Touch, the most elementary tool that we have to calm down, is proscribed from most therapeutic practices. Yet you can’t fully recover if you don’t feel safe in your skin. Therefore I encourage all my patients to engage in some form of bodywork, be it therapeutic massage, Feldenkrais, or craniosacral therapy.
Bessel Van Der Kolk. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Craniosacral Therapy focuses on human body as a self-balancing system
This approach is based on adjustments made through weightless, barely noticeable touch and slow, relaxed movements. Restoration of internal integrity in those areas of the body where, as a result of stress, fatigue, or traumatization, such integrity is broken or lost.
The body is being read as a whole. Slight alterations in functioning of the systems of the body are becoming visible through palpable deviations in craniosacral rhythm. The craniosacral rhythm is slower than the rhythm of breathing or heartbeat, it is observable in slow rhythmic oscillations of the parts of musculoskeletal system.
Craniosacral work supports healing both in physical aspect and through greater emotional balance. Usually, the Craniosacral session has calming, leveling effect on the state of the body and nervous system.
I really appreciated Denis’ work with me. I especially enjoyed his listening skills, respect, presence and understanding of his work. Some expansion happened in the body/mind during the sessions. Thank you!
C.D., Health and Education Practitioner, Montreal
During session, therapist listens to the state of the body and by means of weightless interventions supports the emergence of connectedness and integration.
Symptoms and indications
Low energy
Direct work with the deeper layers of self-regulatory mechanisms of the body provides a deeper effect of the session that leads to a generally more resourceful, present state.
Sports and casual physical trauma
Gentle, slow therapeutical process creates a complex effect of grounding and levelling of the tension suppressed during the event. Improvement in work with the area of tension is achieved through reconnection to the neighboring healthy areas.
Aches and pains alleviation
The work can be oriented on lowering and alleviating of pains and aches of different source. Headaches, back pain, movement limitations due to pain can be resolved through work in CranioSacral approach.
General stress
Provides quick and lasting effect of relief
Emotional instability
Stabilizes the emotional spectrum, helps feel the “real” emotions, empowers the significant sense of “internal permission to be who I am”. A pleasant feeling of being in contact with self.
Burnouts
Series of sessions helps to reassemble the original vision of self, helps to start feeling the body, reconnect to feelings and emotions.
Traumatic stress, PTSD
A sequence of sessions of CranioSacral Therapy helps return to healthy scope of emotions, decrease the impact of PTSD and in some cases to reprocess the original traumatic trace on the bodily level, with the use of the technique of SomatoEmotional Release.
Tissue memory
Sometimes we notice that minor influences, possibly similar in some respects to other situations experienced earlier, awaken images and memories that are significant in strength and impact on our lives.
In craniosacral therapy, the concept of “tissue memory” is used. It is based on the observation that previous experience, regardless of the will and desire of the individual, is imprinted in the body, including the tissue level.
The processes of remembrance, as well as subtle transformation of past experience are activated in the body during the session, leading ultimately to the release of stressed zones and particular tensions. Gradual disappearance of compensatory distortions, restoration of normal, more fluid functioning of systems and organs follows.
SomatoEmotional Release
Since the 1970s, a methodology for craniosacral work with trauma and traumatic stress has been developed. SomatoEmotional Release currently is considered to be one of the effective techniques for work with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It addresses the original issue’s imprint in the body in a non-directive, smooth process, step by step. More comfortable balanced state is reached through levelling of stressed areas (the so-called Energy Cysts) and giving space, acknowledging general body response patterns.
A Craniosacral session may alleviate aches and pains, release blocked physical tensions. It results in better centering, feeling more grounded, acquiring ability to properly manage own personal limits. A sequence of sessions usually has long lasting effect of general stabilization of self perception. May lead to a feeling of deeper contact with social and professional environment.
Timing and setting
Session usually is about 70 minutes long. During session the client is fully dressed. It’s better to wear loose, comfortable clothes. There is space to change before the session starts and after the session’s ending. The bodywork is done on the massage table. Covers, bolsters and pillows are available for client’s comfort.
Process description
Before we start I will need to understand your request. Whether it’s a health condition that preoccupies or if there is anything that’s connected to emotional realm, or it is something about stress, for example. It’s crucial for the success of the work to establish confident, supportive environment before we initiate a session.
Craniosacral therapy is a light-touch, whole-body treatment. Palpation and movements are generally slow, static bodywork is also present. It helps to align and release the tensions and contractions, level the emotional state. Minor conversations between the therapist and the client are taking place from time to time. Physical pressure and forced movements are avoided during the session.
Client-therapist relations
Engaging, non-directive relationship is a necessary condition of this work. As a therapist, I remain in a supportive, sympathetic attitude towards the client. Work cannot take place if there is no trust between therapist and client. Before and during work, I try not to form expectations of greater results than those that a specific session or cycle of therapy can provide. The client is always entitled to choose the way that he would like to work with his request.
During or after session client may provide a feedback to clarify the “internal picture” of an evolving process, though it is never obligatory.