When I began practicing sound healing in Woodside, California, it wasn’t something I had planned.
I had moved to the West Coast years earlier, eventually leaving San Francisco for the quiet of Kings Mountain, tucked into the redwoods. It was a different rhythm entirely, one that asked for stillness rather than momentum.
Music has always been present in my life, but in a distant way. My mother was a pianist, and there was often sound in the home, something steady in the background. But I had never considered myself musical, and I certainly hadn’t imagined that sound would become part of my work.
That began to shift when I picked up a shamanic drum.
It was simple at first, just a steady rhythm, something grounding to accompany the shamanic journey work I was partaking in. From there, I was drawn to the frame drum, and later to the Native American flute. Each instrument opened something different, not just creatively, but internally. There was a quiet unfolding, something I couldn’t quite explain at the time.
Eventually, I began working with a curated selection of sound bowls, and the experience deepened again. I continue to accrue instruments that move me, building a relationship with each one.
What started as a personal practice became something I returned to again and again, especially in the presence of the redwoods. The environment itself seemed to shape the experience. The stillness, the scale of the trees, the quality of the air, all of it created a kind of container for the work.
It was during this time that sound healing began to integrate naturally into my existing private practice.
I had already been working with aromatherapy in a clinical and intuitive way, supporting the nervous system through scent and ritual. When I began combining sound with aromatic formulations, the effect was immediate and noticeable. The two modalities didn’t just complement each other, they expanded the experience.
Sound has a way of moving through the body. Aromatherapy works through the olfactory system, directly influencing the nervous system. Together, they create a layered approach, one that supports both physiological and emotional regulation.
Over time, this work has continued to evolve.
Sessions may include breathwork, vocal toning with the frame drum, and at times, Reiki-informed energy work. But at its core, the intention remains the same, to create a space where the body can settle, where the mind can soften, and where something deeper can come forward.
What began quietly, in the redwoods, has become an essential part of how I work.
If you feel drawn to this work, I offer private sound healing and Aromatic Medicine Healing sessions in Woodside, California, as well as virtual sessions. You can learn more about those here.
Take good care,
Françoise