About
Erica Waters, CMT, CMLDT, CPMT
Welcome. Thank you for your interest in Held Space Healing located in Fort Collins.
Held Space Healing specializes in 90-mintue bodywork sessions in two-hour blocks to allow time for slowing down toward nervous system renewal and integration with nourishing extras like garden time, simple foods, and sound baths featuring crystal bowls. Swedish Full Body, Lymph Massage, Craniosacral, Neuromuscular, and Hot Stones are the five main modalities.
You can select just one or a mix of some or all five modalities. At Held Space Healing, what matters most is meeting you where you are. I hold space for whatever arises with presence, compassion, and the skills that seem best suited. Still, you are the guide during our time together. I’m actively listening to your body every moment, and it’s important that you speak up if there’s any adjustment that can be made toward addressing your comfort and needs.
What’s possible with healing? It depends. There might be physical limitations, but it’s also mysterious. I believe in the human heart and spirit. I also believe that there is a supportive force in the universe that can help us grow health and peace. And, of course, I believe in the power of kind touch and the clinically proven strategies of touch that I practice. In other words, physical realities can almost always be improved in tangible ways even though it may not be fully the same as previous or hoped for conditions. The intangible is harder to describe, and it’s completely up to you what you believe and bring to the table. In my experience, presence, relaxation, and acceptance can bring extraordinarily gifts.
Let the body unwind. Be with breath. Even when we’re hurting, we maintain our core. My central philosophy is to focus on the good and help it grow. Expand health. Build from areas of resource. Part of the value of full-body massage is that it can help us experience our body as a whole and bring our attention to areas where pain is absent which helps construct new brain loops.
Held Space Healing specializes in 90-mintue full-body sessions because each body is a web of interconnection, and I've found that whole body is the most effective way to harmonize localized concerns while also benefiting the health of the entire body. If you'd like, it's common to select an area or two of focus within a full-body session. "Full body" is as much as possible minus the groin and breast areas, and, of course, if there's any area you'd like to take off of that list, each session is fully customized. Nonviolent and nonsexual contact is firmly upheld.
Craniosacral, lymph massage that concerns itself largely with the skin, and energy techniques, like Reiki, are all light-pressure techniques inviting you to experience the power of yin. Ayurvedic Abhyanga-style sweeping toward balancing the nervous system is an inspiration within Swedish massage that connects with firm, nurturing pressure to meet muscle tone. I work with both deep and superficial tissues. Classically, deep tissue points to deeper muscles, which I'm attentive to, but I don't provide "Deep Tissue" asking to hurt to heal, which can actually create new tension patterns or affirm old ones. Instead, I seek to respect the nervous system by promoting relaxation, and while it may "hurt so good" at times, I encourage the easeful side of pressure so that no area of the body is cringing or bracing against the sensation of touch. Neuromuscular and fascia release can be quite penetrating, but overall I believe in gently meeting tension as a kind of counterbalance.
I’ve benefited from roughly 1,700 hours of training these past 20 years. Highlights:
CMT, Certified Massage Therapist, 1025 hours, Rocky Mountain Institute of Healing Arts, 2006
Autonomic Nervous System and Somatic Embodiment, 24 hours, Alexandra Jenkins, 2023
CMLDT, Certified Manual Lymphatic Therapist, 45 hours, Klose, 2024
Craniosacral Fascial Release, 24 hours, Berkana Institute, 2024
Touching Trauma Parts One and Two with Chris Smith, 2 hours, ABMP, 2024 + 2026
Pediatric Massage: Turning Research into Results with Tina Allen, 1.5 hours, ABMP, 2026
CPMT, Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist, Level 1 of 2, 16 hours, Liddle Kidz, 2026
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, 8 hours, The Lyons Institute, NCBTMB, 2026
It would be difficult to list all of the shorter trainings here, such as 16 hours with 3-Dimensional Hot Stones in 2008 from Institute for Phenomenal Touch to add to my hot stone CMT base. My CMT base also emphasized Pregnancy Massage among other modalities like Neuromuscular. I earned my NCTMB National Certification in 2006, and it’s worth mentioning 2 hours of training with lectures from Lisa Upledger for craniosacral with ABMP because the Upledgers are widely considered the authority in that field. I'm a proud ABMP member.
Of my education hours, approximately 400 are informal to acknowledge the influences of past and ongoing Yoga practice in a wide range of classes since 2002 and Taoist Qigong with Dao Shr Suzy Balliett in Jade Dawn lineage since 2016, committed but not accredited except for PED 147 Yoga for one college credit at Front Range Community College in 2007.
Hallmarks of my professional experience include: Living Arts Wellness 2023 – 2024, Alaska Center for Natural Medicine 2009 – 2010, Oasis Spa 2006 – 2007, and Held Space Healing a small private practice from 2012 to 2020 and July 2026 to present.
All women and children are invited regardless of religion, race, size, etc. incl. LGBTQ+. At this time, new clients are typically referred by current clients or invited by me, but if you resonate with this approach, please email me - let's chat. I can also be contacted via WhatsApp at HeldSpace for texts or calls. Private phone number and address are only provided with confirmation of referral or invitation from me. A health history intake form is required for treatment.
Why is food included? Offered as an invitation to integrate with a slow return, the closing snack is optional and will range from session to session. Wholesome, simple food is a way to bring in the healing properties of nature. Since it can be jarring to transition from deep relaxation back into a normal day, after each session, you are invited to sit quietly and enjoy. I try to provide options each day and take care to account for allergies in this home environment. As an adult receiving a 90-min personalized session or 60-min pregnancy session, a 30-minute buffer allows time for things like easeful arrival, sound and vibration, or perhaps some nature in the garden or with some food or both. A closing moment in the garden can be grounding and integrating. I can be available for a short closing chat as needed and note all preferences toward future sessions. Children massages also have a generous buffer but without the closing snack or garden access. Still, there are always "grab snacks" in the room in case guardian or child needs some nourishment. Everyone is provided with filtered water. Slow pacing with time to adjust for what arises often makes a valued difference.
I know what it’s like to suffer from chronic pain, give birth, go through surgeries, reel from trauma, recover from injuries, and more. I know what it’s like to struggle with emotions like despair, anger, fear, and more. I share this because bodywork can be about quality of life, range of motion, peace of mind, and more. Receiving bodywork has made a huge positive impact on my life, and I've been fortunate to receive from skilled hands and hearts as part of my own ongoing journey.
Touch is vital. That can be hard to hear, and touch isn’t for everyone all the time – in fact, ongoing consent is the most crucial touchstone of touch, and learning what feels good and works for your body matters. My belief is that the body can heal itself especially when the parasympathetic nervous system is invited to unfold. A priority at Held Space Healing is to help you float deeply relaxed between sleep and wakefulness to allow release and claim greater balance. Still, meeting you where you are matters most, and I do have a range of techniques toward that ultimate goal.
I’m a poet and writer and welcome your engagement with my publications which are often related to the body, healing, and our environment. For example, I see the interrelation of the body in the water we drink and the air we breathe. I’m also an instructor at CSU based on a BA in English, a BFA in Theatre, and an MFA in Creative Writing - not bodywork. Only I am responsible for my ideas and actions at Held Space Healing. Writing and study are important parts of my work as a therapist, but please do not seek healing services from me if you’re an upcoming student or if you've worked with me as a student or peer within the past five years. Power differentials and associations can be loud and even dangerous in subconscious spaces. This request is for safety and will be upheld without exception. Those associated with CSU who have no direct relationship to me or my position there are welcome. Learn more about my writing and art through my personal Facebook page or through my campus bio and follow Held Space Healing on Facebook.
Be Well, Erica
