What is Craniosacral Therapy (CST)? (Part 2)
by Janice Zubin

“Craniosacral Therapy,” coined by Dr. William Garner Sutherland, is a light touch approach that creates dynamic improvement in your life. Focusing on the body’s inherent rhythms and healing, tension deep in the body is released, relieving pain and disfunction, restoring whole body health and performance. 

There is a mysterious intelligence and wisdom in the body, that carries the inherent blueprint of health. These inherent, vital, rhythmic life force potencies carry a basic intelligence, and intrinsic force, which are effectively employed by the craniosacral therapist (CT) for supporting health. There is a movement toward integration and health as a natural tenancy, as an ever present and gentle force. 

“The seeking of health from within is a continuous time, tissue, and tidal effort from conception to the final moments of physiological life. Within every trauma and/or disease entity, there is an effort on the part of body physiology to deliver health mechanisms through the local area of stress, to full functioning health capacities.” – Dr. Rollin Becker 

Health then, needs to be re-organized and balanced to create wholeness in life. The CT relies on the client’s force of health to create the change, and is merely a facilitator, witnessing the client’s healing process.

How Does CST Work?

Life is incredibly vibrant and alive, emanating whenever it has the opportunity; between the cracks of paving stones, in a forest ravaged by fire, or in broken bodies and troubled minds. Health is an irresistible force. There is never a time when our health-giving mechanisms are not working, for they are an intrinsic part of our lives. Even in more chronic, or advanced, cases of illness, our original intention of health is always present. By comparison, a log that has become jammed in a river may create turbulence in the water, but the river still flows. Likewise, the inherent health plan still provides the organizing blueprint, in an ailing body. The seeking of health is innate intelligence and never ceases.

What Conditions Can this Therapy Help With?

It improves your body‘s abilities to take better care of you. It has been shown to help a full spectrum of pain, illness, and dysfunction, including: 

• migraines and headaches
  
• chronic neck and back pain
  
• stress and tension related disorders 
  
• motor-coordination impairments, 
  
• post-concussion symptoms 
  
• chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia 
  
• TMJ syndrome
  
• scoliosis spinal cord injuries 
  
• central nervous system disorders
  
• learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD 
  
• and many other conditions

It releases those tensions to allow the entire body to relax and self-correct. By freeing the central nervous system to perform at its best, CST naturally eliminates pain and stress, strengthens your resistance to disease, and enhances your health and well-being. 

Quoting my student, Starr, at SolStarr Alignment in Warman, “As I continue training and offer client sessions, I’m continually inspired by how this gentle, nervous system-focused approach supports the body in releasing deep patterns of tension and stress. Clients often experience improved sleep, a profound sense of calm and balance. This work highlights the body’s innate ability to heal when given the space to shift out of stress.” 

Advanced Craniosacral Therapy Therapeutic Process Technique is helpful and is a process to help release trapped, emotional energy, and to facilitate the discharge of trauma and injury. The body frequently retains an emotional imprint of physical injury, especially of intense feelings: 

• post-traumatic stress disorder
  
• traumatic brain injury
  
• concussions
  
• combat
  
• traumatic stress
  
• panic attacks 
  
• insomnia
  
• flashbacks
  
• intrusive thoughts
  
• hypervigilance 
  
• depression/suicidal thoughts 
  
• guardedness
  
• behavioural isolation
  
• chronic anxiety
  
• chronic pain

CST in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder may be beneficial in treating physical and mental injuries from:

• combat
  
• natural disaster
  
• sports 
  
• family violence
  
• acts of terrorism 

 It may be helpful in the aging process in many aspects including: 

• increasing the volume of cerebral spinal fluid
  
• enhancing immune and endocrine system functions 
  
• assisting with neurological balance

All of above can:

• increase fluid flow which will help relax connective tissue
  
• positively influence vision and related structures
  
• strengthen connective tissue, fluid flow, and the character of the skin 
  
• increase oxygen intake, therefore positively impact respiratory function and overall energy 
  
• support increased muscle elasticity

It can help a variety of conditions, which are inflammatory in nature, or help or reduce conditions such as: osteoporosis, cardiac symptoms, diabetes, headache/migraine, arthritis scoliosis, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. CST has been proven to be very beneficial for senior clients in reducing their experience of pain in a gentle and comfortable manner.

This therapy strengthens the body’s ability to take better care of itself, helping to alleviate a range of illness, pain, and dysfunction, including, but not limited to, chronic neck, back and joint pain, headaches and migraines, morning sickness, stress and tension—related problems, fatigue, emotional difficulties, challenges with conception, and many other conditions related to pregnancy, and their effects on mother and child as pregnancy develops.

There is an innate ability of the human body to heal itself.

Janice Zubin, ND, RMT, CST-D, brings 30+ years of experience in holistic health. She has taught craniosacral therapy full-time since presenting Align Alive Academy’s 2-day Craniosacral Therapy Therapeutic Process Techniques – Level 1 training, at the Calgary NHPC Conference in 2023. Craniosacral Therapy Therapeutic Process Techniques – Rhythms Level 2 is scheduled in 2026 in Montréal, Bridgewater, NS, Edmonton, and Manitou Beach, SK. Align Alive Academy training is approved for continuing education credits for RMTs, and MOTs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and AQTN in Québec, and self-submitting to other Canadian associations. Holistic practitioners with hands-on experience are welcome to register. For more information, see Align Alive Academy, www.drzubin.com/classe, 
TEXT 403-899-4308. Also see the display ads on pages 16 and 31 of the 32.2 Summer 2026 issue of the WHOLifE Journal.