CranioSacral Therapy and SLP

Dear Pam,

You gave my son, Billy, CS therapy 4 x-s late Oct. 05-Dec. 05; he slept through the 1st 3 sessions, and was awake through the 4th. Before the CST, he had feeding issues, sensory problems, and speech-language delays. He has made remarkable progress in the last few months. His feeding issues and sensory problems have almost completely resolved, and he has made huge gains in his speech/language development. I believe the therapy he received from you had a very positive impact! Thank you.

I think more people should be aware of the wonderful & positive effects of CST.

Forwarded with permission by Pamela Yenawine, CST
Certified CranioSacral Therapist
May, 2006

Author: Billy's Mom

CranioSacral Therapy Certification Process Evaluation

Was the exam a useful educational experience?

So useful that I am using this as one of my primary resources - I found new understandings and clarity as I researched the questions.

Was the exam fair and comprehensive?

 Yes! And I'm very glad it is -- Certification is serious stuff - thus a vigorous exam is necessary.

Based on the materials you had already received, did the exam meet your expectations?

More - I didn't expect to clarify so much in the process I didn't expect this to become an important resource for reviews and I didn't expect to learn as much as I did!

Please comment on the process so we can continue our commitment to you as an educational institute.

I've had 12 years Public Ed, 3 years Pre-Dental, 4 years Dental School and 33 years of Continuing Education Courses. The Educational Experience at Upledger with David Tomlinson has been the best of my career.

Congratulations
RB
November 11, 2005

Author: Examination Candidate

CranioSacral Therapy and Palliative Care

November 16, 2005

Dear Dr. Upledger,

I am writing to share an experience I had in August of this year. A very close friend of mine was dying from pancreatic cancer and should have been in a Hospice Unit and instead was in a nursing home that had horrendous end-of-life care. He was not receiving enough morphine or atavan for his pain and agitation, it was awful. My associate, Barb Grummel, who is a also a massage and CranioSacral therapist and I had worked with Bob during his illness, and he came through his chemo and radiation quite well. We were disappointed when he became terminal, however we never stopped trying and his health was relatively good until the last several weeks of his life.

The reason I am writing is to share with you our experience for the last five days of our friend's life. As Bob's pain got worse Barb and I began to treat him extensively. At first we arced and treated the energy cysts and Bob's pain would diminish greatly. For the last three days we did a lot of stillpoints and off the body work so as to not irritate him. His friends and family were astonished at how quickly Bob would respond. His agitation would stop completely and he would fall asleep. When he would wake up or come out of process he was calm, was in much less pain, and was his same old self. The pain was robbing him of his dignity and his wonderful personality. The best aspect of caring for him was seeing him come back and become lucid again.

He maintained the lucidity until the very last hours of his life and he got to say good-bye and tell us all how much he loved us, and he knew how much we all loved him. Barb and I always amazed at how much help CST is in conditions that other health care practitioners have given up on, and this was another example. The nurses in this facility were awful and kept telling us to leave Bob alone, and that were preventing him from dying. It was a privilege to help our friend in the only way we knew, using our skills and hearts to help his transition into the next life. Barb and I are proud of the work we do and CST is always a miracle in the lives of the people we help. This is not the first end-of-life experience for either of us professionally and personally and if easing the suffering and fear associated with death is the only reason to have become a CST practitioner then Barb and I have fulfilled a part of our destinies.

Thank-you for listening. Thank-you for your vision and tenacity in advancing CST in the world. Both Barb and I are in ADVII next October and I am very excited to be taking this class with you.

Sincerely,

Sally J. Keller, LMT

Author: Sally J. Keller, LMT

Feedback from a Clinical Symposium Demonstration Patient

Dear Alena,

I just wanted to let you know that I have had extraordinary results from the cranial work that the Upledgers so compassionately performed on me. I have suffered from clogged ears and extreme pressure and tightness in my upper abdomen for almost 2 years. My jaw and neck muscles would occasionally spasm and my throat would tighten. I was short of breath most of the time-miserable and desperate. I had been to the emergency room so many times only to be told I suffered from anxiety. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid and put on medication for that. The problem continued and I was then diagnosed with TMJ by 2 different ENT's. The TMJ dentist put me on jaw repositioning guards 24 hours a day but couldn't fix the pressure problem so I referred myself to an oral surgeon. He performed surgery on my jaw joints and said it would help with my ears. It didn't. Nothing worked. I was prescribed everything from allergy medications to steroids to antibiotics to anti-depressants -all to no avail. I had run the full gamut with every type of specialist. I felt like I was on a conveyor belt just throwing away time, energy and money. I was beyond exhausted and drained on every level. I cried and prayed to God for a second chance at life--to send his angels to heal me. I was not living-I was existing. Today, I have cried again---cried tears of happiness and relief because my prayers have finally been answered. Joy (mu CST therapist), you, and the wonderful Upledgers are those angels I prayed for. For the first time in almost 2 years, I slept the whole night without a Klonopin pill and woke up without tremors and that dreadful pressure in my body. Alena, I am a 38 year old female and for the first time in almost 2 years, I have lived one day as a normal human being. That is a quantum leap for me. I am excited for the first time in a very, very long time.

God bless all of you for the wonderful work you do. You have all impacted my life in the most glorious way. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have given me the most marvelous gift-that second chance at a normal life.

Sincerely yours,
Rosi Henderson
November 21, 2005

Author: Rosie Henderson

Equine CranioSacral Techniques II

"Gail [Wetzler] is amazing! All the handouts are fantastic - the detail that Gails presents is so very helpful for me. I came from Florida [to California] for this class and am thrilled that I did - it was soooooo worth it. Gail's knowledge and willingness to share - in so much detail - was pivital in making this class so terrific. I can't wait to get back to my horse clients and see how different they present."
K.P., Bradenton, FL

Author: Class participant

CranioSacral Dissection Workshop

Imagine watching the changes in your client's tissues as you work on them - the CST Dissection class comes close to offering you this chance. For years I have been feeling into soft tissue, fluids, membrane, viscera and bone - after seeing, touching and working directly on fresh cadaver material, my ability to imagine and feel into what is happening in my clients has taken on a new dimension. Roy Desjarlais created an atmosphere that was safe, respectful, challenging and fun. Watching a human body decay over three days was a profound experience that has changed me in some fundamental way.

I highly recommend this class to all serious CST practitioners.

-Jim Cunningham
September 23, 2004

Author: Jim Cunningham

Applying Acupuncture Principles to CranioSacral Therapy Workshop

This is just a fantastic class - I've been seeking information on Chinese medicine since CSI and this more than fulfills my desire, and maybe even opens up a few new ones!

High praise is, indeed, due to the instructor of this class, Ken Koles. His energy, fluency, dedication, and delight in his chosen subject are truly remarkable. In an inspiring, all participant class demonstration, he treated a group member who had been suffering with acute on chronic cholecystitis. The focus, concentration and energy was incredible, and even I, visually impaired, saw whips of haze or mist escaping from the borders of his dominant hand. This was a demonstration, with the like and quality of which I have never previously been involved. Needless to say, the patient reported total remission of symptoms the following day, and most of us will never know what radiological changes will occur.

This type of seminar is to be most highly recommended.

Author: Seminar Participants

CranioSacral Dissection Workshop

This course (December, 2003) was very helpful to me in many ways. The 3-D anatomy lesson was excellent, being able to feel the quality of the tissues of the body's organs and cranial membranes was amazing. I highly recommend this class to any practitioner.

Author: Heather Linnemeyer BA, LMT, CST

Feedback from the CranioSacral Therapy Dissection Class

Portland, Dec. 12, 2003

Participating with a group of people who functioned so closely with professional courtesy and enthusiasm was validating and inspiring. It encourages me to have more confidence in my skills as well as opening a multitude of new questions.

The focused learning environment allowed me to reach deeper levels of inquiry and interest in the anatomical relationships related to CranioSacral Therapy. Working in such a close linkage with the other students under totally involved instructors and teaching assistants provided an unequaled, rich learning experience.

The feeling that is the pinnacle of my personal experience in the class, is absolute wonder at the intricacy and elegance of the structures that make up our bodies; that only comes from seeing and touching the actual forms themselves.

Being completely absorbed in exploration allowed me to collate my course work and client experience into a new level of awareness. I returned to my clients with skills that are qualitatively and quantitatively more substantial. I feel that it is possible for me to work both more intuitively with more trust in what I feel, and therefore more efficiently; and more connected with precision in relationship to the various parts of my client?s body. At the same time I feel more able to flow freely with the guidance of my inner knowledge and the client?s inner wisdom. The class has increased the maturity of my work.

Author: Burns Davis, LMT

I just finished your CranioSacral Therapy workshop in New York City...

I just finished your CranioSacral Therapy workshop in New York City yesterday and if Susan Cotta is any indication of your instructors, then you have the greatest programs in the world!

She was superb, very well-read, thorough in her theory, and very precise in the application of the technique. I especially appreciated the repetitiveness of the teaching; it made the learning so much easier. Too often instructors run through the techniques so fast that you come away not really remembering very much. Your structure is excellent. I would have loved to have gone through the 10-step protocol twice, but I understand that there are time constraints.

I also appreciated the TA's, who were compassionate, understanding, and very helpful in making sure we got maximum benefit out of the workshop. They were warm and friendly, and their smiles made the entire 4 days a very pleasurable learning experience.

It was exciting to actually experience the changing rhythms and patterns and I can't wait to practice to perfect (I hope) my palpation skills.

Thank you once again and I look forward to CST II in May 2004.

Author: Dr. Ray Turner, Ph.D., LMT