Clients' Reflections on Craniosacral Therapy
I have been seeing Lesley for weekly cranio-sacral therapy for approx 16 months. I had heard about it before, but never actively explored what it was all about. When my GP suggested it, I finally gave it a go, and I have not looked back.
It has been a total game changer for me. I now understand and can feel the beneficial impact this treatment has on regulating my nervous system, which helps address issues like stress, trapped energies and tightness in the body. Over time I have started to feel more relaxed and calm, as my nervous system is gradually coming out of a semi-permanent 'flight and fight' setting, which it had got stuck in due to physical and emotional experiences.
Previous cancer treatments and surgery, the hormonal impact of menopause, even dental treatment caused issues for me, which were 'stored' in the body leading to tension and anxiety responses.
Lesley works in a patient-focused manner. With each session, rather than bringing her own treatment agenda, she is guided by me and my body's needs. I feel she knows how to tune in, in the moment, which makes for a relaxed and safe atmosphere. I don't feel pressurised in any way.
Not needing to get undressed or wear special clothing is a bonus for someone who is rather reserved.
Working in mental health, I have come to greatly value the benefit of cranio-sacral therapy in addressing the physical manifestations of emotional difficulties such as grief and anxiety. When someone may be stuck in a hyper alert state of flight and fight tension and stress, I have started to recommend cranio-sacral therapy as a complementary approach to talking therapy.
I feel I have come a long way and now look forward to my weekly sessions as an important part of my wellbeing maintenance schedule. It is important self care which helps me process stress, soothes my nervous system and is a healthy way of emotional and mental self-regulation.
K
My son's arrival into the world was far from straightforward, he was a long baby and before he got here I spent the last couple weeks of the pregnancy insisting on daily scans, as he wasn't moving, because there wasn't enough room. He was overdue and I had to have an induction.
It was not an easy delivery; a failed ventouse led to a forceps delivery. I wish I had been aware of how cranial can be used so effectively in babies. My son struggled to sit up (he was 8 months old when he managed it). In addition, he had a very pronounced ridge in his skull.
At two years old I started to wonder if he was on the autistic spectrum, a diagnosis came later.
By five we had a diagnosis which was helpful in some ways (recognition of everything I had been thinking) but I was handed a leaflet about the National Autistic Society and pretty much left to get on with it. At the follow up call I received 18 months later, I advised the caller (who was very apologetic, they should have called after 6 months) that my son was still autistic!
I had always been interested in alternative treatments which led me to Lesley. The first session I observed was magical; the energy shifted in the room and my son went to another place. My experience of cranial is that it is subtle and not a quick fix. It takes time and commitment. However, my son made really positive progress in so many ways.
Initially, he didn't like to have any touch at all on his head. Lesley would interact with him by reading books or building lego while she used a gentle touch on his back. Eventually he became comfortable with contact on his head. Before commencing the treatment he had been unable to ride a scooter because he couldn't bear to wear the helmet. I will never forget the absolute joy a couple of days after a treatment, when he put the helmet on his head for the first time.
Haircuts were a huge battle, we lost our first hairdresser because (quite understandably she didn't want to be punched and kicked). Again, over time, my son was able to manage the sensory integration challenges of having a haircut. My favourite school picture of him is from year 3 with a cheeky buzzcut. Eventually, the ridge in his skull disappeared. I have heard of adults who still have a ridge, so I know that something shifted physically.
Finally, my son has now an amazing ability to express himself emotionally and this has continued into adolescence.
Whilst I don't have any scientific evidence, I do believe that without cranial my son's journey to meet milestones would have been longer, different and not as positive. I am eternally grateful to Lesley for all the support, time and care she invested in both of us, because of course I was always present during treatments so I got the benefit of that special energy too!
T