by SharonHartnett | Nov 28, 2025 | barbara brennan, concussion, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, grounding, hakomi, healing, meditation, migraine, Structural Integration, trauma, upledger institute
I am a Craniosacral Therapist, working with an integrative somatic approach in Worthington-serving Columbus, Ohio.
What “Somatic” means is that I use my various trainings and experience to help you feel better, and feel more at home inside of your body with ease and peace through using techniques in connection with the body. Often clients end up leaving with a more embodied natural flow of energy as well. It is important to me that you find value and quality when you sign in for a somatic session.
Symptom Relief: Through mindful listening and skill, Sharon’s Holistic Therapy can help you with:
- Brain and Spinal Cord Dysfunction
- Concussions
- TMJ
- Chronic Neck and Back Pain
- Chronic Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Learning Disabilities in Children
- Tinnitus
- Headaches/Migraines,
- Foot and Ankle stiffness/Circulation
- Grief
- Addiction
- Autism
- Anxiety/PTSD
- Increased Mobility
- Postural Alignment
- Deep Relaxation
- Support for Trauma Recovery
The body is super intelligence, and with the right support can move into its own healing direction.
Background as a Craniosacral Therapist
My background started off with energy healing in the 90’s, but then about 27 years ago, I decided to become licensed in massage therapy. Never did that very long, but invested and worked in learning and practicing Structural Integration, and later attended and taught at the Barbara Brennan School. One thing led to the other, and next I studied Hakomi, and Trauma Informed Work at SPI. The work evolved with my clients, so I decided in the early 2000’s to move into Craniosacral Therapy at the Upledger Institute, and Visceral Manipulation at the Barral Institute. Now I am certified at the highest level, “Diplomate”.
One reason I decided to write this particular blog is because when I searched other therapists, I realized there was some confusing marketing out there. I felt compelled to speak up about this because, you-as paying clients-deserve to understand what you are getting when you call and make an appointment. Make sure that you interview by phone and get a real clear idea of credentials. For example, you may search someone and they list at the top, but never took a class in what they are marketing. Also, there is a big difference between a person who takes one class, and someone who is committed to extensive training and practice. When someone markets Craniosacral Therapy as a massage-that isn’t accurate. It’s not massage- it’s a whole other system. Also- ask direct questions to make sure that the therapist are marketing according to their real backgrounds. This is so you can find the best match for you. I want you to receive what you are looking for!
My recommendations to you is:
- If someone is advertising or coming up in searches as for example, a visceral manipulation practitioner- ask them about their training and experience. Are they being upfront with you about their training?
- If you are looking for an expert Craniosacral Therapist- ask if they are certified, and at which level.
- If you want to find a manual therapist who has trained in body centered psychotherapy and/or trained in trauma inflormed work- ask which school they attended.
My hope is that when you do your searches you are getting accurate and beneficial information to assure you that you are in “hands of integrity”.
by SharonHartnett | May 22, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, grounding
Let’s Talk Toes!
Today, I want to bring a little attention to a part of the body we often ignore: your toes!
They’re easy to take for granted, aren’t they? But these little digits do so much more than we realize. Without them, standing, walking, even balancing would be far more difficult. Your toes quietly support you every single day.
Here’s just a glimpse of what they do:
-
Help you balance
-
Push off the ground with every step
-
Absorb shock
-
Adapt to different surfaces
-
Support the arches of your feet
When we’re younger, toes are usually flexible and mobile. But over time, especially with certain shoes (yes, high heels—I’m looking at you!), they can stiffen or even conform to unnatural shapes. I’ve seen it with many clients. One woman’s feet eventually took on the shape of her heels after years of wearing them.
The truth is, how we stand, move, and hold ourselves all starts at the ground level—your feet. And when your toes are tight or misaligned, it affects everything above them. Your ankles, knees, hips, spine, and even your neck can be impacted.
So here’s my suggestion: spend a few minutes every day moving your toes.
Point. Flex. Curl. Spread them. Move them up, down, in, out. Let them explore.
Try lying on your back and using the wall to gently stretch your toes and feet into flexion and extension. Afterwards, give your toes a little traction—gently pull each one. It can bring immediate relief to tired feet and, believe it or not, even ease tension in your neck or help with headaches.
That’s the magic of fascia—it’s all connected. When your toes feel more alive, your whole body benefits. It makes a difference in how you move, how you rest, and how grounded you feel in the world.
Just because we’re aging doesn’t mean we have to give up flexibility or stability. We can choose to stay connected—mindfully, from the ground up. Grounding is important for keeping us healthy.
P.S. I love working with the Craniosacral rhythm of the toes. It’s subtle, powerful, and deeply renewing.
Cetified Diplomate Upledger at the Highest Level of Expertise in Columbus, Ohio
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett CST-D? 614-653-8111
? www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com
by SharonHartnett | Jan 24, 2025 | better posture, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, Healthy Body, Massage, mindfulness, move effortlessly, Structural Integration
How Structural Integration Chose Me.
The miracles of fascia work.
Structural Integration really helped me when I was in my 30’s after having children. My body was so out of alignment, especially after carrying children on my hip and bending over so much. The smartest thing I did was to find a local Rolfer. After 10 sessions, I felt so much longer and spacious, I decided to study it with another local teacher, John Latz for 18 months.
When I lived in the Washington DC area, and Florida, I had a wonderful private practice where I did mostly Structural Integration for many years. Eventually though, as I began to get older, I decided to move more into the Craniosacral Therapy because it’s easier on the body. What I liked about this transition is that both consider the fascia and have similar benefit, but the technques are different. Also, neither are truly considered massage, but instead manual therapy with their own unique perspective to healing.
For about the last 15 years, I have lived in the Columbus, Ohio area, and my primary focus is the Upledger Craniosacral Sessions. However, I still take into account the perspective of structural integration and stacking the body in alignment with the efforlessness of gravity consideration. Also, by addressing imbalances in posture, through the series, even with a gentle approach, it helps to reduce strain on muscles, joints, ligaments and lends to comfort in daily living. By working with the fasica, both in SI work and Craniosacral Therapy, we can help release restrictions, and unzip the body into new possibilities.
Three benefits I see often are:
1. More energy
2. Better Balance
3. Improved Circulation and Motion
I believe that fascia is an incredible system that is still being uncovered and understood. However, therapist have known this for a long time. We have witnessed the strength and power of change with the fascia over and over again.
As I stated, I no longer do primarily Structural Integration, but I do “integrate” it into my Craniosacral Work. It’s much more gentle, and more inclusive with its attention on the Craniosacral System and the rhthym. I do sort of a combination with the fascial awareness. It’s all about letting go of stress can creating a better environment for healing.
If you would like to find out more about how I work, I do offer a free 15 phone consultation.
Sharon Hartnett CST-D
Worthington, Ohio|Serving the Columbus Area
614 653-8111
To find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, check out my main page.
by SharonHartnett | Aug 1, 2024 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, meditation, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, Spiritual Healing
Human Mutual Connection
Connection is so important. You know that you were never meant to be alone, right? Not in your life. With close to 8 billion people on the planet, there are too many of us to ignore or to be totally isolated unless very difficult circumstances lock you up.
Isolation though can feel brutal. When you feel cut off from resources, that can feel painful. Right?
There are an estimated 4 million teenagers who are depressed. 280 million people across the globe. People who feel this way don’t usually feel supported and nurtured in their relationships. We have to start considering how this can be when we are surrounded by so many beautiful humans and such a grand planet.
As a Craniosacral Therapist and Energy Healer for close to 30 years, I have seen many people who are full of anxiety, depressed and really struggling. As a manual bodyworker, it’s not my job to be a psychotherapist. Although I have a 2 year Hakomi Training background (body centered psychotherapy), Somato Emotional Release training and Trauma Training. With all the people I have met, my education and experience has taught me how to listen and support a person when feelings come into a session. It’s clear to me that we have to make more of an effort to help each other feel, “in connection”.
It is vital that we feel connected to ourselves first, and then also to others. We are part of an interconnected web of life. Nothing escapes us, and we don’t escape life- even when we try.
So to feel connected, we have to bring our awareness to ourselves. It behooves us to question and discover, “Who Am I”?. Next we have to ask how to connect to our deeper resources and qualities. Breathe into our cells and wake up the Inner Wisdom. Thereafter, as we discover what’s inside, we can begin to take new actions to build connections that are meaninful. Facilitaton with an experienced guide is very helpful.
As a Craniosacral Therapist, I do this by helping people connect most often internally through the Craniosacral System. This is so nourishing to the nervous system. Quite often people deeply relax and feel more whole and full.
Usually people tell me that this therapy helps them. Whether they are quiet during a session or when they talk- this works help them to form healthier relatioships in many areas of their lives. When they find and anchor into their deepest calm and they feel free to process through manual bodywork, great shifts can happen.
I love doing Craniosacral Therapy Work. It’s the way I help in the world. Also, I want to encourage others to make fresh efforts to make a connection with someone new. Especially if that person is always alone or needs help. We all need each other really. What a great difference we can make on this planet if we cared a little bit more and made a postitive heart centered effort.
Sharon Hartnett CST-D
Worthington, Ohio|Serving the Columbus Area
614 653-8111
To find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, check out my main page.
by SharonHartnett | Jan 3, 2016 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, Structural Integration
Is back pain stopping you from getting things done in your life?
Approximately 80 % of adults aged 30-60 in the US have reported back pain according to MTJ magazine. The pain can start out as mild, but if left untreated, can end up being severe, keeping you from work or doing the things that make you happy. Why not be proactive and take good care of yourself now before things escalate?
Life takes us each on our own unique journey’s. What causes one person to develop back pain symptoms may be totally different than other. What can be said from my perspective after working about 18 years in massage and bodywork is that typically what primarily causes back pain is a misalignment around the structure of the spine. Something is out of balance. If the structure can be addressed at first signs of trouble, the easier it is to bring back healthy posture.
As a myofascial therapist, it is easy to discern between healthy and unhealthy tissues through palpation. The healthy fascial tissues bounce back and feel hydrated, soft, flexible and differentiated. The unhealthy tissues often feel stiff, lumpy, dehydrated, and stuck. So until the client gets into the massage room, it is difficult to guess how to treat. We need to allow the body to give us the necessary information to support the healing process. That is because we need to see and feel where there are restrictions, rotations and other points of stress in the body. Planes of tension can be coming from anywhere based on how each person moves in relationship to gravity and their center. Thousands of spinal nerves exit the spinal cord that can become impinged reaching out into other parts of the body, and the root of the pain must be discovered. Who knows the story of how the fascia, spine and other body systems have evolved into a pain pattern? It can be complicated. But while the therapist may not know the total picture, the intelligence of the body does.
Relieving Back Pain
With Craniosacral Therapy, the therapists work with clients by trusting the “Inner Physician” within. Now to some people, this idea may cause some doubt. They may have never considered that the cellular tissue holds onto traumas and stress patterns as well as the possible resolution which can be communicated to the Craniosacral Therapist through dialogue. Yet-basically we are human beings of habits. Habits that can stay if they keep us healthy or habits that can be let go if they have become a hindrance. Our bodies are wise and do in fact have a lot to say about us and how to feel better. It is the job of a Craniosacral Therapist to help the client journey and self-discover and self-correct patterns that no longer serve overall health.
The first thing a Craniosacral Therapist will do during a session is “listen” to the tissues, the fluids and evaluate what is going on. What this means, is there is no routine, but in fact a formulated plan based on what the body is saying. We follow this plan from one moment to the other, while melding and helping the body to release adhesions, restrictions, and disorder. The plan will change constantly as the body starts to shift and open. Sometimes this means that we will be working directly with the Craniosacral System, and other times, we will focusing on fascia, or monitoring bone movements. Ultimately, we dance with the releases of the body until pain diminishes, and hopefully dissolves. Craniosacral Therapy can be very helpful in release back pain. And it is also very gentle, yet profound.
Craniosacral Therapy has been around for many years, but many people have yet to hear of it. It does fall under the license of massage therapy, but it was founded on the work of a doctor of osteopathic medicine. So I am taking this opportunity to share the work of Dr. John Upledger, of the Upledger Institute to see how it may help you. As a licensed Massage Therapist, I have found the Craniosacral Therapy along with Structural Integration to be very beneficial in helping many of my clients to release back pain and so much more.
If you are living in the Columbus Area (located near New Albany), and would like to talk more about how to release your back pain symptoms, please feel free to call with a free 15 minute phone consult.
Sharon Hartnett LMT
740 966-5153
Certified Advanced Craniosacral Therapist through the Upledger Institute
Structural Integration Therapist
Brennan Healing Science Practitioner/Teacher through the Barbara Brennan School
www.massageincolumbusohio.com
