614 653-8111 Sharhartnett@aol.com
Craniosacral Therapy in Columbus: How Gentle Touch, Somatic Awareness, and Visceral Manipulation Support Deep Healing

Craniosacral Therapy in Columbus: How Gentle Touch, Somatic Awareness, and Visceral Manipulation Support Deep Healing

craniosacral therapy worthington ohio

Call Craniosacral Therapist Near Me

Sharon Hartnett CST-D is a Certified Diplomate Craniosacral Therapist through the Upledger Institute

30 years of experience in mind/body centered healing and somatic work.

Telephone:  614 653-8111

Located in Worthington, Ohio and Serving the Columbus area.

Listening to the Body’s Deeper Intelligence

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle approach to listening to the body’s own deeper mind-body intelligence. Rather than trying to “fix” a symptom, I listen with my hands and my presence to what your system is already communicating. When the body feels safe enough to express itself, the central nervous system begins to balance, nourish, and restore itself from within.

This work opens communication with the essence and core of each individual. When the craniosacral rhythm is flowing freely, people often feel deeply relaxed, more aligned, and connected to themselves again. Over the years, I’ve seen clients leave sessions feeling lighter, clearer, and more at peace in both body and spirit.

Why I Was Drawn to Craniosacral Therapy

I first experienced craniosacral therapy decades ago. What struck me most was how such light touch could create such profound change. My body softened. My mind quieted. I felt healthier and more whole.

As a practitioner now, I use CST as the foundation of my work because it meets people exactly where they are. The body knows what it needs — my role is to listen deeply, stay neutral, and help the system find its own natural balance.

Many people assume that light touch is less effective than deep tissue work. In reality, working gently with the tissues and dialoguing with the nervous system is often far more powerful for lasting healing. The change arises organically rather than being imposed from the outside.

An Integrative, Trauma-Informed Approach

My practice combines craniosacral therapy, somatic therapy, visceral manipulation, and energy healing in an intuitive, trauma-informed way. Every session is customized to the person in front of me. I draw on what I’ve learned from the Hakomi Method, Barbara Brennan Healing Science, Upledger CST, and years of working with clients through trauma, injury, and personal transformation.

This integrative model allows the body to unwind from multiple levels — structural, emotional, energetic, and spiritual. Healing is never just physical; it’s a whole-person process.

What Happens in a Typical Session

When a client arrives, I begin by listening. The first few minutes are about connecting — hearing what brings them in, noticing their tone of voice, posture, and how they inhabit their body. Everything tells a story about how their system is adapting and compensating.

After about ten minutes, the client lies fully clothed on the table. I place my hands gently at different areas — head, sacrum, feet — and listen to the craniosacral rhythm. This subtle motion naturally goes into flexion and extension with pauses in between. I assess its quality, rate, and symmetry. Where there are restrictions, I support the tissues in finding balance.

Sessions last about 75 minutes, longer than most bodywork sessions, because I want clients to have time to drop into deep stillness without feeling rushed. Afterward, I ask what shifts they noticed and how they might integrate these changes into daily life. Healing continues long after the session ends.

How I Track Progress

Progress often shows up in small but meaningful ways — easier movement, deeper sleep, less anxiety, or feeling more “present” inside the body. Each session, I ask questions to help clients notice what’s changing.

Because the work is so individualized, I often suggest people start with three sessions to feel how their system responds. From there, we adjust frequency based on their goals and progress. Some people come short-term for an acute issue; others choose ongoing sessions for maintenance, stress relief, and emotional regulation.

Somatic Therapy: Bringing Awareness and Empowerment

Somatic therapy helps clients develop awareness of how emotions and experiences live in the body. Using a Hakomi approach, I notice subtle cues — a breath held, a shoulder tightening — and may reflect or ask mindful questions to bring unconscious patterns to light.

Sometimes, we explore these through small “experiments” in awareness. This isn’t talk therapy; it’s an embodied inquiry that helps people discover their own inner wisdom. When someone becomes more self-aware, they naturally become more self-empowered. They begin to trust their body again and make new choices from a grounded place.

Visceral Manipulation: Restoring Internal Balance

Visceral manipulation focuses on the gentle mobilization of the organs and their connective tissues. Every organ in the body needs a certain freedom of motion to function optimally. When there’s restriction — from injury, surgery, posture, or emotional tension — it can affect digestion, breathing, or pelvic health.

I often work with women who experience pelvic discomfort, digestive issues, or breathing limitations. Through subtle assessment and touch, I help release restrictions so the organs can move in harmony again. This work often relieves pain, improves range of motion, and restores vitality throughout the entire system.

A Trauma-Informed Lens

Over the years, I’ve worked with many women who have experienced sexual abuse or boundary violations. Healing touch must always be guided by safety and choice. Sometimes clients say they want touch but their body shows hesitation. In those cases, we pause and explore what safety feels like together before any physical work begins.

Empowerment is at the heart of trauma-informed care. My goal is never to override a client’s readiness but to help them rebuild trust in their own boundaries and sensations. Healing is not about forcing release — it’s about re-establishing connection to the self in a way that feels deeply safe.

Real Stories of Change

Over the years, I’ve witnessed remarkable outcomes — not because of me, but because of how powerfully the body can heal when listened to.

  • Tinnitus relief: A woman came in with persistent tinnitus that had been plaguing her for months. By the end of the session, the ringing had stopped — and it remained quiet when we followed up later.
  • Chronic headaches: Another client had experienced daily headaches for six years. Within ten minutes of gentle craniosacral work, the pain disappeared and stayed away.
  • Post-accident recovery: A young woman who’d been in a car accident and lost her baby struggled to walk and was overwhelmed by grief. After ten sessions, she could move more freely, felt calmer, and began reconnecting with life.
  • Concussion and sensory overload: One woman with foggy thinking and extreme light sensitivity after a concussion felt clear enough after ten sessions to resume outdoor activities and adventures again.
  • TMJ Jaw and mouthwork that released tension in the jaw and joints.
  • Post Surgery Recovery A client recovered quickly after breast surgery.  Her range of motion and flow was much better.

Not every case shifts this quickly — each person’s healing journey unfolds uniquely. But these stories remind me daily of why I do this work.

Physiological and Energetic Perspectives

Physiologically, I believe that every relationship and life experience influences the body. When I come from my higher self — grounded, experienced, and connected — it opens communication down to the cellular and even quantum level. The body begins to reorganize itself toward health.

Energetically, I work with both flow and structure. Sometimes that means clearing congestion in the chakras or balancing the auric field. These subtle levels often correspond directly to physical tension and emotional holding patterns.

Who Can Benefit

Craniosacral therapy can benefit nearly anyone — from babies to seniors. I work with people dealing with:

  • Back and neck pain
  • Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
  • Migraines and headaches
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Nervous-system dysregulation
  • Emotional trauma
  • Postural imbalances and limited range of motion
  • A general sense of disconnection or depletion
  • TMJ Relief

The only contraindications are conditions like active aneurysms, blood clots, or other medical issues that require more acute care. Otherwise, this work supports overall wellness and prevention by helping the body function at its best.

A Community Approach to Healing

Since moving to the Worthington area, I’ve noticed a need for more connection among bodyworkers and healers. I believe in collaboration and often refer clients to other trusted professionals — physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, and counselors — to make sure they get the most comprehensive support possible.

Putting the client’s needs first means honoring all aspects of their healing. True wellness happens when we see the whole person, not just a symptom.

Why I Do This Work

I do this work because I believe each of us is capable of evolving into the best version of ourselves. My teachers and experiences have shown me that living with core values — curiosity, compassion, and authenticity — brings meaning and purpose to life.

When we learn to listen to the wisdom of the body, life begins to flow differently. Healing is not just about relief from pain; it’s about remembering who we truly are and allowing life to support us fully.

Begin Your Own Healing Journey

If you’re curious about how craniosacral therapy, somatic therapy, or visceral manipulation can help you, I’d love to meet you.

My 75-minute sessions in Worthington, Ohio, offer a peaceful space to unwind, rebalance, and reconnect with your own inner wisdom.

You can reach me through craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com or call 614-653-8111 to schedule an appointment. Together, we’ll explore what your body is ready to release — and what new possibilities it’s ready to open to.

How do the Mind and Body Connect?

How do the Mind and Body Connect?

The Inseparable Dance of Body and Mind

Craniosacral Therapist Columbus:  Sharon Hartnett CST-D

Long regarded as separate, our physical and mental realms are now understood to be intimately intertwined—so tightly that you can’t fully experience one without acknowledging the other.  In the past, if we felt off or ill, we would go to a doctor and have a look at our physical results.  But there is so much more to health than to only focus on the on the body!

1. Neural Highways: Built-In Bridges Between Thought and Physiology

A 2023 study from Washington University School of Medicine uncovered a structural integration within the brain: movement-control regions are directly linked to networks governing thought, planning, and vital involuntary functions like heart rate and blood pressure. This reveals that the body–mind connection is literally wired into our neural architecture Minnesota Clinic For Health & Wellness+11WashU Medicine+11NSF – National Science Foundation+11.
These findings offer insight into phenomena like “butterflies in the stomach,” anxiety‑driven pacing, and why calming the body—through breathing or meditation—can soothe the mind NSF – National Science Foundation.

2. Interoception: Listening Within

Interoception refers to how our brain monitors internal bodily signals—like heartbeat, breathing, or digestion—and integrates them as part of our self-awareness. Misinterpretations of these signals can contribute to anxiety, depression, or eating disorders Wikipedia+2The New Yorker+2.
Psychologists and trauma informed Craniosacral Therapists (and other somatic practitioners) now see mind and body not as separate, but as synchronized in a continuous “prediction system,” in which the brain and body jointly forecast and react to experiences The New Yorker.

3. Embodied Cognition: Think with Your Body

Emerging research in “embodied cognition” emphasizes that our physical being shapes how we think:

  • Emotions are not just mental experiences—they map onto the body.

  • Memory, decision-making, and even language comprehension are influenced by our sensory-motor systems and environment Wikipedia+1.

  • For example, mimicking facial expressions helps us perceive emotions more accurately—a testament to the body’s role in interpreting the mind Wikipedia.

4. Mindfulness & Its Physical Echoes

Mind–body practices such as meditation, mindfulness-based pain management (MBPM),  somatic therapies like Craniosacral Therapy and things like  mindful exploration through Hakomi & other guided imagery deliver measurable benefits:

  • Meditation reduces depression, improves mood and stress resilience, and helps with attention and recovery from illnesses Nature+2Wikipedia+2Wikipedia.

  • A study from UC San Diego found that just 20 minutes of mindfulness can significantly decrease pain perception, altering both intensity and emotional response New York Post.

  • MBPM, combining mindfulness with compassion, has shown long-term improvements in pain acceptance, mental health, and quality of life for chronic pain sufferers—even nine years after the intervention Wikipedia.

  • Guided imagery, breath work, hypnosis, and related mind–body interventions like Upledger Craniosacral Therapy have been shown to help with chronic pain, nausea, coronary disease, and enhance immune responses via psychoneuroimmunology—highlighting how thoughts can shape physical health Wikipedia.

5. Body Health Reflects Mental Health, and Vice Versa

Recent large-scale evidence indicates that poor physical health—especially metabolic or immune system dysfunction—often signals underlying mental health issues more clearly than brain scans do health.com.
Moreover, chronic mental states like depression can increase the risk of physical ailments such as heart disease or arthritis, mediated through inflammation and stress hormones time.com.

6. Bridging Western Medicine’s Divide

A 2025 exploration by Cambridge researcher Camilla Nord challenges Western medicine’s traditional split between “physical” and “mental” illnesses. She argues no condition exists purely in one realm—every illness involves both biological and psychological elements The Guardian.


Why This Matters

  • Clinical Practice must evolve toward holistic care—treating both body and mind together, not separately. As a Craniosacral Therapist in Columbus for many years, I have seen deep healing with hands on manual work.  Especially when engaging the mind and body and interdependent and melding.

  • Everyday Life benefits too: practices like yoga, embodied learning, meditation, and mindful awareness can enhance wellbeing and resilience.

  • Personal Insight helps us recognize that physical discomfort, emotional stress, or mental fog are not isolated—they’re part of a unified system.

Being in the world of healing for 30 years, I KNOW from experience that we are more than just a physical shell.  The body is something that we live within.  It gives us an opportunity to be human and to have real life experiences.  However, we are also our feelings, our beliefs, and our connections.  We are much more than we ever imagined.  Re-connecting our sense of  mind and body gives us the chance to deepen and feel more whole.


In a nutshell: The body and mind are not two separate entities but parts of a holistic ecosystem. From neural wiring to emotional awareness, from physical sensations to mental health—each influences and shapes the other. Embracing this connection can guide us toward deeper healing, greater self-awareness, and more compassionate care—for ourselves and others.

Let me know if you’d like suggestions for practical exercises or healthy routines that honor this synergy!

Further reading
The mind/body revolution: how the division between 'mental' and 'physical' illness fails us all

The Guardian

Jan 26, 2025
Poor Body Health May Indicate Poor Mental Health-Experts Discuss Mind-Body Connection

health.com

May 11, 2023
Craniosacral Therapist Columbus: Thank You For Allowing Me to Be Part of Your Healing Journey

Craniosacral Therapist Columbus: Thank You For Allowing Me to Be Part of Your Healing Journey

Gratitude for Craniosacral Therapy

‘Craniosacral Therapist Sharon Hartnett in Columbus, Ohio

This is a short post of gratitude. 

I want to say thank you to all the people who have come to see me with trust and a need to heal. Healing is not for the faint of heart. It takes gumption and courage to face life sometimes. Especially when we are challenged.

I have been working with people of all walks of earth for about 30 years.  I have met a diversity of different clients from around the world, who look different, think differently and who present with one longing, and that is to know oneself and to truly heal.  My intention is to hold that for you and to nourish that intention with gentle and skillful support.

Yes, I do healing work.  But I am not the healer.  You are.  You are the person who can take charge of your ship and steer any direction you choose.  I am the oar that will help you move forward, especially when you are in dark waters.  Whether that is past trauma, stress, fear or a need to walk through the Unknown with another.

We are the empowered ones.  However, sometimes it does really help to get support. We need to sort through, to release and find our deeper resources.  That’s where I come in.  I want to help you find yourself and your true essence of “being here in fullness”.

At the same time, this brings a lot of meaning in my life.  I am priviledged and humble to be in the midst of this journey with you.  I learn and grow too.  My container expands and strengthen through every encounter. We all teach and learn from each other.  For me- love is the strongeest teacher of all.

Right now, I believe we all need to be here for each other.  None of us is meant to do it alone. The fighting and bickering needs to stop. Let’s stop pretending that we have to be self sufficient. Instead, let’s connect.

Right now is a good time to reach out to family, to friends, to include ourselves in community.  It a needed time to give thanks for what IS here now in ourselves and in each other.

I AM

May Peace be with you my friends.  

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

614 653-8111

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

 

The Healing Power of Touch: Craniosacral Therapy Columbus

The Healing Power of Touch: Craniosacral Therapy Columbus

The healing power of touch: Columbus, Ohio

The Healing Power of Touch: How Craniosacral Therapy Supports Whole-Person Wellbeing in Columbus, Ohio


The Healing Power of Touch

The world today feels divided and stressful for many people. Yet something as simple as gentle, intentional touch can open the door to deep healing. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a hands-on approach that goes beyond physical pain relief—it supports emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and a sense of being truly seen and known.


Why Touch Matters

Touch is one of the first senses we develop. It’s essential for healthy development, calming the body, and fostering human connection. When offered with presence and compassion, touch communicates safety. It helps unwind stored trauma, soften chronic tension, and restore a person’s sense of wholeness.

Many of my clients describe a deep sense of relief when they feel gently met—without pressure, fixing, or judgment. Just being held in a field of care allows something deep within them to relax.


How Craniosacral Therapy Works

CST works with the craniosacral system—the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Through light touch, this therapy helps the body shift out of “fight or flight” into a state of rest, healing, and integration.

People often describe feeling:

  • More grounded and calm

  • Reconnected to themselves

  • Lighter, clearer, and more emotionally centered


What the Research Shows

Growing evidence supports the healing benefits of compassionate, therapeutic touch:

  • Reduces cortisol (stress hormone)

  • Enhances parasympathetic activity (rest and digest response)

  • Improves emotional regulation and lowers anxiety

  • Increases heart rate variability—a marker of nervous system health

These physiological shifts help create space for emotional healing, trauma resolution, and deeper self-connection.


A Safe, Compassionate Space for Healing

At Lighten Up Therapies in Columbus, Ohio, I hold a space that is gentle, trauma-informed, and grounded in decades of training and experience. Craniosacral Therapy is more than a technique—it’s a way to return to your own inner wisdom and natural rhythm.

Whether you’re dealing with stress, trauma, chronic pain, or a desire to reconnect with yourself, this work offers a pathway toward balance and resilience.


Ready to Experience the Power of Gentle Touch?

If you’re curious about how craniosacral therapy can support your healing, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute phone consultation. Ask questions, learn more, and see if this gentle work is a good fit for you.

👉 Schedule your free consultation or call now to connect.


Located in Columbus, Ohio—serving clients across Central Ohio.

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Imagine a Better World

Imagine a Better World

Creating a Better World Starts Within

It’s easy to look at the world and wish it were different. Kinder. More peaceful. More connected.

But what if creating that world doesn’t start out there?

What if it starts right here – within you?

Every time you choose to listen with compassion instead of reacting in anger, you create a small shift. When you speak with honesty and kindness, you create trust. When you soften your judgments and open your heart, you create space for healing.

These choices may seem small. But together, they become a ripple.

Your relationships change. Your community feels it. The world feels it.

We often forget how much power we hold to create change. Not by controlling others, but by becoming the person we wish everyone else would be.

Imagine the world you long for. Feel it in your body. Live it in your daily choices.

Because creating a better world starts within you… and then expands outward, touching everything you’re connected to.

You are that powerful.

As a Craniosacral Therapist and Healer for close to 30 years, I see the need that is here right now.  Especially for women.  To find this sense of power.  To feel it in the bones,  To move with the body.  Let this mindful work help you to discover your deepest truth.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D through the Upledger Institute and Barbara Breenan Energy Healer/Reiki

614 653-8111

Serving the Greater Columbus Area.

The Ripple Effect of Kindness…..

Still Hurting After an Accident? Craniosacral Therapy May Help You Recover

Still Hurting After an Accident? Craniosacral Therapy May Help You Recover

Craniosacral therapist using light touch to help a woman recover from injury-related headaches and tension"

Find Help with a Craniosacral Therapist after head trauma. Written by Sharon Hartnett CST-D Columbus, Ohio

If you’ve been in a car accident, taken a hard fall, or suffered a head injury, you might still be feeling the effects—long after the moment has passed.

Every year, thousands of people in the U.S. experience accidents that leave invisible marks. Car crashes. Ladder falls. Horseback riding injuries. Some walk away feeling lucky—until the symptoms start creeping in.

Lingering headaches. Jaw tension. Brain fog. Dizziness. Chronic neck and back pain. For many, these symptoms don’t show up right away—and when they do, conventional medicine may not offer full relief.

That’s where Craniosacral Therapy (CST) comes in.


? Accidents Are More Common Than You Think

  • Over 6 million car accidents happen in the U.S. every year. Even minor fender benders can cause whiplash or head injuries.

  • 500,000+ people are injured annually in ladder falls.

  • Horseback riding leads to 100,000+ injuries a year—many involving the head, neck, or spine.

While emergency care addresses broken bones and life-threatening trauma, many people are left with unresolved tension or dysfunction that lingers long after the body appears “healed.”


? Traditional Medicine Offers Essential—But Sometimes Incomplete—Relief

After an accident, most people turn to:

  • Pain relievers (NSAIDs, muscle relaxants)

  • Physical therapy

  • Rest or immobilization

  • Imaging and diagnostics (MRIs, CT scans)

These treatments are critical. But for people experiencing post-concussion symptoms, chronic headaches, or nervous system overload, the path to recovery can feel frustratingly slow—or stalled.

Migraines, tension headaches, jaw pain (like TMJ), and hypersensitivity can persist long after scans show “nothing wrong.”


? Craniosacral Therapy: A Gentle Support for Deeper Healing

Craniosacral Therapy works with your body’s natural rhythm to release tension stored in the central nervous system. Using a light, therapeutic touch—no more than the weight of a nickel—a trained CST practitioner listens to subtle patterns in the body and helps unwind areas of restriction or shock.

CST may help:

  • Reduce headaches and migraines

  • Ease neck and jaw tension after whiplash

  • Support post-concussion recovery

  • Calm the fight-or-flight response

  • Improve sleep, mood, and focus

Unlike forceful manipulations or invasive treatments, CST creates a safe space where your nervous system can reset and self-correct—especially helpful when trauma is still “held” in the tissues.


? What the Research Says

A growing body of studies supports CST’s role in pain and trauma recovery:

  • One clinical trial showed reduced pain and frequency of migraines after CST compared to traditional massage.

  • Case studies report improvements in post-concussion symptoms, including dizziness, fogginess, and neck pain.

  • CST has been shown to help with cervicogenic headaches, which are often related to trauma in the neck area.

While more large-scale research is needed, evidence suggests CST can be an effective complementary therapy to traditional medical care—especially when symptoms persist beyond the acute phase.


? You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Healing takes time. Especially after trauma.

It’s normal to feel frustrated when you’re not getting answers—or when others say “you should be fine by now.”

Craniosacral Therapy offers another way.   With a Craniosacral Therapist who meets your body where it is, listens deeply, and supports you gently back into balance.


? Ready to Explore a Different Path?

If you’re still hurting after an accident, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. Your body may just need the right kind of support to fully let go of what it’s been holding.

Reach out today to learn how Craniosacral Therapy can help you reconnect, recover, and reclaim your sense of well-being.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

614 653-8111

For more answers to questions, go to Craniosacral Therapist Columbus Ohio