Brooke Thomas
Certified Rolfer®, NCBTMB, LMT license #: MASS.MA.70016081
Brooke Thomas
I’m a Certified Rolfer® specializing in Rolfing® Structural Integration in Seattle. With over 25 years of experience, I help people move more comfortably, confidently, and with greater ease in their bodies.
I graduated from The Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado in 2000, and have practiced in California, New York City, and New Haven, Connecticut.
I am now proud to serve the Seattle area, my long-time heart home, where my work supports a wide range of clients—from weekend warriors to those navigating the long aftermath of injury or chronic tension.
My approach is rooted in a deep understanding of myofascial anatomy, advanced soft tissue mobilization, and the importance of nervous system adaptability.
In my years of practice I have taken many continuing education programs in movement education, self-myofascial release and corrective exercise, nervous system regulation, and advanced manual therapy techniques.
How I came to be a Rolfer
Growing up I did not imagine that my future career would be as a Rolfer, or in any related Physical Therapy field. I grew up with chronic pain and neurological challenges as a result of a cord strangulation at birth. Because of that, I never felt very connected to my body. I always felt clumsy and stiff, and was the type of person who had a standing doctor’s note so I could skip gym class indefinitely. I found my refuge instead in the arts and ultimately made my way to Rhode Island School of Design where I received my BFA in painting.
By the time I was in junior year of college however, I was faced with the reality of a very broken down and painful body. What had been left unaddressed and ignored all those years had snowballed and I found myself a college student who felt closer to 100 years old. I was unable to open my mouth due to severe TMJD, turn my head to the right, or to bear much weight on my right leg due to a chronically displaced and swollen sacroiliac joint.
At this time, my schedule filled up with numerous doctors and physical therapists, all of whom helped me greatly. However, at the end of 18 months of intensive treatment at the Tufts Craniofacial Pain Clinic in Boston, I still lived with a great deal of pain and restriction.
Fortunately, one of my excellent doctors recommended that I seek out bodywork, a word that I had not ever heard before! After some searching around in the days before the ability search online, I found a practitioner who I could see while I was in school.
After my first Rolfing session I could turn my head fully to the right for the first time in years. I was sold! During my initial ten-series of Rolfing sessions I experienced a pain-free body for the first time in my 23 years. Elated, inspired, and deeply grateful to this work, I knew I wanted to train in Rolfing and share it with others who might be struggling similarly.
While I am not a “perfect” person in a “perfect” body now (who is!?). I, now in middle age, still have a much happier, healthier and more functional body that I had in my youth. Rolfing continues to be a massive gift in my life.