Craniosacral Therapy & Somatic Healing in Columbus, Ohio
Helping you release pain, restore balance, and feel at home in your body.
Whole-Body Healing with Gentle Hands-On Therapy
Sharon Hartnett Craniosacral Therapist
With over 30 years of experience, I use light-touch, body-centered techniques to support deep healing—especially in areas often overlooked by traditional care. My work blends craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, and somatic principles to meet your system where it is, and gently invite change.
✦ Key Areas of Support
🧠 Nervous System Regulation
Restore calm and clarity. Craniosacral therapy helps balance the autonomic nervous system, ease stress hormones, and support anxiety relief and PTSD recovery.
💔 Trauma Recovery
Trauma often lives in the body. Gentle, intuitive touch can help release held patterns and support emotional integration—without needing to revisit the story.
🔔 Tinnitus, TMJ & Head Pain
Hands-on techniques, including intraoral therapy, can ease jaw tension, migraines, and ringing in the ears.
🌿 Visceral Manipulation
Subtle, respectful touch around the abdomen and torso helps release restrictions in the organs and surrounding fascia—supporting digestion and core balance.
🧠 ADHD, Sensory Overload & Concussion
CST can calm overstimulated systems and support post-concussion recovery, especially helpful for children, teens, and adults with focus or sensory challenges. Can help tremendously with chronic neck and back pain.
🤱 Women’s Health–Postpartum, Hormonal & Life Transitions
Support during big shifts—after birth, during perimenopause, or in any life season where the body and mind need to reset and reorient.
✦ Who I Work With
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Adults, teens, and children
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Those recovering from emotional stress, injury with chronic pain, or overwhelm
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People seeking safe, trauma-aware care that respects the body’s timing
✦ What to Expect
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🌬️ A calming shift in your body and mind
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🌀 Gentle release of long-held tension
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🌟 A felt sense of wholeness that supports your everyday life
Why Choose Lighten Up Therapies for Craniosacral Therapy in Columbus, Ohio with Sharon Hartnett?
As a craniosacral therapist, my mission is to gently guide you into a profound sense of connection, inner peace, health, and energy balance.
That’s why, when you come to see me with chronic pain or stress, the most important thing I do is listen. People often begin by asking, “What’s causing my pain, and why is it still here?” The next question is usually, “When will I get better?”
Only a licensed physician can diagnose. However, what I do know is that your body is where you can find the answers. What I bring to the table is the skill set and experience to help you to explore your body to help illuminate patterns you might not have noticed. before. Awareness is a powerful change agent. Your body knows how to direct and how and when you heal. Hand in hand, the craniosacral techniques support what tissues and fluids want to shift toward health.
Many folks have told me, “this is the first time I’ve felt truly relaxed, connected and at ease in a long time.” My intention is to help you feel more deeply rooted in your body with awareness, respecting your inner wisdom, with anchored compassionate support. The Upledger approach helps to balance, restore, and reset the nervous system and whole body.
I use advanced Craniosacral Therapy (CST) techniques to support nervous system healing and recovery from various types of trauma. I also meld and work with the fascia and the meninges. This gentle, somatic approach helps release stored tension from the body, ease fight-or-flight patterns, and restore a sense of safety and regulation. It’s more than touch—it’s a way to reconnect with your body, calm your system, and rediscover the light and wholeness within you.
Whether you’re in Worthington, Dublin, Powell, New Albany, Upper Arlington, or nearby- my approach is precise, effective, and personal. In particular, I help people with migraines, TMJ, concussion aftereffects, and chronic stress. Every session remains both technically grounded and deeply nurturing.
If you search “craniosacral therapy Columbus” or “gentle CST near me,” you’ll discover a practice focused on rebuilding physiological resilience and emotional well‑being. My location is convenient and easy to reach. It’s all about the ease.♥
In case you are wondering about my background and credentials, you can verify my craniosacral therapy certification and advanced training through the Upledger Institute Practitioner Directory and read 5-star Google reviews from satisfied clients. I offer craniosacral therapy in Worthington, Ohio, and at my peaceful retreat space on a horse farm in Johnstown—just 30 minutes from Columbus. Seasonal services like Equine Self-Discovery sessions and therapeutic pool work are also available upon request I offer trauma-informed, Upledger-certified craniosacral therapy—gentle yet powerful.
A Whole-Person Approach to Healing
🌿 Craniosacral Therapy meets Somatic Wisdom
With over 30 years of experience, I integrate hands-on therapies like CST, Visceral Manipulation, and Energy Healing to help your nervous system settle and restore.
This work listens deeply to what your body is saying—whether through tension, emotion, or subtle rhythms—and supports long-term integration and resilience.
✅ Certified at the Diplomate level through the Upledger Institute
✅ Trauma-informed (Hakomi, SPI)
✅ Sessions are gentle, personalized, and rooted in presence
✦ Modalities I Draw From
🔹 Craniosacral Therapy
🔹 Visceral Manipulation
🔹 Structural Integration
🔹 Energy Healing
🔹 Body-Centered Somatic Therapy
🔹 Trauma Support & Yoga Training
💫 Each Session Is Personalized
Every session is designed to meet you where you are—supporting change, integration, and reconnection with your whole self.
Many clients describe this work as a turning point:
“I feel more relaxed, more empowered, and more connected to who I really am”
Commonly Asked Questions
What conditions or symptoms can craniosacral therapy help with?
For Young People and Adults, For adults, craniosacral therapy is frequently sought to achieve relaxation and significant stress reduction, often leading to better sleep quality. It’s also utilized to support the body’s enhanced self-healing capabilities, foster increased body awareness, and promote improved circulation, all contributing to overall pain reduction.
What is Somatic Bodywork (or Therapy)?
Somatic bodywork (or somatic therapy) is a mind-body approach that recognizes trauma, stress, and emotional experiences are stored in the body, not just in the mind. It emphasizes internal physical sensations—such as muscle tension, breath, and posture—and uses techniques like gentle touch, movement, breathwork, grounding, and somatic tracking to help release tension, regulate the nervous system, and restore emotional balance verywellmind.com+1nourishtherapyandwellness.org+1. Practitioners see the body as the starting point for healing, guiding clients to tune into bodily signals and gently explore where pain or trauma lives, rather than merely talking about it health.harvard.edu+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
Does Craniosacral Therapy Help With The Vagus Nerve?
The tone of the vagus nerve is often reset with Craniosacral Therapy.This relieves stress and helps one to move into a deeper state of calm. The autonomic system finds healthier balance. Along with Mindfulness and breathing, this is an excellent modality for balance.
Does CST actually help migraines or tension-type headaches?
Research shows mixed but promising results:
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A 2023 randomized trial found that standardized CST significantly reduced migraine intensity, frequency, and related disability (HIT‑6 scores), with solid statistical significance—though the study called for larger trials Cleveland Clinic+10PubMed+10PMC+10.
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A systematic review/meta-analysis in 2019 concluded CST produced medium-to-large improvements in chronic pain, including migraines, compared to sham treatment, with benefits lasting up to 6 months AJMC.
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Separate studies on cervicogenic headaches—those stemming from neck issues—report very high patient satisfaction (97–100%) and reduced pain lasting up to 3 months post-treatment healingoak.ca+13headachemedicine.com.br+13Verywell Health+13.
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A smaller trial involving 42 women with migraines found CST halved pain intensity after four sessions over two weeks ScienceDirect+9advrehab.org+9Byrdie+9.
Can Craniosacral Therapy Help with Neurological Issues?
CST is often explored for its potential to help with post-concussion syndrome, addressing persistent headaches, dizziness, and cognitive fog by gently assisting the nervous system in recovery. Furthermore, by promoting deep relaxation and calming the autonomic nervous system, CST can be a valuable approach for managing symptoms of stress and anxiety, and improving sleep disturbances, thereby supporting overall neurological well-being and function.
Telehealth Questions
I am trained in Long Distance Healing Work with a Background in “Hand of Light” Energy Healing at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. I also include Hakomi (2 year Somatic program) and SensoriMotor Psychology Somatic Work with mindfulness techniques. Telehealth work can be just as powerful and as deeply healing as in person sessions.
How to find a Certified SomatoEmotional Release Craniosacral Therapist
Why Craniosacral Therapy Certification Matters
Many healthcare professionals—including doctors, nurses, massage therapists, and chiropractors—study Craniosacral Therapy (CST) and find profound value in its healing approach. While some incorporate CST into their existing practices after a few foundational courses, others feel called to go deeper.
I’m one of those therapists.
Sharon Hartnett offers comprehensive craniosacral therapy Columbus services as a Diplomate-certified therapist (CST-D) through the Upledger Institute. This craniosacral therapy Columbus practice includes over 30 years of experience in. I’ve completed years of advanced training, mentorship, and clinical practice to reach the highest level of certification available. This path reflects not only technical skill—but a deep commitment to listening, presence, and whole-person healing.
What Does CST-D Mean?
When you see “CST-D” after a therapist’s name, it means they’ve earned Diplomate-Level Certification, a distinction that represents:
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Extensive hands-on clinical hours
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Mastery of advanced techniques like SomatoEmotional Release, intraoral work, and trauma-informed care
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Deep study of the body’s subtle rhythms and healing potential
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A dedication to compassionate, client-centered work
This is not just training—it’s a level of mastery that comes from devotion to the art and science of Craniosacral Therapy.
How to Find a Qualified Craniosacral Therapist
To verify a therapist’s training or explore practitioner specialties, visit the Upledger Institute’s directory. There, you can find certified therapists by location and see which advanced trainings they’ve completed.
You Deserve Skilled, Compassionate Care
When it comes to your healing, credentials matter. But so does presence.
My goal is to offer both—rooted in experience, integrity, and care.
Have more questions? Visit the Craniosacral Therapy FAQ page.
Call or text 614-653-8111
Located in Worthington, serving Columbus, Ohio and surrounding communities.