FAQs

Our bodies are always seeking health and working to protect us; BCST is a modality that builds a supportive foundation for this healing.

Common issues Craniosacral Therapy helps people to meet, manage, and mitigate:

Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Back Pain/Sciatica, Birth Trauma, C-PTSD, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Concussion (physical & emotional), Depression, Digestive Disorders, ED Recovery, Exhaustion, Gout, Headaches, Immune System Disorders, Insomnia, Long Covid, Lyme, Migraine, Post-Operative Conditions, SA Trauma Work, Sports-Related Injury, Stress, TBI, Tinnitus & Middle Ear problems, TMJ (Jaw) disorders, Torticollis, Visual Disturbances, Whiplash

In all sessions, clients are fully clothed (please wear your most comfortable clothes and minimal jewelry) and lie on a cushioned therapy table. You can expect light touch at several points around the body including feet, head, neck, shoulders, heart, and sacrum as well as areas where there may be discomfort or congestion of the cerebrospinal fluid.

Clients are required to review the informed consent and disclaimer document prior to any session work.

Your comfort and safety are my priorities and touch is not required for craniosacral treatment to ‘work’.

In the Biodynamic approach, healing emerges from within the client, guided by deep listening and attunement to the body’s natural rhythms. The practitioner serves as a supportive presence, reflecting and following the client’s unique process.

Each session begins with a conversation to discuss the session’s focus and any health concerns. Throughout the session I tune into the body’s subtle rhythms and energetic patterns, tracking shifts as they unfold. This process allows me to listen deeply to the body’s wisdom and follow its natural priorities for healing.

If possible, please allow yourself at least 60 minutes post-session to integrate our work.  You can expect your system to continue to process the session for a day or so after we meet.  This can feel like receiving downloads or insights, continuing to feel the depth of the session's stillness, or desiring extra rest.  I recommend extra hydration, low blue light/screen consumption, and going to bed earlier on session days.

You can find session aftercare suggestions on the Resources page.

An RCST® designates that the craniosacral therapist has been fully trained, recommended for practice, and accredited by the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America. BCTA/NA is the only governing body for craniosacral therapy in the US and members are held to educational and ethical standards as well as a yearly review.

To achieve a RCST® distinction, a craniosacral therapist must complete 700 hours of training including anatomical study and testing, practice sessions, and a 40 hour clinical project. It is a minimum of two years of study before a student can complete the training and apply for RCST® status.

Biodynamic craniosacral therapy varies in both its philosophy and approach from biomechanical, or Upledger-based, craniosacral work.

Trained by Michael Shea RCST®, John Upledger developed his own practice that is more aligned with massage and physical therapies.

BCST is a holistic practice that views the body and its systems as a whole, always working to support and orient to the overall health of an individual. Upledger work is often coupled with other therapeutic work and often addresses singular or specific client concerns.

Be wary of any practitioner that offers “cranial sacral” or “cranial massage” (craniosacral and CranioSacral are approved spellings, and this work is absolutely not massage) or other variations of this work and - crucially - check to make sure your practitioner is a certified RCST®, CST-T or CST-D. These accreditations are only given by the two global craniosacral organizations (Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association or Upledger) after consistent, rigorous training and testing. A practitioner’s training and affiliation with a craniosacral organization signifies their commitment to the integrity of this work, continuing education, and ethical standards of trained professionals.

BCTA/NA (craniosacraltherapy.org) and Upledger have directories on their website to ensure the practitioner you see is a certified and active member.

You do not need to be sick, hurt, or in distress to receive healing and support. Craniosacral therapy helps us to create capacity in our systems to show up for life fully.

Our bodies hold stories we aren’t always able to think our way out of… If you’re seeking deep rest, nervous system safety, and healing that doesn’t ask you to explain yourself, I’d be honored to work together.

Sessions are deeply restorative and relaxing. Before booking a session, I have a brief phone call with every potential client to answer any questions and talk through a session so you have as much information as you need to decide if a session is right for you.

Craniosacral therapy is very subtle, yet profound, work and many people find a deep connection with it. Whilst it’s a very individual experience, the practitioner matters and clients feeling safe with and supported by me is my priority.

I am solely a RCST®. That is, biodynamic craniosacral therapy is the only modality I studied and practice, and I am devoted to the full expression of this work.

Because I don’t come from a bodywork background, and because I don’t combine craniosacral therapy with any other practice or modality (like massage or acupuncture), sessions have the space, scope, and depth for the craniosacral process to fully unfold.

There are practitioners of other modalities that include some craniosacral holds within their sessions. Some people find that this can confuse or disrupt their systems… it’s not the craniosacral therapy itself, but combining it with a more activating practice like massage or acupuncture that can feel disjointed.

Craniosacral therapy deserves a focused approach and fully trained, dedicated practitioner. If you had a taste of craniosacral therapy previously, you will likely find a Soma Sema Craniosacral session offers a depth of support and understanding you haven’t yet experienced.

This is a question with many variables and I am always happy to discuss this more specifically based on the individual’s needs and expectations.

For adults, we start with one session. In an initial session, you’ll experience the depth of relaxation and support available in this work, and likely connect with the sensations in your body in a way you may not have experienced before. Adult sessions are usually very quiet and still, with long holds and a sense of deep restfulness. It is not unusual to experience in-session relief from physical discomfort or long-term tension in an initial session.

Our bodies are complex systems and patterns of tension, stress, and discomfort are deeply held. We cannot expect a single session to unwind and re-pattern years of unease. Three to five sessions is when we start to see results that endure. Whilst every session counts, clients looking to release specific areas of tension or patterns find the best results in having sessions no more than a month apart.

For infants and children, I require a minimum of three sessions. The reason for this is twofold… One, building trust with a child is paramount. I will not force your child to engage with me, to lay down or be still, or to accept contact until they decide they feel safe and ready. Agency over and connection with their bodies is the foundation of this work. Child sessions often include a lot of talking (between me and the child; a parent is always present but my focus is on the child), breaks for jumping/laughing/asking questions/exploring under the table/etc. as this is how young systems express and release tension. Two, young systems require and deserve consistency and time/space to unwind and present themselves without being forced.

(Similarly, infant sessions include comfort breaks - being held by a parent, feeding breaks, and often fewer and shorter holds as infants’ systems are usually very sensitive to touch at the areas where they hold tension.)

Following an initial session, I do offer series of five or ten sessions for adults, and infant/child clients may purchase an additional series or switch to single sessions after the initial three-session series. Single sessions are always available to adult clients.