Earlier this week, I treated a patient who came in with a pretty severe concussion, the kind that still caused nausea and migraines more than a year later. He’d never had cranial work before, and I’ll be honest… I felt confident.
I’ve treated a lot of concussions successfully, and I’ve even done several trainings with Melissa Biscardi, a full-blown osteo-concussion expert getting her PhD in concussion care. So I thought, this one’s going to go great.
But near the end of treatment, when I checked in with him, he told me he felt a migraine coming on.
I immediately switched gears 🛑 and moved back into cranial treatment, but as soon as I reached his sphenoid, the migraine intensified.
In that moment, I knew my best move wasn’t to “fix it.” It was to drain, stay calm, and create a clear plan forward.
What I did next
I supported as much fluid drainage as I could, stayed grounded, and spoke to him calmly.
I let him know what we’d do next:
✅ Go home and rest
✅ Stay hydrated
✅ Touch base with me in 24 hours so we could reassess together
I also made a note for myself: next time, I’ll take a different approach.
That’s part of clinical mastery → noticing what worked, what didn’t, and adjusting accordingly.
What I want you to remember
- If you’ve ever had a patient feel worse after treatment — it’s okay.
- It doesn’t mean you failed.
- It doesn’t mean you’re not good enough.
- The first thing you need to do is stay calm and stay confident.
- Because your patient’s nervous system is borrowing yours for regulation.
- If you panic, they panic.
- If you breathe, they breathe.
- It’s in those messy, uncertain moments that your presence matters most.
A reflection for this week
Next time you feel that flicker of doubt — that little voice that says, “Maybe someone else would know better…” pause and remind yourself:
✨ All the experience you’ve gained.
✨ All the patients you’ve helped.
✨ All the times your intuition was right.
You’re not just treating structure.
You’re treating trust → theirs and your own.
If you’ve ever had a patient flare up or felt that moment of panic mid-treatment, I’d love to hear from you.
💬 Hit reply and share your story — I personally respond to every email I get!
One treatment that didn’t go perfectly is one treatment you definitely learned from.
Remember ❗ trusting yourself will have your patients trusting you.
Learning every day with you,
💛 Geneviève
🎧 This week on The Body Oracle...
We’re talking about what it really means to recognize your impact 💢 the quiet, daily ways you’re already laying golden eggs.
Because even the smallest acts of care and support ripple farther than you realize.
Listen to Episode 6: “You Are The Golden Goose”
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