Craniosacral Therapy
Healing. Recovery From Burnout. Peace. Your body knows the way, all on its own.
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on therapeutic technique that works with the structures of the central nervous system to support the innate healing process. What it looks like in practice: you lay on a massage table, fully clothed, with the warmer on, if you prefer it. The practice is a series of gentle holds, many of which are at the head, but the hips, low back, feet, neck and ribs are also included. The practice is deeply relaxing, you might fall asleep or slip into something between being asleep and awake.
You have everything you need for your healing.
Let’s remove
what’s getting in the way.
Gentle
is the new Deep.
You don’t have to run on empty. Take your time. Fill your cup. With gentle support, and dedicated time and space, your system can slow down, find softness, release tension, and recover from stress.
Craniosacral Therapy is for you if —
You’re working with burnout, anxiety, depression, or insomnia and you want to support your system to move back towards your baseline.
You want to carve out time to downregulate your nervous system, drop in, and rest.
You have migraines, insomnia, TMJ issues, anxiety, hypermobility, back pain, or other musculoskeletal issues, and you want to give your body some TLC.
You know that your body needs, wants, and knows how to feel better. You want to support your own innate healing process, and take away what gets in the way of your recovery and your thriving.
FAQs
Is Craniosacral Massage?
Craniosacral Therapy is not massage, though it is sometimes paired with massage, since it happens on a massage table. Craniosacral therapy is a healing technique performed by trained and licensed healthcare workers such as massage therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, doctors, nurses, and acupuncturists.
What can I expect in session?
When you arrive to your session, we will start by checking in: how is your body feeling? How’s your mind? Then, you’ll hop up on the table, fully clothed, with the table warmer off or on, according to your preference. You can have a blanket over you if you’d like. Then we get into the work: mostly gentle holds. A lot of the work is focused on the head, but you can expect your low back, sacrum (the part of the spine that’s down in your pelvis) feet, hips, ribs, and shoulders to be involved too. Everything is very gentle. A lot of people find themselves in a state of a little snooze or something like it. At the end of your session, you’ll take your time mobilizing, and we will check in again and debrief a bit.
What can I expect after my session?
After my first session, I felt sleepy and relaxed for about 48 hours. I don’t feel that way after every session, but it’s great to have some time to rest, or at least plan for full nights of sleep in the days that follow your session. You might experience more of your parasympathetic nervous system, or the ‘rest and digest’ part of your nervous system.
Where’s this practice from?
Craniosacral therapy was developed by Dr. John Upledger, an osteopathic physician, through his 1975-1983 research studies at Michigan State University as a clinical researcher + Professor of Biomechanics. CST is an alternative/complementary therapy, and best for someone who’s comfortable with a little bit of mystery, and open to seeing what’s possible.
Who is this not for?
There are a few contraindications for Craniosacral Therapy. Chiari malformation; recent spinal tap, lumbar puncture, or epidural headache; recent stroke or intracranial hemorrhage (brain bleed); and recent fracture of the bones of the skull, spine, or ribs are general contraindications.
Additionally, I am not yet working with pregnancy or newborns, but I’d be delighted to connect you with a practitioner who does. It’s also not for someone who wants their muscles squished! I’d love to refer to you to massage therapist friend. And, it’s not for someone looking for diagnosis or treatment, but I’m happy to chat to help you find the exact right type of provider you’re looking for.
Where are you located?
I work out of a private studio in North Side, right here in Richmond, VA. It’s in Ginter Park, not far from the Lewis Ginter Recreation Association. When you book a session, you’ll receive an email with the address, as well as info about parking and everything you need. If you’d like to coordinate something outside of my online booking, or just have more questions, drop me a line!
