testimonials

“I am fortunate beyond words to have this gifted, dedicated, beautiful human as my massage therapist.

As a trauma-informed practitioner, she’s been working with me for the past year on… well, whatever it is that my mind, body, and soul asked to be healed that day.

I learned yesterday, after one of the most deeply transformative sessions I’ve ever had with any practitioner, that she’s been wanting to be a part of the healing journey for those who have had top surgery for years now. She prepared for this, my first post-surgery massage, by engaging deeply in research, consultation, and self-awareness.

And oh. my. gosh, I cannot even begin to tell you how how much this intentionality and dedication to providing me with the exact experience that I needed impacted me.

Lots of tears. Joy. Gratitude. Grief. Love. Integration. Not to mention my chest muscles feel ohhh so much more at ease now.

I have so much more to process around this. For now, I wanted to say thank you for being such an essential part of my healing journey, Autum Romano. May you be an example to others as to how one can truly step up to provide intentional the care to the trans and nonbinary community

#trans #nonbinary #topsurgery”

D.H.F

“I have spent a lifetime of chasing cars, barking at injustices, searching for the culprits in a deep rooted desire to expel the feeling in my gut, to explode with reason so that I could experience a little spell of relief. I have kept my rage bubbling just below the surface, until I found reason to let it boil over. I've had consistent digestive tract issues, frozen hips and diaphragm, and a low back pain that could bring me to my knees at a moment's notice. I treated my trauma with alcohol since the age of 12. I quit drinking 10 years ago at the age of 37, but the rage and physical impairments remained. In fact, it felt as though they actually grew, along with my awareness of them.
It was not until recently that I learned about trauma informed care, including the neurobiology of trauma, which began with the book The Body Keeps The Score. Incidentally, the book was suggested to my wife by Autum. I was hooked, fascinated, hungry for more, realizing the reasons behind my constant state of fear and fight/flight/freeze response. Through extensive study, I have made huge gains on my understanding of trauma and how it impacts the body, but no major gains on any restraint in chasing injustices with a fierce rage. I finally had insight, but did not know how to progress with treating my own childhood trauma. That was until my wife and I participated in a week of Autum's Safe and Sound Protocol therapy.

My wife and I committed ourselves to this therapy with Autum with dedication and an open mind, trusting and vulnerable, we forged ahead. The week-long SSP treatment was absolutely life-changing. Until now, even with a deep understanding of trauma, its neurobiology, the polyvagal theory, and more, I was unable to get over the hump of beginning to make true progress myself. What I experienced during and after this SSP treatment was magical. I felt things open up for me physically and mentally alike. I have been able to open up my hips and diaphragm, improve digestive functioning, and calm a rage that was only continuing to rise inside of me. I have been able to address traumas that have been with me since an early age, which had previously been sealed in a tomb inside of myself and continued to take their toll on me on a daily basis. I have come out of a cloud to see things more clearly than I ever have before and for that I am truly grateful to Autum and her practice, which she administers with the utmost of care and duty.
I would not hesitate to recommend Autum's Safe and Sound Protocol to anyone searching for healing answers to their own trauma, be it physical or emotional. I would also remind anyone considering this treatment that it took me 47 years to even realize I was living with this beast that was eating me up inside. What a true gift this initial experience has been for me. I realize I am not "healed" and that there is more work to be done, but I am here to say that my world has greatly changed for the better due to Autum and her practice.”

“I had been struggling with the physical and emotional strain of PTSD from unresolved traumas, to the point that I was bed-ridden and unable to move without excruciating pain. Terrifying flashbacks caused me to withdrawal from the world and the people in it. Through many months of massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture, I was able to start to move again, but my physical and emotional selves were not whole, still. There existed pockets of numbness and other pockets of restricted movement in my body; I believed I would have to live with these pockets for the rest of my life.

Then, Autum suggested I try the Safe and Sound Protocol. My interests were immediately piqued. Throughout the five days, I dedicated a lot of time to rest and restoration. The therapy sessions brought around a lot of unresolved thoughts and open conversations with my family and with Autum has allowed me to start to heal and to experience a shift in perspective about the world, and the people in it.

From a physical perspective, I have been able to enjoy an increase in range of motion and endurance in my physical activities. I have started to have sensations in those numb pockets; it is as if my body has become more whole, more integrated, more complete. From an emotional perspective, I have enjoyed more thoughtful responses to stimuli. I am processing emotions rather than just reacting, which for me tended to mean I reacted with anger and frustration.

Through the Safe and Sound Protocol and Massage sessions with Autum, I have felt more grounded, more thoughtful, and more in-touch with myself. This has allowed for more growth and healing and more earnest connections with the people I encounter. I cannot express how satisfied I am with the results of my first session. I recommend this protocol to anyone with a history of physical or emotional trauma and a desire to improve.”