Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy sessions
During a typical Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy session, you lie comfortably and fully clothed on a treatment table or in a chair. Your practitioner makes contact with her hands, gently and with negotiation so that you feel at ease with what is happening. BCST offers a way of being held that encourages feelings of safety and comfort so that physical tension, emotions and psychological states can be clarified and processed.
Common places for biodynamic touch include the feet, shoulders, head, or under the spine and pelvis. This is always at your discretion and your practitioner will check with you before making contact. Using her hands helps her to feel or ‘listen’ to how you are holding yourself together and to notice the changes in tension as your body responds. The first thing you will probably notice is a sense of deep relaxation which will generally last throughout the session. With subsequent biodynamic craniosacral therapy sessions this release of tension often extends into everyday life.
Biodynamic touch is a particular type of touch. It is light and gracious. There is never any pressure, manipulation or force. Your trained practitioner creates a calm, still and embodied presence. This type of touch and presence enables you to feel safe, supported and held. This sense of safety allows your brain to switch from flight, flight or freeze to rest and repair. It is in this state that healing and change can begin to take place at the cellular level. As well as using touch, there may be some verbal interaction during our work together. While this doesn’t necessarily mean talking about your experiences, sometimes talking about sensations, thoughts or feelings that come into awareness helps to deepen the healing process. Craniosacral therapy can be a valuable way to help integrate the body and mind, embedding the physical experience with insights that become conscious.
When you arrive...
At your first biodynamic craniosacral therapy session there will be plenty of time to fill out a little paperwork if not already submitted.
You remain fully clothed. Only shoes, bulky items--like thick belts or large earrings--and glasses need be removed.
Lay face up on the table. Blankets, pillows and bolsters are available for your comfort.
Close eyes, optional.
Dismiss the thoughts of the day. Relax. It's very hard for many to relax - especially nowadays with so many pressures we experience. Don’t worry if success comes later than sooner. Just take your time and do your best.
You will be directed to take some settling breaths. Your therapist will negotiate a gentle, safe touch. Sessions are most often quiet. Be silent or express. There is no wrong.
She will let you know when your session is ending. Understand that this process can continue through your next sleep cycle and even up to three days.
How many sessions will I need?
When you want to make real changes in a problem that’s bothering you, the best way to start is to do a few sessions, maybe five to six, in a relatively short time frame. After that, we can re-evaluate together and sessions can usually be further apart.
Typically, after 10-12 sessions, clients experience how deeply and profoundly Biodynamic Craniosacral has helped or is helping. After that.....
You might never need to come back again to address the condition that brought you to seek treatment in the first place. Or you might find that you need sessions once or twice a year if you feel your condition hinting that it might start up again. Many people find this approach preferable to taking medication that doesn’t do the job very well and/or creates distressing side effects. Remember to maintain your regular medical checkups.
Some people live in high-pressure situations and make Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy a regular part of their self-care. And still others choose to periodically continue Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy sessions because they find it an important support to their personal development.