(614) 653-8111 Sharhartnett@aol.com
Visceral Manipulation for Chronic Pelvic Pain: Gentle Hands-On Relief in Columbus, Ohio

Visceral Manipulation for Chronic Pelvic Pain: Gentle Hands-On Relief in Columbus, Ohio

by | Nov 4, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy

Chronic pelvic pain can take over a life quietly. It affects sitting, sleep, intimacy, exercise, and mood, and many people I meet have already seen several doctors, tried medication or physical therapy, and been told that the tests look normal. The pain is real. It simply lives in a place that standard treatment does not always reach: the organs, the connective tissue around them, and the way they move together.

Visceral manipulation is a gentle, hands-on approach to that deeper layer. I trained in it through the Barral Institute, and I use it alongside craniosacral therapy at Lighten Up Therapies in Worthington, just north of Columbus, Ohio. This post explains what visceral manipulation for chronic pelvic pain is, who tends to come to me for it, and what a session feels like.

Why Pelvic Pain Often Lingers

The pelvis holds the bladder, the bowel, and the reproductive organs, each wrapped in fascia and suspended by ligaments. In a healthy body these organs glide a little with every breath and every step. After surgery, infection, inflammation, childbirth, a fall, or a long period of stress, that glide can be lost. Tissue sticks where it used to slide, nerves become irritated, and the surrounding muscles tighten to protect the area. The pelvic floor clenches. The low back and hips compensate. Over months this becomes a pattern the nervous system holds onto even after the original problem has healed.

That is why pelvic pain so often outlasts its cause, and why it can feel vague, moving, or hard to describe. It is also why gentle manual work on the organs and their attachments can make a difference when stretching and strengthening alone have not.

What Visceral Manipulation Does

Visceral manipulation is a light-touch technique developed by French osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral. Using my hands on the abdomen, pelvis, and low back, I feel for areas where an organ or its connective tissue has lost its normal motion, then apply very gentle pressure and traction to encourage that motion to return. The pressure is about the weight of a hand resting on you. There is no forcing, no cracking, and no deep digging into tender tissue.

When restricted tissue begins to move again, several things can follow: less pull on irritated nerves, better blood and lymph flow, a pelvic floor that no longer has to brace, and a nervous system that can finally stand down. Because I also work with the cranial rhythm and the fascia of the whole body, I can address the tension that pelvic pain creates elsewhere, such as the sacrum, the diaphragm, the jaw, and the neck.

Who Comes to Me With Chronic Pelvic Pain

Visceral manipulation therapy for chronic pelvic pain is not a cure for any medical condition, and I always work alongside your physician or pelvic health specialist, never instead of them. With that said, many of the people who find relief in my office are living with:

  • Pelvic pain that has lasted more than six months with no clear explanation
  • Scar tissue and adhesions after C-section, hysterectomy, hernia repair, or other abdominal surgery
  • Endometriosis or painful periods, as a complement to medical care
  • Bladder pain and urgency, including interstitial cystitis
  • Pain with intimacy or a pelvic floor that will not relax
  • Postpartum pelvic pressure, tailbone pain, or low back pain that started with pregnancy
  • Digestive discomfort, bloating, and constipation that seem tied to pelvic tension
  • Pelvic pain that flares with stress or that began after an accident, injury, or trauma

Men with pelvic floor tension, chronic prostatitis-type pain, or tailbone pain after injury come in as well. Pelvic pain is not only a women's issue, though for women I also offer craniosacral therapy for women that addresses hormonal and pelvic concerns across the stages of life.

What a Session Is Like

You stay fully clothed in soft, loose clothing and lie on a comfortable table. We begin with a conversation about your history, your surgeries, and what makes the pain better or worse. Then I listen with my hands, usually starting away from the most painful area so your body can settle. The work itself is slow and quiet. Many clients describe warmth, a softening, a sense of something letting go, or simply deep relaxation. Some feel a shift in the session; for others the change shows up over the following days as easier movement, better sleep, or less bracing.

Because chronic pain lives in the nervous system as much as in the tissue, I pay close attention to your sense of safety. You set the pace. If anything feels like too much, we adjust. This trauma-informed, somatic approach matters especially when pelvic pain is connected to a difficult birth, a surgery that felt frightening, or past trauma. When emotions surface during the work, SomatoEmotional Release gives them a gentle place to go.

Most people start with a few sessions spaced one to two weeks apart so we can see how your body responds, then spread them out as things improve.

Is Visceral Manipulation Safe?

For most people, yes. The touch is light, and I adapt everything to your comfort and your medical situation. There are times when I will ask you to check with your doctor first or when I will not work directly on the abdomen: during the first trimester of pregnancy, with an active infection or fever, with undiagnosed abdominal pain, soon after surgery while incisions heal, with a known blood clot, or with certain medical devices or acute conditions. If you are unsure, call me and we will talk it through before you book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does visceral manipulation really help chronic pelvic pain?

Research on visceral manipulation is still growing, and results vary from person to person. What I can tell you is what I see in my office: when organs and fascia regain their natural movement, the body often has less reason to guard, and pain that has been stuck for years can begin to ease. I will always be honest with you about what I notice and whether I think this work is a good fit.

Is it the same as pelvic floor physical therapy?

No, and the two work well together. Pelvic floor physical therapy focuses on the muscles of the pelvic floor, often with internal work. Visceral manipulation focuses on the organs and connective tissue above and around those muscles, and it is external and fully clothed. Many of my clients see a pelvic floor PT and come to me for the layer the PT cannot reach.

Will it hurt?

It should not. The pressure is very light. You may notice tenderness in a restricted area, but the work is never forced, and you can ask me to lighten up or pause at any time.

How many sessions will I need?

Long-standing pain usually takes more than one visit. Many people notice something after the first or second session and see steadier change over four to six. We will talk about what you are noticing at each visit and decide together.

Can you work on pelvic pain in a long-distance session?

Visceral manipulation itself is hands-on and happens in my Worthington office. For clients who cannot travel, I offer long-distance energy healing sessions that support the nervous system and can be a helpful complement between in-person visits.

Gentle Help for Pelvic Pain in the Columbus Area

If you have been living with pelvic pain and have run out of answers, you do not have to keep pushing through it. I would be glad to talk with you about whether visceral manipulation and craniosacral therapy might help. I see clients from Columbus, Worthington, Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington, and Clintonville in a calm, private office.

Call or text me at (614) 653-8111 to ask questions or schedule a session.

Sharon Hartnett, CST-D
Lighten Up Therapies
6797 N High Street Ste 333
Worthington, Ohio 43085

Can You Send Healing Energy to Someone Else? Distance Sessions for a Loved One

Can You Send Healing Energy to Someone Else? Distance Sessions for a Loved One

by | Nov 2, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing

People ask me this more than you might think: "My mother is in the hospital two states away. Can you send her healing?" Or, "My son is going through something hard and won't come in. Can I book a session for him?"

The short answer is yes. Sending healing energy to someone at a distance is real work that I do, and there is a right way to do it. Here is how it works, who it can help, and the one thing I ask of every person who books a distance session for someone they love.

Sending Healing Vibes vs. a Distance Healing Session

Most of us already do a small version of this. We hold a friend in our thoughts before surgery. We light a candle for someone who is grieving. We say we are "sending healing vibes," and we mean it. That caring attention is not nothing. People feel it.

A distance healing session is that same intention, but focused, trained, and sustained. For a full session I sit quietly, connect with your loved one's energy field, and work with it the way I would if they were on my table in Worthington. In the Brennan Healing Science tradition I trained in, the human energy field is not limited to the few inches around the body. It can be reached, perceived, and supported from anywhere. That is why remote healing is not a lesser version of hands-on work. It is the same work, done without the drive.

If you want the fuller explanation of how a session reaches someone who is not in the room, I wrote about it here: Does Distance Energy Healing Work?

Who People Book Distance Sessions For

Over the years, the sessions people have asked me to give to someone else have fallen into a few groups:

  • A parent or grandparent who is ill or in care. Hospital stays, rehab, hospice. The family cannot bring them to me, and the person often does not have the energy for a visit anyway.
  • A spouse or partner in the middle of a hard stretch. Recovering from surgery, going through treatment, or simply worn down by stress and not sleeping.
  • An adult child who is struggling. Anxiety, a breakup, a job loss, a season of feeling lost. They may be open to receiving but not ready to reach out themselves.
  • Someone far away. A sister in another state, a friend overseas, a former Columbus client who moved and still wants the work.
  • A person who is grieving. Grief sits in the body as much as the heart. I wrote about that here: Energy Healing for Grief and Loss.

The common thread is love and a feeling of helplessness. You can see someone you care about suffering and you cannot fix it. A distance session is one real, concrete thing you can do.

The One Thing I Ask: Their Permission

This matters, so I will say it plainly. I do not send a full healing session to someone who has not agreed to receive it.

Energy work is not something I do to a person. It is something I do with them. Their own inner wisdom guides what releases and what stays. If someone has not said yes, I have no invitation to work with their field, and I will not force it. In my experience it does not land anyway. Healing that is pushed on someone tends to slide right off.

So before I take a session for a loved one, I ask that you tell them and that they say yes. It can be a simple yes. "My daughter wants to give me an energy session as a gift, from a distance. Is that okay with you?" That is enough.

What if they cannot answer? Sometimes a person is unconscious, very young, or too ill to be asked. In those cases I work differently. I hold the person in a gentle, open way and offer support to whatever their being is willing to receive, without directing or pushing. It is quieter work, and it is still meaningful. We can talk about what fits your situation when you call.

What Actually Happens in a Session for Someone Else

Here is how it goes, step by step:

  1. We talk first. You call me and tell me about the person: who they are, what they are going through, and what you hope the session will support. I ask a few questions. This is also when we confirm they have agreed.
  2. We set a time. I give the session at a scheduled time. If your loved one is able, I suggest they rest quietly during that window, with nothing they have to do. If they are not able, that is fine. The session still happens.
  3. I do the work. I sit in my Worthington office, settle, connect with their field, and work for the full session, just as I would with someone on my table. I am not sending vague good wishes. I am doing focused, trained energy work.
  4. We follow up. Afterward I share with you, or with them directly if they prefer, what I noticed and what may help in the days that follow. Some people feel a shift right away. For others it unfolds over the next day or two: better sleep, a softening, a little more room to breathe.

If the person receiving the session wants to know how to get ready, this short guide is for them: How to Prepare for a Long-Distance Energy Healing Session at Home.

What a Distance Session Is Not

I want to be honest about the edges of this work. A distance healing session is not medical treatment and does not replace a doctor, a nurse, a therapist, or medication. If your loved one is in a crisis, please get them the help they need first. Energy work supports the body's own capacity to rest, release, and heal. It is a companion to good care, not a substitute for it.

And it is not magic I perform on someone. The person receiving is always the one doing the healing. I am offering support, attention, and trained skill. What they do with it is theirs.

Giving a Session as a Gift

Many of the sessions I give for others are gifts: for a birthday, after a diagnosis, during a hard anniversary, or simply because someone is tired and loved. If you would like to gift a distance session, call me and we will arrange it. I am happy to reach out to the recipient directly to schedule, once they know it is coming.

Questions People Ask

Can you send healing energy to someone without them knowing?

I do not give full sessions to someone who has not agreed to receive one. Holding someone in loving thought is always yours to do. A focused healing session is different, and it works best, and most respectfully, with a yes.

Does my loved one have to do anything during the session?

No. If they can rest quietly at the scheduled time, wonderful. If they are asleep, in a hospital bed, or busy, the session still reaches them. Receiving does not require effort.

Does distance healing work for someone in another state or country?

Yes. Distance is not a factor in this work. I have given sessions to people across the country and overseas. Time zones are the only logistics we need to sort out.

Can I book a distance session for a child?

For a child, I ask that a parent or guardian agree and, if the child is old enough to understand, that the child is told in simple words and is comfortable with it. We can talk through what is appropriate for their age.

How is this different from Reiki distance healing?

Reiki and Brennan Healing Science are both forms of energy work that can be given at a distance. My primary training is in Brennan Healing Science, a four-year program that works with the structure and layers of the human energy field in a detailed, hands-on way. In practice, a distance session with me is a full, focused session, not a brief sending of energy.

What does a distance session cost?

Distance sessions are the same length and the same investment as an in-person session. Call me and I will give you current pricing and availability.

Ready to Give Someone You Love a Session?

If there is someone in your life who is hurting and far away, or close by but unable to come in, I would be honored to help. You can read more about how I work remotely on my Long-Distance Energy Healing page, or learn about the full scope of my energy healing work in Columbus.

Call or text me and tell me about them. We will take it from there.

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

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

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

by | 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.

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.
  • 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

Post-Concussion Support with Craniosacral Therapy | Columbus

by | Aug 12, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral Therapy for Concussion in Columbus, Ohio — Support for Lingering Post-Concussion Symptoms

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, sometimes called post-concussion syndrome. 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. I offer craniosacral therapy for concussion recovery at my Worthington office in the Columbus area and at a quiet retreat setting near Johnstown.

Post-Concussion Syndrome Symptoms

Post-concussion syndrome is the name for symptoms that continue beyond the usual recovery window — typically more than a few weeks after the injury. The symptoms people bring to me most often include:

  • Headaches or a feeling of pressure in the head
  • Dizziness, vertigo, or feeling off-balance
  • Brain fog, slow thinking, trouble concentrating or finding words
  • Sensitivity to light, noise, screens, and busy environments
  • Fatigue that is out of proportion to what you’ve done
  • Trouble falling or staying asleep
  • Neck pain and stiffness, especially after a fall or car accident
  • Anxiety, irritability, or feeling emotionally “thin”
  • Blurred vision or eye strain

If you recognize several of these and it has been more than a month since your injury, you may be living with persistent post-concussion symptoms. That is exactly the stage where gentle craniosacral work tends to help most.

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

When the impact also jarred the body — a fall, a car accident, a hard tackle — the diaphragm and organs often tighten and pull on the neck and head from below. In those cases I may add gentle, Barral-trained visceral manipulation to the session, so the whole system can settle, not just the head.

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

What the Research Says About Craniosacral Therapy for Concussion

I want to be honest here, because many people look this up before they call. The formal research on craniosacral therapy for concussion is still small — a handful of pilot studies and case series reporting improvements in headache, sleep, and quality of life, but no large controlled trials yet. Some medical guidelines list CST as “not enough evidence to recommend,” which is different from evidence that it does not help. What I can tell you is what I see in my practice after many years of this work, and that CST is one of the gentlest things you can do for a sensitive, recovering nervous system. I will never ask you to choose it instead of medical care — only alongside it.

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

Somatic Touch with Intention Creates a Unique Environment for Healing|CST

Somatic Touch with Intention Creates a Unique Environment for Healing|CST

by | Apr 6, 2026 | change, Craniosacral Therapy, Healthy Body, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, Traum Informed Therapy, upledger institute

craniosacral therapy with gentle touch

Trusting Your Body Again

By Sharon Hartnett, Diplomate Craniosacral Therapist, Worthington — serving the Columbus, Ohio area

Healing is all about receiving gentle, caring input into a system that has been disrupted.

We’re animals with highly complex, centralized brains and spinal cords. As humans we have the added benefit of myelinated axons for fast transmission of information from brain to body and body to brain. Electrical impulses, when strong enough, carry that information with the help of chemical neurotransmitters to the axon terminals. We are superhighways of light and frequency, processing all the time. Our brains and spines stay very busy in response. Given the right circumstances, they can be switched back on to speed the healing process.

When we run into pain or trauma, this efficient system often breaks down — the sympathetic nervous system over-activates and the parasympathetic is held back. That can lead to intense anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, exhaustion, and structural brain changes that favor a fear response over logical, present-moment processing.

When a threat is overwhelming, the nervous system may shut down altogether. That brings numbness, dissociation (detachment from the body and emotions), and feelings of being trapped or powerless. The brain can lose its ability to regulate emotion well. I write more about trauma-informed, body-centered healing on its own page.

This is why craniosacral therapy takes such a gentle, patient approach. Using very light touch and specific techniques, we rebuild a deeply trusting relationship with the body. The signals that were shut down or stuck in patterns of dysregulation can be reprogrammed, so to speak, by restoring trust in the mind-body connection. This is the heart of somatic massage — working from the inside out rather than forcing the tissues from the outside. By correcting restrictions and blockages, craniosacral therapy supports the natural, rhythmic flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions the brain and spinal cord, delivers nutrients, and removes waste. I explain the mechanics in What Does Craniosacral Therapy Do?

The best way to free up and nourish the body is presence, in a non-invasive approach. We want to normalize the mind-body through its own inner intelligence by creating a safe environment to relax, de-stress, and come back to Self with ease. Our bodies most often know what needs to be done, and they change accordingly once they shift from fear to ease.

During sessions, some people don’t feel very much. Others feel quite a bit. Either way, as the peaceful melding connection deepens, the nervous system begins to reorganize. Some people get up off the table deeply relaxed. I’ve often heard people say they haven’t felt such ease in years. The one thing I ask is patience — deep healing unfolds gradually.

When the body is rested and at ease, it heals from long-term trauma more easily.

The combination of trust and gentleness, backed by real skill, creates a secure environment that fundamentally transforms the healing process — letting the nervous system shift from high alert to rest, which is essential for repairing body and mind.

Ready to feel better? I’m Sharon Hartnett, a Diplomate-Certified Craniosacral Therapist (CST-D) through the Upledger Institute, with about 30 years of experience listening to the body and helping it heal. My office is in Worthington, Ohio, and I serve the greater Columbus area.

If you’re curious whether this gentle work is right for you, I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation. Call or text me at (614) 653-8111.

Learn more about craniosacral therapy in Columbus, read answers to common questions about craniosacral therapy, or find out how to choose the best craniosacral therapist for you.

Click Here to find out more about Sharon
Empowerment Through Craniosacral Therapy: A Good Day in My Practice

Empowerment Through Craniosacral Therapy: A Good Day in My Practice

by | Jan 31, 2026 | Craniosacral Therapy, craniosacral, Energy Healing, mind body & spirit, somatic therapy, Spiritual Healing, Structural Integration, Traum Informed Therapy, trauma informed therapy

Finding Your Light

Written by Sharon Hartnett, CST-D — healer, certified craniosacral therapist, trauma-informed practitioner. Serving the Columbus, Ohio area, and at a distance.

Empowerment

Yesterday was a good day. I had three incredible connected people leave my office after amazing Craniosacral Therapy sessions that changed me, but even more importantly changed them.

It’s not that I am a fantastic healer. But I will say that yesterday I was right in my groove for holding a sacred space for these women to drop into the deepest well inside, to access transformational energy in their nervous systems, to make life feel “right” again in their bodies. They were ripe. I was ripe—and magic happened.

This Is Not Foo-Foo

I don’t want this to sound foo-foo, because it is not. My work is based in science and many years working with whole people through somatic therapy and energy work focused on embodiment. But I am so happy that through all these last 30 years of working, I see real change—big change—change that matters with my clients. One month ago, I had a client say after one session that her life was completely changed. The work was powerful, and the world called her to shift. When a person is ready, everything will come into alignment to bring forth the Core Star, the Light which is the true you: magnificent and holy and so very Light.

It’s the Work, Not Me

It’s the work! It’s not me. It’s the person who longs to change and trusts themselves to open up like a ripe melon and taste the delicious sweetness and strength of the soul. I sit or stand on the side and I ask questions when helpful, hold the body when needed, use techniques that nudge the system to turn on and optimize. It’s the melding of two systems moving into unity and expansion. Two forces informing, with one person (me) holding space for the other to grow into a bigger experience of Self and Other.

Yesterday, one client connected with a core wounding and released such deep trauma, reconnecting with her authentic Self. Another client had walked in misalignment for years and can now move with light grace with each step. The last client suggested I charge more. I love the great feedback, and to observe—because as I deepen and receive, I have more to offer. So do you too. It is in our potential to gather and exponentially shift everything.

Now Is the Time

I say this all because right now, on earth, we need each other and we need to discover our own sense of empowerment again. It’s time for ordinary people to awaken to the full breath of their “Being.” You are more than you can even imagine.

Whether you come see me, or another healer, craniosacral therapist or manual bodyworker—do it for you. Do it for this world. Many of us have been waiting to wake up this world and bring in more and more Light. It’s time now.

It doesn’t matter what religion you are, the color of your skin, the class society has classified you into—find a friend, find a therapist and make something wonderful in your relationships. Bring it back to you, and then spread it back out.

Now is the time. Sure, I had a great day yesterday. Mostly because I know I made a positive difference. That feels so darn rewarding. Don’t get misled into thinking you are small—never do that. Too much of that going on in the world. Instead, move into your greatness my friends. We shall overcome!

Sharon Hartnett CST-D
(614) 653-8111
Lighten Up Therapies