What is Craniosacral Therapy

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Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is a gentle complementary therapy that is suitable for adults, children and babies.  It works with the body’s natural capacity to balance, restore and heal itself facilitating the integration of the whole body-mind.   The practitioner senses tensions in the body and helps to release them in a supported and comfortable way.

 

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‘The natural healing forces within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.’ Hippocrates

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What can Craniosacral Therapy help with

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Craniosacral therapy can be beneficial in a wide range of conditions including but not exclusively: stress, anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, headaches and migraine, tinnitus, back pain, post-operative recovery, trauma, infant colic and feeding difficulties, pregnancy and post-natal issues.

Many people find the quiet and supportive space of the session to be an ideal counterbalance to a busy life.  It can quieten the mind as well as rest and restore the  nervous system.

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What to expect in a Craniosacral Therapy session

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At the initial treatment session, we will discuss your history and explore what has brought you to seek treatment with Craniosacral therapy.   You will then be asked to lie clothed on a treatment couch and I will make light contact with my hands to feel how your body, muscles, nervous system are working within different parts of the body.  There is no manipulation of muscles or tissues, but more of ‘a tuning in’ and listening into the deeper rhythmic motions of the body as a whole.  Most people find Craniosacral therapy relaxing and feel a sense of calm.  Others may feel heat, cold, or tingling; everyone having a unique experience.

 

There are no set number of sessions required and some people report relief after a couple of sessions.  For longer standing issues or chronic conditions more treatments may be proposed which we can discuss and review together.

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‘Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot.’  Rumi

 

Craniosacral therapy is not intended as primary healthcare but to work alongside the relationship you have with your doctor and other healthcare professionals.

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About Me​

I have always been interested in health and inquisitive about maintaining health and disease prevention since my father died when I was a child.  Such a significant event at this young age gave me an internal curiosity and a pursuit to understand what happened and why. This quest, and the desire to understand how the body worked led me into studying Physiology at University and then progressing my studies within research, working with a university lecturer and surgeon, where I explored health and disease progression in the human colon. Continuing my pursuit to impact and support as many people as I could within healthcare guided me into clinical research in the Pharmaceutical Industry which has given me insights into various therapeutic areas.

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I first encountered Craniosacral therapy after a bout of glandular fever that then moved into chronic fatigue in 2010.  Despite many blood tests and investigations, the doctors’ advice was to go home and rest.  In my desire to be well I started exploring other modalities.  These included Psychotherapy, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Yoga, and Craniosacral therapy. These therapies, I believe, have been instrumental in helping me recover from chronic fatigue and moreover have continued to keep me in good health today.

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Within my own healing journey, I have appreciated and valued the gentle treatment and supportive space that Craniosacral therapy has provided me to restore and maintain my energy levels.  It has also offered me an appreciation for the mind, body, and spirit connection enabling me to become more in touch with my body and the story that it is wanting to tell.  I would love others to experience Craniosacral therapy.  I invite you to try it!

 

‘The body keeps the score’   Bessel van der Kolk

 

I am a Biodynamic Craniosacral Practitioner, and a registered therapist accredited by the Craniosacral Therapy Association (CSTA). 

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Additional training includes:

First aid training

Mothers and babies training

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Qualifications

BCST Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist

DCHAc Post graduate diploma in Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, Beijing University

MPhil, Sheffield University

BSc (Hons) Physiology, Sheffield University

 

Fees

£70 for an adult initial BCST consultation and treatment (75 minutes)

£65 for an adult BCST appointment (50 minutes)

£70 for babies and children initial BCST consultation and treatment (75 minutes)

£65 for babies and children BCST appointment (50 minutes).

 

Cancellation

24 hours’ notice is required in the event of cancellation.

Missed appointments or late cancellations incur a charge of the full treatment session fee.

 

Location

Treating at Nadya Giffen Therapies 47a The Quadrant, Marshalswick, St Albans AL4 9RB

Please contact lisashawtherapies@gmail.com

Tel: 01727 751587

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