amy Bakke