Who Shouldn’t Have Access Bars®?
If you're considering an Access Bars® session, you may be wondering whether there is anyone who shouldn't have Access Bars.
It's a sensible question.
Access Bars® is a gentle, hands-on process from Access Consciousness® involving light touch on 32 points on the head. The official Access material describes it as something that can be received by a wide range of people, and there are no prerequisites for learning the process.
But “gentle” doesn't mean that every session is automatically appropriate for every person in every circumstance.
Individual bodies, health conditions and situations matter.
Are there contraindications for Access Bars®?
Access Consciousness does not publish a standard list of medical contraindications for Access Bars® on its main Bars information, FAQ and class pages.
That is different from saying there are no circumstances in which you should check first.
Access Bars involves physical touch to the head and is an in-person process.
If there is something about your health, body or circumstances that makes receiving touch to your head uncertain or uncomfortable, tell your practitioner before your session.
What if I have a head injury or have recently had surgery?
If you've recently had surgery, sustained a head injury or have a medical condition affecting your head, I wouldn't use a general webpage to tell you that Access Bars is definitely appropriate.
Speak to the healthcare professional responsible for your care if you're unsure whether receiving hands-on bodywork is suitable for you.
And let your Access Bars practitioner know what's going on before the session.
You don't need to push through discomfort in order to receive Bars.
What if I have a medical condition?
Having a medical condition doesn't automatically mean you cannot receive Access Bars®.
But Access Bars should not be used as a substitute for medical assessment, treatment or advice.
If your condition means you're unsure whether lying down, being touched on the head or receiving a complementary wellbeing session is appropriate, ask the relevant healthcare professional.
You can also contact me before booking so we can talk about the practicalities of the session.
What if I'm pregnant?
Pregnancy doesn't appear on the official Access Bars materials I reviewed as a general contraindication.
However, pregnancy is individual.
If you have complications, have been advised to avoid particular activities or treatments, or simply aren't sure whether a session is appropriate for you, speak to your midwife or healthcare professional.
A session can also be adapted practically around comfort rather than assuming everybody wants or is able to lie in the same position.
Access Bars® During Pregnancy →
Can children have Access Bars®?
Access Consciousness specifically includes children and teenagers in Access Bars and allows them to participate in Bars classes, so being a child is not in itself presented by Access as a reason someone cannot receive Bars.
That doesn't mean an adult-style session needs to be imposed on a child.
Their comfort, willingness, age and individual needs matter, alongside appropriate parental or guardian consent and safeguarding.
What if I don't like being touched?
This is probably one of the clearest practical considerations.
Access Bars requires touch.
The process involves a practitioner gently touching specific points on your head. Access Consciousness also explicitly states that Bars is hands-on and cannot be performed as a long-distance session.
If you don't want your head touched, Bars may simply not be the right choice for you at that moment.
If you're unsure rather than completely opposed to touch, talk to me beforehand.
Consent doesn't disappear because you've booked or paid for a session.
You can change your mind.
You can ask me to stop.
And you don't need to explain why.
What if I can't lie still or lie down?
You don't need to be perfectly still to receive Access Bars.
If lying flat is uncomfortable or inaccessible for you, tell me before your session and we can look at what is practically possible.
The important part of Bars is access to the points on the head — not performing relaxation correctly.
What if I'm experiencing anxiety or mental-health difficulties?
You don't need to be perfectly calm or mentally quiet to receive Access Bars.
However, I wouldn't position Access Bars as a replacement for appropriate mental-health treatment or professional support.
Access Consciousness markets Bars in relation to relaxation, stress and mental chatter, but those descriptions should not be confused with establishing Bars as a clinical treatment for a mental-health condition.
If you are receiving professional care, you don't need to stop that care in order to explore a complementary wellbeing practice.
What if I'm taking medication?
Taking medication isn't listed by Access Consciousness as a general reason someone cannot receive Bars.
And you should not stop or alter prescribed medication because you're having an Access Bars session.
Questions about your medication belong with the healthcare professional responsible for prescribing or managing it.
What if something just doesn't feel right for me?
Then don't have the session.
You don't need a contraindication.
You don't need a medical reason.
You don't need to persuade yourself because somebody else had an amazing experience.
One person's experience of Access Bars doesn't tell you what is appropriate for your body.
You are allowed to ask questions before booking.
You're allowed to decide it isn't for you.
And you're allowed to change your mind.
So, who shouldn't have Access Bars®?
There isn't a universal list of people who should never receive Access Bars® in the official material I reviewed.
A more useful way to approach the question is individually.
If touch to your head isn't appropriate, you've recently had an injury or procedure, you have a health situation that makes you uncertain, or you've been advised to avoid particular forms of bodywork, check before receiving a session.
And if you simply don't want Access Bars?
That's enough too.
Explore Access Bars®
Who Is Access Bars® Suitable For? →
What Happens During an Access Bars® Session? →