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.

When grief has gone on long enough to wear the whole system down, it can start to look a lot like burnout, and the two often overlap.

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 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

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

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

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. 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

Choose a Craniosacral Therapist|Sharon Hartnett CST-D

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

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
www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Chronic Pain Relief in Columbus, Ohio

by SharonHartnett | Jan 3, 2026 | change, Craniosacral Therapy, healthy

If you’re living with chronic pain and you’re in Columbus or Worthington, I want to say this first: pain isn’t the problem. It’s a signal.

Most people try to push through pain or ignore it. Some rely on medication to get by. Sometimes that helps short-term. But chronic pain usually doesn’t resolve that way. It gets stored in the body. Over time, things tighten, movement changes, and the pain becomes part of daily life.

What actually helps is learning how to listen to the body and meet the pain in a way that is right for you.

Why Somatic Work Helps Chronic Pain

I’ve worked with people in pain for nearly 30 years. What I’ve seen again and again is that chronic pain doesn’t just live in muscles or joints. It lives in the nervous system, the fascia, and the tissues themselves.

This is where somatic work—like craniosacral therapy, gentle bodywork, or Hakomi-informed approaches—can make a real difference. Instead of forcing change, we meet what’s there and allow the body to respond.

Medication can dull pain. Somatic work helps the body reorganize so the pain doesn’t need to stay.

Pain Is Different for Everyone

There isn’t one kind of chronic pain. Everyone carries it differently. Body structure, stress, emotional history, and past injuries all play a role.

That’s why I don’t follow a formula. In my practice in Columbus and Worthington, I meet each person where they are. The body tells the story. My job is to listen. Most of the work is listening and gentle touch, but sometimes I do go deeper at points if that is what the body calls for. For some people, I will refer out if they need a wonderful massage therapist. One I recommend locally is Mia Mogavero. If I feel someone needs more active motion, I’ll add to the healing team and highlight people like Kelsey at Shift Motion. She offers great pilates classes which can help get movement, balance and strength in alignment. I am always looking toward my client’s real needs first.

Listening Changes Everything

Especially in the beginning, it can be important to talk about the pain—how it started, what it feels like, what makes it worse or better. Pain wants to be acknowledged.

After that, I listen more with my hands than with words. I follow the tissues, the fluids, and the subtle movements in the body. Over time, the body begins to show us what it needs.

Some people like quiet sessions. Others need to talk. Both are fine. There’s no right way to heal.

Chronic Pain Is Often Old Pain

Most long-term pain isn’t just about what’s happening now. It’s layered. Old injuries. Old stress. Sometimes old trauma.

Earlier in my career, I worked more assertively through Structural Integration. Change often happened quickly. Now I work mostly with craniosacral therapy. It’s gentler. Slower. Built on trust. For many people, it leads to deeper and more lasting relief.

When Trauma Is Part of the Picture

Some people don’t feel much in their bodies at all, especially if they learned early on to disconnect to survive. In those cases, we go slowly. Sometimes touch isn’t the starting point. Sometimes it’s simply sitting, listening, and establishing safety.

Healing doesn’t need to be forced.

Restoring Movement and Ease

The body is meant to move. Every tissue has its own rhythm. Chronic pain often shows us where that movement has been restricted—commonly in the neck, the cranial base, or the fascia.

When those areas are supported with care, things can soften. Movement returns. Pain often settles on its own.

The Way Through Chronic Pain

Pain isn’t something to fight. It’s information. It’s asking for attention and support.

If you’re looking for chronic pain relief in Columbus or Worthington, Ohio, my approach is gentle, respectful, and led by your body. You’re always in charge. We move at your pace.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D
(614) 653-8111
www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Click Here to find out more about Craniosacral Therapy

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