Energy Healing for Burnout: When Your Nervous System Won’t Switch Off

by SharonHartnett | Oct 25, 2026 | Energy Healing

Burnout is not laziness and it is not weakness. It is a nervous system that has been running on high alert for so long it has forgotten how to come down. People describe it as being tired but wired: exhausted all day, unable to rest at night, irritable, foggy, going through the motions, and quietly afraid that something is wrong with them. Nothing is wrong with you. Your system is doing exactly what it was built to do under sustained pressure; it just hasn't been given a reason to stop.

Much of my work as an energy healer in Worthington, serving Columbus, is with people in this state: nurses, teachers, caregivers, people running businesses or households or both. This post explains what burnout looks like from where I sit, and how energy work can help a nervous system remember how to switch off.

What Burnout Looks Like in the Body

By the time someone books a session, the signs are usually physical as well as emotional:

Exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix, and sleep that is shallow or broken
A jaw, neck, and shoulders that never fully let go
Shallow breathing, held high in the chest
Brain fog, trouble concentrating, forgetting simple things
Feeling numb or detached, or crying easily over small things
Getting sick more often, or digestive trouble that comes and goes
A sense of dread about ordinary tasks

In the language of the nervous system, this is a person stuck between fight-or-flight and shutdown, cycling between the two without ever reaching rest-and-digest, the state where the body actually repairs itself.

Why Rest Alone Often Isn't Enough

People in burnout are usually told to rest. Many have tried. The problem is that a nervous system locked in high alert does not rest just because you lie down; it keeps scanning. A weekend off, or even a vacation, can leave someone feeling exactly as depleted on Monday. The system needs help finding the off switch, not just time.

How Energy Healing Helps

Energy work meets the nervous system where it is instead of asking it to think its way to calm. In the Brennan Healing Science tradition I trained in, burnout shows up as a field that is depleted and ungrounded at the same time: charge runs high and scattered in the upper body and head, and the lower body and legs are under-charged and disconnected. The work is to bring the charge down and in, and to rebuild from the ground up.

In practice a burnout session tends to include:

Grounding first. Work with the feet, legs, and lower body, so the system has somewhere to land. Clients often feel their breath drop lower within the first few minutes.
Settling the head and jaw. Light work around the head, often drawing on my craniosacral training, to help the constant mental running quiet down.
Recharging the field. Burnout is a deficit. Part of the session is simply restoring energy so you have something to meet your week with.
Letting the body finish what it's holding. Sometimes a long-held brace finally releases, with a deep sigh, a shake, tears, or a wave of warmth. We let that happen at your pace.

Sessions are 60 to 75 minutes. You stay fully clothed, usually lying on a treatment table. Many burnout clients fall into a deep rest during the session, sometimes the first real rest they have had in months. I describe what a session involves in more detail in how energy healing works, and sessions are also available by phone or video if getting to an office is one more thing you cannot face.

What Clients Notice

Experiences vary, and I make no promises. What people most often report after a few sessions is sleeping more deeply, a longer fuse, breathing that sits lower in the body without effort, and a sense of having more room inside. Several have told me the biggest change was noticing, for the first time in a long while, that they felt like themselves.

Energy Work Alongside Everything Else

Burnout usually has real causes in a person's life, and energy healing does not change a job, a workload, or a family situation. It can give your nervous system enough ground and reserve to make those decisions from a steadier place. This is complementary care, and it sits well alongside therapy, medical care, and the practical changes you may need to make. If you are experiencing severe depression or thoughts of harming yourself, please contact your doctor or a crisis line first; energy work is not a substitute for that help.

Working With Me

I see clients at my office in Worthington, serving the Columbus area, and by phone or video anywhere in the United States and Canada. Sessions are $150, with package options for weekly support while you rebuild. Call or text (614) 653-8111 for a free 15-minute consultation; you don't need to have it all figured out before you call.

Sharon Hartnett, CST-D
Energy healer and craniosacral therapist, Barbara Brennan School of Healing graduate
Lighten Up Therapies, 6797 N High Street Ste 333, Worthington, Ohio 43085

Energy Healing for Grief and Loss: Gentle Support When Words Aren’t Enough

by SharonHartnett | Oct 25, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy

Grief lives in the body. People tell me they are "fine" and then can't take a full breath, can't sleep, can't feel anything at all, or feel everything at once. Talking helps some people. For others, the loss is bigger than words, or it has been years and the talking is done but something is still held. That is often when someone finds their way to energy healing.

I have worked with grieving clients for three decades, in my Worthington office and by phone or video for people who cannot or would rather not come in. This post is about what energy work can and cannot do for grief, and what a session is like.

What Grief Does in the Body

Loss registers in the nervous system as a shock, even when it was expected. The body braces. Many people describe a tightness through the chest, a closed-down feeling around the heart, a heaviness in the shoulders, shallow breathing, or exhaustion that sleep doesn't touch. Some lose their appetite; some lose their sense of time. These are not failures to cope. They are the body doing what bodies do when something that was there is suddenly gone.

Grief also rarely arrives alone. It brings up older losses, unfinished conversations, guilt, relief, anger, and love, often all in the same hour. The body holds all of that too.

How Energy Healing Approaches Grief

In the Brennan Healing Science tradition I trained in, grief shows up most often around the heart center and in the overall charge of the field, which tends to go flat or collapse inward. The work is not about making the grief go away. It is about helping the body stop bracing against it, so the natural movement of grieving can happen instead of staying stuck.

Practically, that means:

Restoring breath and ground. Early sessions often focus on the lower body and the breath, so you feel supported enough to feel anything at all.
Working gently with the heart. Light touch or hands near the chest, with no agenda, while you rest. Clients often describe warmth, a loosening, or tears that come easily and leave them lighter.
Making room for what arises. Memories, images, and unsaid things sometimes surface. We stay with them at your pace. Nothing is forced, and you can stop or pause at any time.
Rebuilding charge. Grief is depleting. Part of the work is simply helping your system recharge, so you have more to meet your days with.

What a Session Is Like

We begin by talking briefly, as much or as little as you want. You lie fully clothed on the treatment table, or sit if that feels better. I work with my hands lightly on or near the body, listening to what is present. Sessions run 60 to 75 minutes, and we leave time at the end to talk about what came up and how to care for yourself afterward. By phone or video, the session follows the same shape from your own home, which many grieving clients prefer.

Some people feel a great deal during a session; some feel very little and notice changes over the following days. Both are normal. I describe this more in how energy healing works.

Grief Doesn't Follow a Schedule

I see people in the first raw weeks, and I see people ten years after a loss who have just realized they never let themselves feel it. There is no wrong time. If you are also in grief counseling or therapy, energy work sits comfortably alongside it; many of my clients do both, and I am glad to work as part of your support. This is complementary care, not a replacement for mental-health treatment, and if you are in crisis please reach out to a crisis line or your doctor first.

A Note on Anniversaries, Holidays, and Hard Dates

Many clients book a session around the dates they know will be hard: the anniversary, a birthday, the holidays. Having somewhere to bring it, and someone to hold the space, can make those days more bearable. You don't need to explain or justify the timing.

Working With Me

I offer energy healing for grief and loss at my office in Worthington, serving the Columbus area, and by phone or video anywhere in the United States and Canada. Sessions are $150, with package options for ongoing support. If you would like to talk first, call or text (614) 653-8111 for a free 15-minute consultation. There is no pressure to decide anything on the call.

Sharon Hartnett, CST-D
Energy healer and craniosacral therapist, Barbara Brennan School of Healing graduate
Lighten Up Therapies, 6797 N High Street Ste 333, Worthington, Ohio 43085

What Is Brennan Healing Science? The Training Behind My Energy Work

by SharonHartnett | Oct 25, 2026 | Energy Healing, barbara brennan

People often ask me what makes my energy work different from Reiki or from the energy healing they may have tried elsewhere. The short answer is where I trained. I spent eight years at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, four as a student in the professional program and four more in advanced training and teaching. Brennan Healing Science is the foundation of every energy healing session I offer in Worthington and Columbus, Ohio, and of my virtual sessions by phone or video.

This post explains what that training is, what it taught me to perceive and work with, and why it matters when you are choosing someone to work with your energy.

Who Was Barbara Brennan?

Barbara Brennan was a NASA research physicist who later trained as a therapist and healer, and in the 1980s founded the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Her two books, Hands of Light and Light Emerging, brought a detailed, structured description of the human energy field to a wide audience and remain the core texts of the school. She died in 2022; the school continues, and graduates practice around the world.

The Four Dimensions We Work With

Brennan Healing Science describes a person in four dimensions, and a session can move through any or all of them:

The physical body. What you feel, where you hold tension, what hurts. In my practice this is where my craniosacral training and the energy work meet.
The auric field. The layers of energy around and through the body, organized around the chakras. Much of the hands-on work happens here: clearing, charging, and restructuring.
The hara. A deeper line of intention that runs vertically through the body. When the hara is aligned, people often describe feeling clear about what they want and able to act on it.
The core star. The school's name for the essence of a person, underneath personality, history, and defenses. Work at this level is quiet and often the most moving.

What the Four-Year Program Involves

The professional program is not a weekend certification. Over four years, students study anatomy and physiology, learn to perceive and work with the energy field with their hands, and practice specific techniques such as chelation (a full-field clearing and charging that moves from the feet to the head), chakra restructuring, spinal cleaning, and work with the hara line.

Just as important, every student goes through their own personal process in the program. You cannot hold a clear, steady space for someone else's healing while avoiding your own. That requirement is, in my experience, what separates this training from most of what is available.

After graduating I stayed on for four more years of advanced training and taught at the school. I later added Reiki, Ken Kole's Unwinding the Meridians, and angelic energy healing, and I became a Diplomate-certified craniosacral therapist through the Upledger Institute. I have been doing energy work with clients since the mid-1990s.

What a Brennan-Trained Session Feels Like

You stay fully clothed, usually lying on a treatment table. I begin by listening, with my hands near or lightly on the body, to what is present in your field that day. I do not follow a fixed sequence; I respond to what I find. Some clients feel warmth, movement, or deep relaxation. Some feel very little during the session and notice shifts afterward. Both are normal, and I describe this more in how energy healing works.

Because this work engages the whole person, emotions, memories, and images sometimes come up. When they do, we work with them gently and at your pace. Nothing is forced.

Why Training Matters When You Choose a Healer

Energy healing is unregulated. Anyone can use the words. That is not a criticism of other approaches; many sincere people do good work. It does mean the responsibility to ask about training falls on you. Questions worth asking any practitioner: Where did you train, and for how long? Did the training include anatomy? Did it require you to do your own healing work? How many years have you practiced?

I wrote more about this in how to find the right energy healer, and about what sessions typically cost in Columbus in this guide.

An Honest Word About Evidence

Energy healing is a complementary practice. It is not a substitute for medical or mental-health care, and the mechanisms the Brennan model describes are not established by scientific research the way medical treatments are. What I can tell you is what three decades of clients report: feeling calmer, more connected to themselves, and more able to move through what they came in carrying. I am glad to work alongside your doctor or therapist.

Working With Me

I see clients at my office in Worthington, serving the Columbus area, and by phone or video for clients anywhere in the United States and Canada. Sessions run 60 to 75 minutes at $150, and package options are available for ongoing work. If you are curious whether this is a fit, call or text (614) 653-8111 for a free 15-minute consultation.

Sharon Hartnett, CST-D
Barbara Brennan School of Healing graduate [year] and former faculty member [years taught]
Lighten Up Therapies, 6797 N High Street Ste 333, Worthington, Ohio 43085

What Does CST-D Mean? Inside the Upledger Diplomate Certification in Craniosacral Therapy

by SharonHartnett | Oct 17, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy

By Sharon Hartnett, CST-D, Lighten Up Therapies, Worthington, Ohio

When people search for a craniosacral therapist, they see letters after names — LMT, CST, CST-T, CST-D — and have no way of knowing what those letters mean or whether they matter. I get asked about it often enough that I decided to write it down. This is what the Upledger Institute’s certifications actually are, what the Diplomate level required of me, and why I think it is worth knowing before you choose who puts their hands on your head.

The short version

Craniosacral therapy can be learned at very different depths. A massage therapist can take an introductory weekend course and add “craniosacral” to a menu of services. The Upledger Institute, which developed and still teaches the method Dr. John Upledger brought into mainstream practice in the 1970s, offers two levels of certification beyond coursework:

CST-T (Techniques Certification) — the practitioner has completed the core and SomatoEmotional Release coursework and passed written, practical and essay examinations. It shows hands-on competence and a solid foundation.
CST-D (Diplomate Certification) — the advanced level. It requires the Techniques certification first, then years of further coursework, documented case studies, a presentation, and oral and practical examinations before Upledger examiners. It is the Institute’s highest clinical credential, and relatively few practitioners hold it.

I am Diplomate certified. I say that not to boast but because it is the single most useful fact a prospective client can know about me, and most people have never heard the term.

What “Diplomate” actually required

I took my first craniosacral therapy class in 2003, already a licensed massage therapist and already years into structural integration and energy work. I knew within that first class that I had found my calling. What I did not know was how long the road to Diplomate would be.

The Diplomate process is not a course you sign up for. It is a demonstration, over years, that you can do this work at a clinical level — with the anatomy and physiology behind it, with trauma, with the dialogue skills that SomatoEmotional Release demands, and with the therapeutic presence to hold a client safely through whatever surfaces. Case studies are written up and reviewed. You sit for examinations in front of senior Upledger instructors who have been doing this work for decades. You are expected to explain not just what you did with your hands but why, in the language of the craniosacral system, and to show it on a table. [Sharon: confirm the year you earned CST-D, and anything specific you want said about the exam.]

Along the way I served as a teaching assistant for Upledger courses, led a craniosacral therapy study group, and for many years worked as a SomatoEmotional Release therapist in group settings at Integrative Intentions. Those were not requirements so much as the natural result of wanting to go deeper.

Why the foundation under the certification matters too

A credential tells you a practitioner passed an exam. It does not tell you what they bring to the table besides the technique. In my case, craniosacral therapy sits on top of almost thirty years of other training, and clients feel the difference even when they cannot name it:

Barbara Brennan School of Healing — eight years as a student and then a teacher, trained in Brennan Healing Science and spiritual psychology. This is where I learned to read the human energy field, and it is why my craniosacral work so often becomes energy work without a seam. [Sharon: confirm years attended.]
Hakomi Institute — a two-year training in body-centered psychotherapy, followed by first-year trauma-informed training at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. This is the somatic, trauma-informed part of what I do: knowing when a nervous system is ready to go deeper and when it needs to rest.
Structural Integration (ISI) — my fascination with fascia came before craniosacral therapy and shaped everything after it. See Structural Integration with a Craniosacral Lens.
Visceral Manipulation, Barral Institute — listening to the organs and their connective tissue, which is why visceral work shows up in my sessions for digestive and pelvic issues.
Reiki, Ken Kole’s Unwinding the Meridians, Angelic Energy Healing, yoga teacher training, equine work with Spirit of Leadership — each one another way of listening.
Licensed Massage Therapist, Ohio, since the mid-1990s, and a Bachelor’s degree from Ohio State.

None of that is on the Upledger certificate. All of it is in the room when I work with you.

How to use this when you are choosing a therapist

I am not going to tell you that only a Diplomate can help you. Many CST-T practitioners are excellent, and some people with no certification at all have good hands. But if you are dealing with something complex — a concussion, trauma held in the body, chronic pain that has not responded to anything else, TMJ that needs intraoral work — the level of training matters, and you are allowed to ask about it. A few things worth asking any craniosacral therapist:

Where did you train, and are you certified through the Upledger Institute? At which level?
How many years have you been doing this work specifically?
Have you trained in SomatoEmotional Release, and in working with trauma?
What else do you bring — somatic training, energy work, structural work?

You can verify any Upledger certification in the International Association of Healthcare Practitioners directory. I would rather you check than take my word for it.

What this means for your session

In practice, the Diplomate training is why I do not follow a fixed ten-step protocol. I listen to where your body is asking for attention and start there, whether that is the cranium, the sacrum, the fascia around an old injury, or the energy field itself. Sessions are 75 minutes, in my office in historic downtown Worthington, a short drive from Columbus. If you are not local, energy and somatic work are also available by phone or video.

If you have questions about my training or whether this work is right for what you are carrying, call or text me. I am happy to talk it through before you book.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D
Lighten Up Therapies
6797 N High Street Ste 333, Worthington, Ohio 43085
(614) 653-8111

Learn more about craniosacral therapy, read the frequently asked questions, or see the full range of integrative therapies I offer.

Post-Concussion Support with Craniosacral Therapy | Columbus

by SharonHartnett | Aug 12, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy

Lingering Symptoms After a Concussion? How Craniosacral Therapy Can Support Recovery

Most concussions resolve within a few weeks. But if you’re reading this, you may be one of the many people for whom they don’t — the headaches linger, the brain fog won’t lift, bright lights and busy rooms are still exhausting, and everyone keeps telling you the scans look fine.

If that’s you, first: what you’re experiencing is real, it’s common, and it has a name — persistent post-concussion symptoms. And while your physician should always lead your concussion care, there’s a gentle, hands-on approach many people find supportive during the long tail of recovery: craniosacral therapy.

Why Symptoms Can Linger After the Injury “Heals”

A concussion isn’t just an event that happens to the brain — it’s an event that happens to the whole head-and-neck system. The impact travels through the skull, the membranes surrounding the brain, the cerebrospinal fluid, the neck, and the fascia connecting all of it. Even after the acute injury resolves, this system can hold residual restrictions and protective tension patterns.

On top of that, a concussion is often a shock to the nervous system itself. Many people’s systems remain stuck in a protective, high-alert state long after the injury — which can feed ongoing headaches, sensory overwhelm, poor sleep, anxiety, and fatigue.

Where Craniosacral Therapy Fits In

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) works with precisely the structures a concussion affects: the cranial bones and sutures, the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, the neck, and the fascia of the head and body. Using extremely light touch — about the weight of a nickel — I listen for areas of restriction and support the body in gently releasing them.

For post-concussion clients, sessions typically emphasize:

The cranial base and neck, which often absorb significant force during impact and whiplash
The membranes and fluid rhythm, supporting the environment the brain rests in
Calming the overall nervous system, helping the body come down from sustained high alert
Pacing and gentleness above all — a healing brain does not respond well to force, so nothing in this work is forceful

Because CST is so gentle, it’s well suited to people whose systems are sensitive — which describes almost everyone recovering from a concussion.

What Clients Commonly Report

Every recovery is individual, and CST supports rather than replaces medical treatment. With that said, post-concussion clients often describe:

Reduced headache frequency and head pressure
Feeling less “rattled” by light, noise, and busy environments
Clearer thinking and less fog after sessions
Deeper sleep — often the first thing to improve
A steadier, calmer baseline as the nervous system settles

Progress with post-concussion work tends to be gradual and cumulative rather than dramatic, which is why I take time in a free consultation to talk honestly about expectations.

The Team Approach: Your Doctor Leads

I want to be direct about this: see a physician for any head injury, and keep following their guidance. Red-flag symptoms — worsening headaches, repeated vomiting, confusion, weakness, seizures, or changes in consciousness — need immediate medical attention, not bodywork.

Craniosacral therapy belongs in the supportive layer of concussion care, alongside approaches like vestibular therapy, vision therapy, and graduated return to activity. I’m always glad to work as part of a team with your physician, physical therapist, or neurologist, and I’ll tell you honestly if I think another provider should be your next step. You’ll find trusted referrals on my recommended providers page.

For Parents: Kids, Teens, and Sports Concussions

Young athletes are among the most common concussion patients — and among the most responsive to gentle work. CST’s light touch makes it appropriate for children and teens, and parents are always welcome in the room. If your child has been cleared medically but still “isn’t quite themselves,” a gentle evaluation of what their system is holding can be a meaningful next step.

A Quiet Setting for Sensitive Systems

One practical note for anyone whose symptoms include light and sound sensitivity: environment matters. Sessions are available at my Worthington office in the Columbus area, and also at my peaceful horse-farm retreat near Johnstown, Ohio — a naturally quiet, low-stimulation setting that many post-concussion clients find far easier on their systems than a busy commercial building. If bright waiting rooms and traffic noise are part of what wears you out, the Johnstown option may be the gentler choice, especially for clients coming from New Albany, Granville, Newark, or eastern Licking County.

Questions People Often Ask

How soon after a concussion can I have craniosacral therapy? Not immediately. Recent head trauma is a situation for medical evaluation first, and CST should wait until your physician has assessed you and any acute concerns (like bleeding or unstable pressure) are ruled out. Once you’re medically cleared, CST can join the recovery plan — many clients come during the lingering-symptom phase, weeks or months after the injury.

Is craniosacral therapy safe after a head injury? With medical clearance, yes — its extreme gentleness is exactly why it suits recovering systems. There’s no manipulation, cracking, or force. Certain conditions (acute hemorrhage, unstable intracranial pressure, aneurysm risk) are contraindications, which is why the doctor-first rule matters.

Can CST help post-concussion syndrome months or years later? This is actually when many clients seek it out — after the standard recovery window has passed but headaches, fog, or sensitivity remain. The body can hold restriction patterns from an impact long after the acute injury resolves, and it’s never too late to address them gently.

Is CST safe for kids and teen athletes? Yes, with medical clearance. The light touch is well suited to young people, sessions are adapted to their comfort, and parents are always welcome in the room.

Will insurance cover CST for concussion recovery? Generally not directly, though HSA/FSA funds may apply — check your plan. If cost is a factor, mention it in your free consultation and we’ll talk honestly about a sustainable plan.

Moving Forward

Recovery from a stubborn concussion can feel lonely and slow. You don’t have to navigate it without support. I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to hear your story, answer questions, and help you decide whether this gentle approach belongs in your recovery plan.

Sharon Hartnett, CST-D Lighten Up Therapies 6797 N. High St. Suite 333, Worthington, OH 43085 Call or text: (614) 653-8111 Serving the greater Columbus and Johnstown, Ohio areas — including Worthington, Dublin, Powell, Upper Arlington, Westerville, New Albany, Gahanna, Sunbury, Delaware, Granville, Newark, Mount Vernon, and Central Ohio communities within about an hour and a half

Craniosacral therapy is a complementary approach and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your physician about head injuries and concussion symptoms.

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