Can Craniosacral Therapy help relieve symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
To live through a deeply disturbing event, can afterwards lead a person into overwhelm. The ability to cope with every day life can become very difficult. Each person responds to a trauma differently. What one person can deal with, can be very scary for another to experience. With PTSD, a person could continue to feel anxious, sadness, experience nightmares, or flashbacks. There is help. In conjunction with psychotherapy, massage and bodywork can be very helpful in reducing stress, and in supporting emotional integration.
Reducing PTSD Stress
Healing Team between Psychotherapists and Bodyworkers
Many Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers train to be able to support people who process emotionally when they are the table. While this is not psychotherapy, there is a way that Craniosacral Therapy can offer a sacred space for people who have gone through difficult experiences to move through PTSD symptoms. By creating a safe environment with safe touch, we can dialogue with the Central Nervous System so that it can better regulate. I have witnessed many people release deep tensions, fascial restrictions, and more importantly let go of old stories that no longer serve their health and wellbeing. Often I work with clients who see their psychiatrists and psychotherapists as well. I look at this as the building of a healing team. A successful healing process includes whatever it takes to support the client safely navigating through a frightening internal journey to the other side.
Craniosacral Therapists (CST), in particular, who have gone through SomatoEmotional Release Education are professionally trained at the Upledger Institute to serve in this way. This work is very gentle, powerful and focused on helping the client to find his/her own inner resources to heal. How we do this, is by listening to the Craniosacral Rhythm for any significant stops. While this work is subtle through touch, a trained Craniosacral Therapist can feel when something meaningful is presenting in the body by the change in quality, symmetry, amplitude and rate of the rhythm. Once this happens, a meaningful dialogue whether through touch, feelings, speaking or spiritually oriented experiences often happens. Support and presence are key moment to moment.
On a personal note, I have worked with many clients who are living with anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks to the extent that they have a rough time functioning well on a daily basis. There are times when it may take many sessions before I even place my hands on the client. Intentional Touch has to be done by building trust, and strengthening the bond between the CST and client. Safe touch means taking the time needed to build the relationship necessary so that the Central Nervous System can calm down. This can be done with weekly sessions, but there are also Comprehensive Intensives through the Upledger Work to receive multi-hand work when a person is ready.
SomatoEmotional Release
I enjoy working with people hands on this way. As each client is unique, so too is each Craniosacral Therapist. Along the way, I have studied Hakomi at the Hakomi Institute, and Trauma work with Pat Ogden at SPI. I also studied at taught at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. There has to be a place where people can find a way to relax in their bodies and to find embodiment at their own pace and in a way that feels nourishing and secure. All people are worthy of a good life that is kind, compassionate and enlivening. I feel blessed to be a Craniosacral Therapist who works holistically with people. I feel honored to work with people who show up to be courageous and work through their dark times.
If you would like to find a SomatoEmotional Release Therapist near you, check out the Upledger Site. My recommendation is to look for a practitioner who is certified and has completed the first four classes. Ask for a consultation to find the best therapist for you.
It is the ability to keep finding solutions that is important; any one solution is temporary. There are no permanently right answers. The capacity to keep changing, to find what works now, is what keeps any organism alive.
Did you know that there are an estimated few million sports concussions and brain injuries each year? Many of those are young athletic children who hit their heads during their daily sports activities. Likewise, there are also many more people who hit their heads while involved in exercise, car accidents, falling off roofs, bikes, and also those who experience such mishaps as slipping on ice or tripping on a sidewalk. The symptoms of a concussion may not feel apparent at the onset of a fall, but these head injuries can often negatively affect the functioning of the brain. It’s important to keep an eye for any indications of a concussion after any forceful head impact. Even more critical is that you take good care of yourself until you heal and follow your doctor’s advice.
My Clients:
These are the types of people with whom I work. Many of my clients who have come in to see me have been in an accident. I’d say about half of them have experienced some type concussion signs. Some also find themselves in chronic pain. While most people do recover pretty well from concussions, there are those who do not. Some of the unresolved issues I have worked with are: confusion, blurry vision, headaches, imbalances, difficulties with concentration, fatigue, and sensitivities to light. Sometimes for months, and even years- my clients had not found any type of relief. Often Craniosacral Therapy is their last stop.
Brain Concussions and Trauma can become a huge disturbance in your life. I have worked with people who have had to quit their jobs and those who have been “let go”, only because there was no cure to pain and disorientation in their head. But rest assured, there is help. One of the places that encouraged me to become specialized in head trauma is the Upledger Institute. They have been doing Comprehensive Intensives with professional athletes at their clinic in Florida. The results of their work and reviews by clients have demonstrated time and time again that the brain can be helped to become better organized biomechanically and supported to self-heal. On a personal note, as I have attended a few 5 day intensives with the Institute both as a support and primary therapist, I have seen what seemed like miracles happen with many clients many time over. Observing improvements like that influenced me to go ahead and receive my Diplomate level expertise to treat just as effectively to bring out optimal health. Over the years, I have seen quite a few people walk out of my office happier and healthier people. They re-discover how to function more clearly in life again. A series of sessions can the symptoms disappear resolve and disappear.
How Brain Work Works
I have been doing massage therapy and bodywork for about 20 years, but the Brain Work that I have learned at the Upledger Institute has given me the tools I need to support my clients Inner Wisdom. During a session with a client who has experienced a concussion, I am often led to dialogue with different parts of the brain, while keeping a holistic picture approach. This can be done quietly biomechanically, but at other times, the client will speak and share his/her experience from this internal environment. The intelligence of the body leads him/her back to health and wellbeing like nothing I have seen before.
What I love about being a Craniosacral Therapist is that the work is so gentle, and it listens to the wisdom of the body to direct the session. All of the facilitation leads you back to the Inner Guidance inside of you leading the session toward your health. The results have been profound as the work releases unhealthy restrictions, and promotes more fluid flow and motion. I am the facilitator who uses learned techniques to treat, but the body and the essence of the person is what heals.
Self Care
If you have hit your head, or someone in your family has, please go see a physician and get yourself diagnosed and treated. It’s important that you focus on self-care. I will say, I have had personal experiences with concussion too. The worst trauma I felt was after I fell off my horse and hit my head. I rested for a month and could hardly do anything. No television. No computer. No reading. Just quiet rest. However, once I could travel, I went straight to the Upledger Institute and put myself in the hands of Craniosacral Therapy. I also found a local therapist here in Columbus too who helped me. I recovered. Ever since, I have made Concussion work my primary focus in my work serving clients.
Free Telephone Consultation If you have been diagnosed with a medical condition or are having questions after talking to your physician, please call me. I offer a free 10 minute phone consultation. Whether you come here, or need assistance to find a therapist near you, I am glad to help. My phone number is 703 509-1792. I enjoy working with people who are ready to turn the tide back to health and wellbeing.
It doesn’t serve anyone well when you keep your light dim. But sometimes, people don’t know the way out. They don’t know how to take the next step to move to the next place in regard to their dreams and hopes. But I say, “Why not choose Joy?”
What I find helpful in my life are these keys for movement of the soul
Be Mindful
Dream Big but be ready to put work into it. Commitment is important.
Realize that there is always help available. So reach out and ask for it.
Know that empowerment comes from being in the Moment and making the best choice you can right here and now.
Notice how grace works for you. The Universe is at your disposal.
Question your thoughts that keep you limiting yourself.
Live in Gratitude and say thank you.
One of the most difficult things for people who are not accomplishing their goals is that the past keeps them down. To realize your dreams, it’s important to realize the conscious and unconscious patterns that you keep generating and believing.
My friends, it is time to spread your wings. The world will be a better place, and so will you.
The best answer that I can think of is that you want to feel good again. If you are feeling stressed, if your body is in pain, or if you have been in a terrible accident, Craniosacral Therapy can help. I have treated people who have experienced great results who have come in with anxiety, Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussions, car accidents, TMJ, back & neck pain, just to name a few conditions. The major reason that I have success helping people as a Craniosacral Therapist is because I use a method that is so gentle, that the body welcomes the touch. I don’t have to force my work through layers of fascia. Rather, my hands listen to what the body already knows I trust that it can unwind painful patterns by using craniosacral techniques that are supportive and precise. I believe we want to heal, and that having a compassionate presence helps move that process through naturally. It feels to me like I hold a flexible yet centered point for my clients to re-organize around. It works for me as a therapist, and it works for them as clients.
I have been practicing bodywork for 20 years, and Craniosacral Therapy since 2003. During this time, I have studied and worked with advanced Craniosacral Therapy techniques, SomatoEmotional Release, and emphasized brain and spine related work in my work practice. What I have witnessed at times, is nothing short of a miracle. In 10 sessions, I have seen clients who have come in with fogginess, depression and pain get up and resume extraordinary lives. Now I don’t guarantee this, but it is possible. The people who have shown me the most success are those who are committed to their healing practice, those who are open to change, and those who can quietly take in the work, and express deeper thoughts, feelings and sensations as they show up during the session. This is because we are each whole. And when the mind, body & spirit connecting get tangled up, they need to be sorted out to tap back into the whole essence of the individual. When we connect to the deeper essence of life, great things can happen.
I don’t know that any one therapist is a Master in their own right. It is the client that has the power to heal. What you want to find in a Craniosacral Therapist is someone who has faith that your own “Inner Wisdom” who can show you the way back to health and wellbeing. As a Craniosacral Therapist, it is my job to use this model and all the techniques that I have learned to help you self-correct any dysfunctional patterns that show up. As you let go, the healing has begun.
I trust the Central Nervous System to communicate all of it’s know how as we set the stage for deep release, better balance, more vitality, and emotional clearing if necessary.
If you looking for a Craniosacral Therapist, you can see my profile on www.Upledger.com. Look for me in the Columbus, Ohio. If you live elsewhere and you would like a reference, I’d be glad to help you sort through the website. Craniosacral Therapy is a humble service. We practice from a neutral place to help clients to find their own way.
Craniosacral Columbus
Looking forward to hearing from you. Let me know if I can be in service to your healing journey.
During the last 20 years, I have thrown myself into Craniosacral Columbus work. Why? Because I have seen so many positive results for my clients without having to dig in. I don’t have to create pain for the gentle release of pain to happen. It’s much easier for my clients.
For many years, I focused on deep connective tissue work. I thought that by leaning my body weight in that I could get great results. Often I did. But that type of work can be quite uncomfortable. So, I decided to go for the more light touch work that worked with the body rather than pushing through, to see if I could get as impressive results for pain relief and integration. I do!
When a Craniosacral Therapist listens, your body tells us where there are restrictions throught the rhytym of the functioning of the cerebral spinal fluid, and also the fascia. This “inner guidance” directs us where to go and how to support the Central Nervous (Brain & Spine Connection) system to function at its best.
The more I practiced Craniosacral Columbus therapy, I began to see my clients go deeper inside, releasing tensions and often stuck emotions. Their bodies relaxed. Their stressed disappeared. Many times, I have had clients falls deep into sleep after not being able to sleep for weeks. The fascia began to melt so easily, excess energy released, and people woke up with no pain, feeling clearer and happier.
This was an easy decision. If I could help clients… people in pain from car accidents, those dealing with concussions, and neck and back pain, those with high anxiety- the picture was clear. I found my way to serve.
If you would like to find out more about Craniosacral Columbus therapy work, contact Sharon Hartnett CST-D for information. She is an accomplished Certified Diplomate CST therapist who has reached the highest certification through the Upledger Institute. She has close to 30 years of experience in bodywork, massage, Hakomi and other healing techniques.
Craniosacral Columbus
Located in Johnstown, right outside of New Albany on a beautiful horse farm. On Fridays, bringing Craniosacral Therapy at its highest level to Worthington, Ohio!
If you haven’t found stress relief or for your body pains, please call for a free 15 minute consultation at 703 509-1792! Looking forward to meeting and serving.
Yoga is much more than I had ever imagined it to be…
For a long time, I have been working with people on the massage table. I used to do really deep structural work though, and eventually bowing over the table took its toll on me. So I decided at 57 to do something about it. During the last 15 years, I had re-focused most of my gentle practice on Craniosacral Therapy, and integrated everything else as secondary, and to use as needed. This was a good change for me. Much easier on my body as I transitioned. Now, I also work with energy quite a bit and that in my opinion, is an integral part of healing. Most recently though, I splurged on me, and I signed up for teacher training at Yoga On High. I realized that I had to do something that was centered only on me and my health and wellbeing. I deserved to feel good. And I know my clients will benefit just as much!
To let you in on a secret, ne thing that massage therapists and bodyworkers often do, is help others and tend to forget to do the self-care needed. So many burn out. But I loved my work so much that I stuck with it. But then my aches and pains started to show up. So I jumped off the cliff and threw myself into this sacred practice of OM on a whim. At 57, I forgot that I wasn’t as young as I thought I was and didn’t realize it would be such a challenge. With yoga, starting at my age- I had to take it slowly. Most of the people who were in my class were so much younger. It was difficult to keep up. I had practiced Kundalini before but not at the level that the class started at. After the first class, I thought what the heck did I get myself into? This is crazy I thought. And also, because my body was changing quite a bit due to the change of life, other health issues were catching up. Menopause is a great teacher, as women change in this age group.
In any case, the best thing I did for myself though was to just show up to class. I did. Over and over again. Weekends, hour classes, studying, watching yoga videos. It all counts as yoga. To be honest, there also was much homework. I was surprised. But I took it in and absorbed it like a sponge. The more I figured out how my own body worked, and how it felt with different asana practices, the better I felt. I learned to go at my own pace, and to honor the movement as it was. I also really began to dig the energy there. There is a sense of community at YoHi I did not find anywhere else in Columbus. A place where kindness, integrity and care showed up in all things. Month after month, I began to feel better and better. I feel so good at the end of a class now.
All my classes are finished. I have a few project ahead to complete, and then final certification. I plan to take my time, and bring all the glory of peace, presence and sweetness into my daily practice. Not sure that I will teach classes. I feel like there is still so much to learn, and my body needs more attention. But what I have taken in, I will share with my clients happily. I have realized that as great as the work is that I do, people can retain the changes in their body much better with a practice.
Yoga is now part of my life. I wish I had started it so much earlier. The movements, stretches and strength building is much more profound than all my years working out at the gym.
Looking forward to working more and more with my clients, sharing my blessings of Yoga.
Sharon Hartnett CST-D (Craniosacral Therapist Diplomate through the Upledger Institute.)
703 509-1792
My new hours for this location: 6797 N. High St. #333 Worthington, Ohio are Tuesdays and Fridays.
I am so excited to be going into the city two times per week to serve my clients. Recently, a great opportunity arose where one of my friends who has a beautiful office, let me know that she is willing to share with me. So for all my clients driving out to Johnstown- this is your opportunity to schedule a time closer by, with less driving. For those of you who are currently looking for a Craniosacral Therapist in the Worthington area, here is your chance! Craniosacral Therapy Worthington- here we come!
To Celebrate: I am offering a discounted rate for new clients at $125.00 for an hour during the month of October.
Craniosacral Therapist
A bit about Craniosacral Therapy Worthington…
Craniosacral Therapy is great for most everyone. This work is so gentle and yet profound. The focus is on working with the rhythm of the craniosacral system to look for and release restrictions that negatively impact the Central Nervous System. What I find the best results with are: trauma-releasing emotional blocks, back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines, concussions and basically for decreasing stress. But I also have clients who enjoy experiencing more balance, vitality and overall better health after a few sessions.
I also offer myofascial therapy for structural issues. I have been working with fascia for close to 30 years.
One of the most difficult things about chronic pain is that there is no break. The body continually sends signals to the brain that say “OW”, and there is no rest on a physical level. If your chronic pain is lasting days, weeks or even months, you need some help. And if your chronic pain is coming from an illness level, it’s important that you seek medical help. In addition to that, naturopathic and/or functional medicine can also be very helpful in supporting an overall maintenance or health recovery.
What I would like to talk about is twofold. The myofascial component of pain, and also how the mind reacts to pain.
Fascia-If there is inflammation in the body, it often affects the fascia as pain or dysfunction of some sort. In the reverse, if the fascial body is tight, disorganized or unhealthy, it can also cause pain patterns. Because fascia interacts with all the living things in your body, it is important to address any myofascial issues that contribute to your chronic pain. The problem is that most people have never even heard of fascia. So they go on medications and travel the traditional route looking for answers. Sometimes- the answers are there. Sometimes not. Mostly, in my practice I receive clients who have found no resolutions anywhere. So what do we do? We begin a dialogue between my hands and the person’s fascia. The body tells me where to go. Whether there are tight sheets, torques, pulls, resistance or whatever- we work there until the soft tissues start to melt and re-vigorate. I look for more hydration, flexibility, motion and general health in the fascia. When this happens, compression and dysfunctional patterns disappear, leaving more flow and energy to help self-correct the physical body. The body eventually begins to feel more space and alignment, and voila- you can breathe again.
The Mind- It plays a huge part in how we respond to physical pain. It is true, that as human beings, we can suffer with physical pain. But there are other things that can make pain worst. And usually, believe it or not- when we ignore our pain- the pattern usually gets worst. Ignoring our bodies does not create better health. One thing that is helpful to do to relax pain patterns is to do a breathing meditation, Breathing with awareness helps to bring motion back into the body. Motion is vitality. On top of that benefit, when we start to notice our thoughts, and beliefs, we become more empowered in understanding how our mind is organized. When we experience our bodies, with gentle awareness, pain often softens and can actually subside. As we question our unhealthy thinking, the mind expands, and so does the space inside of us. I know, that sometimes it is easier to resist the pain- but that really doesn’t help long-term. Take some time each day to find the silence in the moment, the places in your body that are feeling good, or ask for loving kindness to fill you up. The mind’s relationship to pain is important. If you want to feel better, it is crucial that you start to explore other conscious choices.
I have worked with people on the table for close to 30 years. Chronic Pain is not the easiest thing to shift. But with a holistic approach, I have seen people get better, and heal. Looking at the foods you eat, your exercise schedule, how you think and act, along with your meditation practice can truly help. Finding a person to journey with you and support you through modalities like SomatoEmotional Release can be life changing.
Remember, that chronic pain can be a lonely place. Don’t leave yourself in that position. Get some help because your life is important.
What you need to do first is start by getting clear about your commitment to Clarity. Set certain times aside for yourself to explore. This can be done alone, or with a friend, healer or a therapist. Self-discovery is a very interesting process. It begins by bringing your awareness to your thinking and how it affects you. Cause and Effect.
Most of our thinking comes from our history and projections into the future. What we believe about our stories can become very important to us. And the filters that we now see the world through can be dimmed by repetitive belief systems. By realizing how we identify with certain thinking patterns, we can change how we experience and create in the world. Three keys to getting clearer about what matters to you:
Mindfulness is key for bringing awareness to thoughts that confuse and that block us from finding optimal value in our lives. And it is in the quiet listening to our thoughts as they pass through, that we can navigate into the deeper silence. Without the clutter, things are much closer to the heart and easier to navigate. Into the “Now” place, life springs forth and life is more simple.
Being Curious makes space for new ideas and perspectives. It’s like opening a door to see what’s next.
Experiencing means being with what is here right now in the moment.
Once the mind starts to quiet down. Awareness can be experienced as more expansive. We can step out of our normal living box. Perspective opens. The bigger picture gives us an advantage to seeing things differently and with more clarity. Experience and centeredness helps us to know what feels right for us. It helps to define our relationship to the moment.
The mind and its consciousness is a larger field than just one person alone.
There are infinite possibilities. But with healing relationships, we can investigate truth, and get more clear about who we are. Our false identities dissolve and life feels more simple, and more restful. Believe it- when the mind opens, clarity is a relief.
Getting Clear by reaching outside of “normal” thinking patterns.Reach for the sky!
clarity
My job as a Barbara Brennan Healer is to work with your energy. To create a space where we work together to create an exchange that supports your movement into clarity. A conversation that will set you free from illusion, and direct you into clarity.
Something deep inside of you knows the TRUTH. And it will set you free to direct your life with more ease.
Getting clear, that is my goal in helping you. To help you connect to the authentic value you are here to live.
If you are looking for help, I work locally and on Skype long distance.
Three reasons why you should find a Craniosacral Therapist to help your headaches feel better:
Craniosacral Therapy uses a very light touch. The intention of the hands is to listen quietly. The benefit in this is that we therapists follow the craniosacral rhythm and the tissue’s own inherent wisdom to show us what needs to happen for release. The only place that the client feels deeper pressure is in the subocciptal area, right where the spine and head meet. And that usually feels pretty great. Headaches disappear when this part of the neck relaxes.
While Craniosacral Therapy works with the brain and the spine as the primary focus, the listening leads the therapist to all the places in the body that are also contributing to stress patterns. In Actuality, Craniosacral Therapy is a whole body treatment that helps the client to feel totally integrated and complete. Often headaches dissolve, but this is often because of the opening and reconnection between the head and the thoracic inlet. More blood and fluid flow between the head and the body which facilitates better circulation.
Craniosacral Therapy addresses SomatoEmotional Release too. For therapists that have trained in this, it is a very supportive tool that helps clients to have a conversation with the unconscious and conscious. Deeply set patterns in the body can often released when the stressful emotions arise and have space to be felt. Sometimes our stories from the past are held in the tissues. Freeing ourselves into the present can be very healing.
If you are suffering from frequent headaches, and associated pain- look for a gentle approach that actually helps.
Tension Headaches
Craniosacral Therapy looks to bringing more balance throughout the whole cranium. But it is also brings more awareness to the whole. Bringing a deep sense of peace and relief to those who live with headaches.
