December 24 – 2007

Questions and comments for this issue:

+ Terry Collinson on Stillness Trainings
+ Is fibromyalgia similar to chronic fatigue?
+ How do I get a mentor?
+ Question about shingles.

Hello John,

Apparently it’s the season to be jolly – I
didn’t realise I was out of step the rest of the
year.  If you know what I’m supposed to be doing
in the other seasons, can you let me know.

So in the spirit of the season, here’s a little
gift for you. john@wellnessda.com

No, don’t thank me, it’s all part of the
service and as I said ’tis the season.  Why is
everything to do with Christmas in Olde English?
‘Hark, tis the postman.  I see him on yonder
hill.’

Anyway pop that little beauty, john@wellnessda.com
in your email address books and when I send you
updates from my Wellness Detective Agency they
won’t bounce off your spam filter and you will
actually get them.

Updates from my what I hear you ask.  Well the
notion of being your own Wellness Detective is
gathering momentum and to keep up with it my
website has become a resource for people who are
taking responsibility for their health and
happiness.

It starts with adopting the perspective that
nothing in your life happens by accident. If
nothing is random then everything is a clue.  As
well as the Wellness Detective Agency email
updates, in the New Year I will be releasing audio
and video segments too.

http://www.WellnessDA.com/

Speaking of gift giving, if you are looking for
a present for the person who has everything, then
you could always about get them a personal genome
map.  All you need is a swab from the inside of
the mouth and $1000 USD. https://www.23andme.com/

Aw, you shouldn’t have.  No really, you
shouldn’t have.

Anyhu, let’s get on with the
mailbag.  The first letter is from Terry Collinson
of stillness trainings.  I really like the way she
talks about the training she teaches with Brendan
Pitwood from New Zealand.

***TERRY’S LETTER***

Hi John,

Lovely to hear from you. Hope all is well with you
and your new life in Ireland.

Our training (Stillness Trainings) began early
this year with 12 wonderful students.  They are
loving the teaching and the work and Brendan and I
are heartened with our efforts and with the way it
is all going.

We put in place so many aspects to nurture and
support the students learning and process, as well
as that of the teaching team.  As you know the
teaching is of the ‘biodynamic’ approach, but we
also keep it very pure and true to Paul’s teaching
of Resonance, plus our development or deepening of
being in relationship from Brendan’s training with
Ray Castellino (pre and perinatal psychology).

We are lucky to have four assistants who graduated
in Australia with Resonance Trainings – Sarah,
Tanya, Michelle and Glenn.  We spend two days
before each seminar to grow ourselves as a team
and our own process so that we are ‘healthy’ and
bonded and are able to deeply support each other
and so then the group.

Because of our course/school accreditation with
PACT we have added nutrition to the teaching, and
we decided to add applied pathology throughout the
course, which as added a great dimension to the
work we had not foreseen.

Thank you for your encouragement and support to go
ahead and teach what I/we have to offer.

with love
Terry

***QUESTION***

Hello John

Your website is simply brilliant! I don’t know why
I hadn’t seen it before.

I am a newly qualified craniosacral therapist
(biodynamic model) and the info on the student
newsletter is very helpful. I have a new client
with Fiobromyalgia and wondered what tips you had
for working with this?

I feel this condition is similar in some respects
to chronic fatigue ME with the reduced thresholds.
I have a sense that facilitated segments also have
a role here.

Working with stillness is so wonderful but this
isn’t always possible initially as the person and
their system needs to be met where they are.

I qualified in July and want to develop my skills
and experience by doing an apprenticeship of sorts
by working alongside a very skilled and
experienced CST practitioner. I have been trying
to find a host practitioner to do this in the UK
but my enquiries have drawn a blank as people
appear not to want anyone else within their client
space. I am a CSTA UK member.

Any suggestions please?

Do you do any student mentoring yourself?

I look forward to your reply.

Many thanks for a very useful website.

DP
U.K.

MY COMMENTS:

Thank you for your kind words about my
websites.  I’m glad you found them helpful.

I have found often the root of Fibromyalgia can
be located in the cerebro spinal fluid itself.  It
has a particular quality to it.  A bit like static
electricity or fizz in the cerebro spinal fluid.
When the person has an ‘attack’ this static-fizz
quality can be felt radiating out along the nerve
pathways, particularly the intercostal nerves.

I have found the underlying root cause can be
similar to chronic fatigue in so much as they both
put the persons life on hold.

The similarity stops there as the mechanics feel
different to me.  Fibromyalgia has a much more
aggressive quality.  There is usually a lot of
pain involved and this sets up a very different
dynamic within the person than chronic fatigue.

As I think about the people I have treated with
Fibromyalgia, what they all have in common is that
the root cause has nearly always been very core.
So while it important to work with the physical
and emotional expressions of the disharmony,
without addressing the core issue, the results
will be temporary at best.

I know – core stuff – heavy jelly – who needs
it?  Such is our work.  Best not to resist it and
know that if you couldn’t help they wouldn’t have
come to you.
How’s that for a double negative.

In relation to your mentoring question, I think
most practitioners will be reluctant to allow you
to be in their room when they are working.  This
is because they have heard about all you and let’s
face it, you’re trouble!

Just kidding, couldn’t resist.  They will be
reluctant because of the intimate nature of the
work and the trust that builds up between the
therapist and patient.

One way around this is for you to bring the
experienced practitioner into YOUR session.  Bring
a patient to their rooms and work with them as
they tune into what you are doing.

You can do this in two ways.  You can bring
someone you have been practicing on.  Someone who
is NOT ill.  You can get feedback about specific
techniques from your mentor as you are doing the
technique.  You can use this way to get feedback
about any aspect of your practice that you are
unsure about.   Obviously the person you bring
will need to be very comfortable with hearing
where you need improvement.

Don’t bring a fellow student or therapist.  I
have found that their intention makes it very hard
to assess what is going on.  For example, if you
are getting feedback about your frontal lift, then
person’s intention will be involved immediately in
lifting their frontal bone.  For that reason it is
better to bring someone who knows nothing about
cranio.

The second way is to use your mentor as a
‘second opinion.’  For this you would be bringing
one of your own patients.  You can get your
mentors help in a couple of different ways.  They
can tune into the person and help you deepen and
enhance your sense of what the root cause of the
problem is.

You can have your mentor tune in as you treat
the person.

You can treat the person and have your mentor
work with you as your assistant.

You can have your mentor be the lead therapist
and you act as their assistant.

In all the different permutations of this
second way the common thing is that you don’t
discuss the person in front of them.

The only thing your mentor should say to the
person is to confirm whichever aspect of your
treatment are going in the right direction and add
the different expanded bits they may want to add.

Anything else won’t be appropriate.  Talking
about technique and how you can improve will
undermine you in the eyes of your patient.

The thing to remember is that they are your
patient.  They have come to you because they
recognise that you can help them.  I don’t mean
this in a territorial way but more on a larger
scale about how patients find who they need.

And yes, I do mentoring.

Speaking of which, I intend to include a list
of mentors in addition to the therapist lists  I
have on my websites.  Being a mentor basically
means making yourself available for a student on a
one to one basis.

You should get paid for it at the very least
what you charge for treating people.  Time wise
that is.  Let me know if you are interested in
being included in the mentor list.

***QUESTION***

I am Training in craniosacral therapy, a friend
has shingles around the sacrum, in the past she
had shingles on the brain and almost died. Do you
suggest any holds or ideas on treatment.
Thank you M – Australia.

MY COMMENTS:

Shingles is one of those conditions that evoke
the hands thrown up in horror kind of response.
Like the poor person has got something strange,
foreign or alien that the rest of us don’t have.

So just in case you didn’t know – if you’ve had
chickenpox as a child you will have latent
varicella zoster virus lying dormant in your
dorsal root and cranial nerve ganglion.

Should it become activated it will travel down
your axon causing a lot of pain along the way and
finally erupt on the surface of your skin in very
painful blisters – and at that point it will be
called shingles.

SHINGLES!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

Once you understand this then you can see that
the question you need to be asking yourself is why
has this person’s immune system become so low as
to allow the reactivation of this virus.

One thing that can do it is stress.  Physical
stress like working too much and not playing and
working some more and still not playing and
generally being a dull boy.

What I have seen more often is emotional
stress.  The kind of impossible emotional dilemma
sort of stress like being sick of taking care of
the kids but having no way out.  Hating the job
but needing the money.  Not wanting to take care
of the aging parent but not wanting to put them in
a home either.

Another useful question to ask yourself is, ‘Of
all the symptoms this person could have got, why
did they get such a painful one?’  I’ve never had
shingles myself but from what I am told and have
felt, it is very painful.

The good news is you are in with a winning
chance from the get go.  As you know cranial work
has this wonderfully soothing effect on the
nervous system.  All that focus on the cerebro
spinal fluid and still points and what not.

Because shingles is closely involved with the
nervous system it can respond very quickly.  The
person should get enough of a relief to think that
this cranio thing is top notch and will keep
coming to see you as you both work through the
deeper, less fun, if I can use that expression,
reasons why they had these particular symptoms in
the first place.

Lastly, a high proportion of people who get
shingles are over 50.  I bring this to your
attention because their immune system may simply
be clapped out from years of abuse.

That’s it for this issue.  I wish you a very merry
Christmas and a fantastic new year.

Cheerio for now.

Till the next time.

Your Mate,

John D.

May 25 – 2008

Questions and comments for this issue:

+ The interweb thingy.
+ Twitter.
+ Book recommendation from Renee in Australia.
+ Comment from Etienne in Belgium.
+ Comment from Joyaa in Australia.
+ Comment from Eva in Australia.
+ Question about contact pressure and effectiveness.
+ Question about intracranial hypertension.

Hello,

Very Important Breaking news: Russia won the
Eurovision song contest.  Personally I think
Israel should have won but you decide for
yourself and let me know.
Russia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XR5xrU02yo&

Israel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw_6gdieBRY

If teaching new mothers how to make nutritious
meals for their new babies sounds like a good
idea to you then have a look here

http://www.indiegogo.com/mouthofbabes

and if you like what you see then make a
contribution and help Rene, who is also a cranio
sacral therapist as you will see below, get the
project off the ground.

I obviously think it is worthwhile having
already put my money where my mouth is.
A-har!! and I didn’t even mean that pun.

I want to ask a question. Now I don’t want you
to get anxious but it’s about the internet.

Are you on it?

While you are thinking about that let me tell
you some things about my practice.

1. EVERYONE who comes to see me comes from the
internet.
2. I don’t do ANY other advertising.
3. Currently my waiting list is 6 weeks long.
4. I charge more than most natural
therapists in Ireland. [It was the same in
Australia]
5. If you search for cranio sacral therapy in
Ireland or Australia on Google my website
will be in the top ten.
6. When I moved to Ireland I was able to set up
my practice from scratch with no drop in
patients or income all because of the way I
use the internet.

I’m not telling you the above to blow my own
trumpet, you don’t want to hear that racket once I
get started, no I’m telling you to highlight how
powerful the internet is.

Now back to my question.  Are you on the
internet?  If not, is that because your practice is
as big as you would like it to be thank you very
much or because the internet is a complex and scary
place?

If you are on the internet, are you getting the
sorts of results you want?

It has been my experience that, with a few
exceptions, most cranio sacral therapists are not
very computer friendly.

Well let me correct that they are friendly to
their computers, if they own one, they just don’t
feel like their computers are very friendly towards
them.

How to create a successful website that actually
gets the sort of people you want to treat to call
you and then get that site to the top of the google
ranking is a big subject and not something I am
going to go into here.

I am thinking of putting together a special
training on the subject so if you’re interested let
me know.  Whether I do it or not will very much be
determined by the level of interest.

Something you can do right now for free is get
yourself on TWITTER.

Twhatter??

Twitter.
Without getting too technical, Twitter is what
is called a ‘micro-blogging’ platform.

And no that’s not a kiddies toilet step.

On Twitter, users post short updates about what
they’re up to.  (Max. 140 characters. So it’s short
and to the point.)

When I first heard about Twitter I didn’t really
get it.

It just seemed like a load of back and forth
‘chat’ between people.  My initial thought was, ‘I
don’t have time for this.’

But not being one to allow good sense to stand
in the way of having a go, I dived in.

Within a week it really started to dawn on me
how deceptively powerful Twitter was.

And you don’t have to be sitting in front of
your computer to use it, you can post from your
cellphone.  That’s one of the things I really like
about it.

Because Twitter posts happen so fast (i.e.
someone could witness an event and instantly post
about it from their phone) it’s becoming a valuable
source for REAL-TIME information.

The typhoon in Burma and the earthquake in China
come to mind immediately.

Here’s a story that illustrates how powerful it
can me.  James Buck, a graduate student in
journalism from the University of California-
Berkeley was arrested last month in Mahalla, Egypt
while covering an anti-government protest.

Thinking quickly, James was able to send a one-
word Twitter update: ‘Arrested.’

The people who were following him on Twitter in
Egypt and the US reacted by contacting the
university and the consulate on his behalf.  Before
long, James was updating Twitter with another one-
word message, ‘Free.’

Twitter is also becoming a powerful ‘crowd
sourcing’ tool.

Someone can post to Twitter and ask ‘What’s the
best digital camera for under $400?’ and in a
matter  of minutes have tons of replies from other
people giving great feedback and advice.

This is one of the ways it can be useful to you
and your practice as the number of people who talk
about their health and emotional life is huge.

You can use twitter to grow your practice by
specifically searching for and connecting with
people in your country, area or city.

You do this by ‘following’ which simply means
letting Twitter know you would like to be informed
whenever the particular person posts a comment.
Most people will reciprocate and in turn ‘follow’
you.

Some of the more popular people on Twitter have
10,000′s of people following them.

Think about that for a minute in relation to
your practice.  You could let 1000′s of people know
if you were moving offices or had a particularly
successful case or were giving a talk.

You can also use Twitter to connect with other
cranio sacral therapists around the world.  This
means that should you need to refer someone to a
therapist in another country or city you will have
someone you know.  I have already been asked for
referrals like this a few times.  As you connect
with more cranio sacral therapists, they too will
refer to you.

Okay so here’s what to do.

Go here http://www.twitter.com and get yourself
an account.  It’s free and quick and takes about 3
minutes.   Make sure you include ‘cranio sacral
therapist’ or  ‘cranio sacral student’ in your bio,
which is also limited to 140 characters.

If you want to get an idea of what sort of
things I twitter about you can look at my Twitter
page here.

http://twitter.com/john_dalton

If you want to ‘follow’ me, and I encourage you to
and any other cranio sacral therapist you can find
on twitter, make sure you click ‘Follow’ under my
photo.

Once you do that you will be notified whenever I
make a Twitter post.  I will ‘Follow’ you back.

If the whole thing makes no sense to you just
try it for a week.  I found it took about that long
for me to get into it and to know what was worth
posting about.

-o-

Now, lots of response to the last newsletter,
so let’s get on with the mailbag.

***COMMENT FROM RENEE IN AUSTRALIA***

Hi John,
I love reading your newsletters whenever you send
them.  I have been reading this book which is
absolutely phenomenal.  And I would just like to
share it with the cranio community:

The Secret Teachings of Plants In The Direct
Perception of Nature by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

It is a really revolutionary book that has been
around for a while so maybe many people already
know about it.  Stephen looks into the energies
coming from our hearts and how our hearts
communicate with every other thing on earth.
Plants is where he starts and speaks about how
aboriginal peoples have been able to learn from
plants themselves what and how they can be used to
heal people through this vibrationary language.  As
the book progresses he speaks of how we can use
this heart awareness to communicate with each other
and to learn the nature of disease and discomfort
within each other.

He calls this depth diagnosis, and reading his
discriptions of his work it sounds just like
cranio.  I just love the language he uses, the
extensive quotes from Goethe and other Earth poets.
I haven’t finished reading the book yet and I wish
I could describe it better, but I highly recommend
it to everyone…

On a different note maybe I have missed some of
your newsletters as well, but I was really excited
reading about the village in SA and your comments
on Open Source Cranio.  I would really love to hear
more about that in your newsletters.  My mother
works in Burma as a teacher trainer for
kindergarden and upwards kids.  I believe
craniosacral therapy could be so helpful in that
environment when the population is under such
stress, repression and poverty.

Thanks again for the great work you are doing.

Renee
Australia.

MY COMMENTS:

Thanks for passing it on Renee.  I haven’t read
the book myself so can’t comment.  From what I do
know of it you may also like Connie Grauds work.

http://www.spiritedmedicine.com/

***COMMENT FROM ETIENNE IN BELGIUM ABOUT JILL BOLTE TATLOR’S VIDEO***

Hi John,
I guess more Dr’s and scientists need a stroke.
Etienne

MY COMMENTS:

That is so naughty – hilarious but very naughty.

***COMMENT FROM JOYAA IN AUSTRALIA***

Hi John & Greetings from Queensland!
Re. Karen & Orthodontics, I thought that I might
add a couple of points?
1. “Underdeveloped maxillae” (that’s the key
phrase) are not uncommon, and are seen a lot in
persistent mouth breathers.
2. More progressive orthodontists tend to use
expanders (sometimes maxillary alone, sometime with
mandibular expanders too).  Breaking the mandible
to try to reduce its size may be going the wrong
way aobut things (as you suggested).
3. There are progressive dentists and good
orthodontists in Oz.  Whereabouts is Karen based?

Love, Joyaa

MY COMMENTS:

Hello Joyaa and thanks for your comments.
I never found much credence in the
underdeveloped maxillae – mouth breather
theory/approach myself.

I haven’t come across an underdeveloped maxillae
yet.  When there is a problem it is because they
are compressed posteriorly or superiorly or
medially or all three.  The compression coming from
trauma of some kind or another.

I’m not a big fan of expanders either because
they are usually too tight and elicit a defensive
response from the maxillae locking them down.

***COMMENT FROM EVA IN AUSTRALIA***

Hello John,

I have a case story that really shows how easy it
can be to work with the teeth and bones they attach
to.

I treated my niece when she was 10 years old. She
had sucked her thumb until the age of 8, so her
front teeth (both upper and lower) were standing
out at a pretty sharp angle.

The orthodontist had of course said she would need
braces.  She had some acute neck, back and pelvic
problems and I only had the possibility to give her
2 sessions with about 2 weeks in between, so the
focus was not on fixing the teeth.  But I worked on
the teeth and face for a bit any way in these two
sessions.

I worked individually with all the teeth as well as
the associated structures in the face (maxillae,
incisors, mandible, temporals, TMJ, vomer,
palatines etc).  The front teeth really needed some
serious unwinding.

I saw her next one year later and her teeth had
nearly completely straightened out. They only
needed a tiny bit more adjustment.

I have since worked with a few other children,
mostly early teens, as well as my own daughter who
is 7 and busy shedding teeth and the new big ones
coming out with not enough space for them, causing
them to come out crooked.

They straighten out very easily, especially while
they are still growing.  I must say I find teeth
very cooperative to work with.

Best regards,

Eva
Central Coast
Australia

***QUESTION***

Hi there. Was searching for someone to ask some
questions to about CST and found you. Thanks. I
have my two levels in CST. I totally love doing it
on clients but feel guilty in a way because of the
fact that they get up after looking at me like I
haven’t done anything for the past hour to them. I
always try to explain that they probably won’t feel
anything but that things are occuring within their
bodies. There is another therapist at my place of
work who has been doing CST for a few years now and
she does her treatments SOOO different. She uses so
much force it is like a massage and I actually was
sore the next day. So when one of her clients came
to me on Monday she left feeling confused because
she told me how different my session was from the
other person’s so although I explained that how I
do it is what I was taught I began to doubt myself
that I wasn’t doing things correctly.

I sometimes have a difficult time feeling the
diaphragm releases happening in clients. Will this
just come with more practice?

Also I don’t know what this is about but when I am
working on the cranium alot of times their heads
will start to move around in circles or back and
forth. Is this releasing or what is happening? I
just try to go with what I feel and don’t second
guess myself.

But I really can’t say I have had anyone feel any
change after a session. Can you give me any advice.
Thanks for your time.
Regards, Lorraine

MY COMMENTS:

Hello Lorraine,
It’s hard for me to answer your question because
I don’t know where you are training or what stage
you are at in your training.   So bear that in mind
as I answer your questions.

With regard to how much pressure to apply, it
shouldn’t feel as strong as a massage.  Sometimes
in the releasing process the therapist may have to
hold against a lot of pressure but that doesn’t
happen too often.

Far be it from me to pass judgement on the other
‘cranio sacral therapist’ in your practice but from
what you have written it sounds like they either
had poor or insufficient training or more likely
they weren’t properly assessed, if at all.

It would probably be wise to avoid sharing
patients and if you do, you would need to make it
very clear to the patients that you both have very
different styles.

Now to the diaphragms.
The transverse diaphragms are not easy to feel
because they are, . . . well. . . big.   Compared
to some of the finer work we can be involved in,
the size of the diaphragms can be daunting and too
big to hold in your intention.

You may find it easier to think of them
individually rather than as a group.

They each have a different quality and the more
familiar you are with the quality of each, the
easier it will be for you to feel releases as they
occur.

If you can’t hold the whole diaphragm in your
intention do it in two halves.  Do one side first
and then the other.  Aim to hold as much of the
diaphragm in your intention as you can as you work
on one side or the other.

Over time you will be able to hold more and more
of the diaphragm in your intention until eventually
you can hold the whole diaphragm.

Heads moving around in circles?
Yes it can happen but if it’s happening for you
with everyone then there’s a good chance that it’s
your stuff.

In fact you can pretty much apply that to
everything you find in ‘everyone’, if you know what
I mean.

No?

What I mean is if you find the same thing going
on in everyone you would need to take a good look
at what is going on for yourself. Chances are it
will be your stuff.

As to people not feeling different after a
session. If they are getting better I wouldn’t be
concerned about it.

I have found that people will only give you a
hard time about the things you expect them to give
you a hard time about.

So if you are concerned that people are going to
feel like you are not doing anything, because they
can’t feel it, then they will probably have that
problem.

On the other hand if you are saying that the
people you are treating are not improving at all,
well that’s a different kettle of much more serious
fish.
It’s serious because people getting better is
kind of the whole point.

You will need specific help with this. You will
need to go to your trainer or mentor and get them
to assess you.

Get them to tune in as you are working. They
should be able to give you specific feedback about
how you are working, what your intention is like
and so on.

Don’t take it personally if they suggest having
some treatment yourself.  It can often sort out
obstacles in training.

***QUESTION***

Hi John,

Liane from Australia. I am a physiotherapist
working in a new position with chronic pain
clients.  Could you please give any experience you
have had with this condition: intracranial
hypertension. This lady has had 2 labours, (2
caesarians with 2 epidurals). Symptomology came on
following childbirth.  She is very overweight,
looks to have a thyroid disorder.

I look forwards to your insights and advice,

Yours sincerely,

Liane

MY COMMENTS:

Hello Liane,
Let direct you to this case history about an
overweight woman with intracranial hypertension I
treated in Brisbane a number of years back.

http://www.open-source-cranio.com/cases/intracranialtension.html

As well as the intracranial membranes you may
also want to look closely at the dural tube around
the lumbro-sacral junction and her pelvis
generally.

The 2 caesareans and epidurals could have left
patterns of trauma that are causing or exacerbating
the intracranial hypertension.

Cheerio for now.

Till the next time.

Your Mate,

John D.

<< Back to Basics 1 syllabus

The course is divided into 6 blocks of learning.  Basics 1-3 and Advanced 1-3.  Each block takes 4 months to complete.  Each block builds on the last.  I don’t recommend you ‘cram’ any of the blocks or jump ahead prematurely.  The time allotted for each block is to allow the practice to sink in.  You head may grasp the concepts but it takes longer for your palpatory skills
to grow.

On the other hand don’t spend longer than 4 months on any block. Self doubt is something most cranio sacral students grapple with.  There can be a temptation to not move on because you feel like you haven’t mastered a particular block.  If this happens talk it out with your mentor.  If they say you are ready then you are.

The majority of your learning is self directed, meaning you direct how much study and practice you engage in.  To become competent I recommends you set aside 15 to 20 hours a week for your Cranio

Sacral learning.

I suggest you divide up the four months of each block as follows:

Month 1
Go over all the training materials in the given block in the first week.
Practice all the techniques for a day or so then go and have some directional assessment with your mentor to ensure you are doing everything correctly. Contine to practice and study for the rest of the month.

Month 2
Begin the month with a directional assessment with your mentor to ensure you are doing everything correctly.

Month 3
In the second week of the month have a directional assessment with your mentor to ensure you are doing everything correctly.
At the end of the month complete the directional written assessments for the block.

Month 4
End the month with a competence assessment with your mentor and complete the competence written assessments.

Each learning block has a set of learning outcomes.   When you are competent in all the learning outcomes for a block you are competent in that block.  When you are competent in all the blocks you are a competent cranio sacral therapist.

Assessment “Oh no, an exam!!”

Assessment doesn’t mean examination. A written assessment isn’t an ‘exam’.
There are 2 types of assessment.

Directional Assessment:     This is assessment designed to keep you on the right track.  It is assessment built into the learning. It is intended to help you avoid getting into bad habits by practicing a technique incorrectly or labouring under an incorrect understanding of a concept.

Competence assessment:     This is assessment used towards the end of a block to assess your competence in the material covered.

There are only two results that can come from a competence assessment. Competent or Not Yet Competent.  There is no passing or failing.  One person is not deemed more competent
than another.  If you are not yet competent in a technique it does not mean you cannot continue in your training, it just means you need to be assessed in this technique again when you have followed the action plan that the assessor lays out for you.

Practical Assessment

For this assessment you will need to bring a patient.  The assessor will ask you to preform different techniques.  As you preform the techniques the assessor will tune in to your patient.  The assessor may talk to you as you are working.  At the end of the assessment the assessor will review what has been done and develop an action plan to assist you in the areas you are not yet competent in.

Written Assessment

There are 2 written assessments on the material covered in each block.

Closed Book:    This is an assessment of knowledge and covers the fundamentals of what has been covered.  The things you should know without having to refer to a text book.  The things you use during treatment.

Open Book:    During this assessment you can refer to any text book or reference material you wish.  It is an assessment of your understanding.

<< Back to Basics 1 syllabus

Anatomy & Physiology 001

At the end of Basics 1 you should be able to:

1. Describe the cranio sacral system

2. Describe the ventricular system

3. Describe Fascia

4. Describe the membrane system

5. Identify the bones involved with the cranio sacral system

6. Describe the venous sinuses

Treatment Theory 001

At the end of block 1 you should be able to:

1. Describe flexion and extension

2. Describe still point induction

3. Describe direct and indirect technique

4. Discuss the patterns of restriction and trauma focuses as applied in Cranio Sacral Therapy

5. Describe indirect technique on three (3) transverse sites on the torso

Practitionship 001

At the end of block 1 you should be able to:

1. Describe contra-indications

Technique 001

Palpation 1

At the end of block 1 you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate tuning in (self/client)

2. Report symmetry, amplitude and quality using the “Listening posts”

Fascial release 1

At the end of block 1 you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate restriction release techniques on a limb

2. Demonstrate restriction release technique on a sacroiliac joint

4. Demonstrate indirect technique on three (3) transverse sites on the torso

Cranial Mobility techniques 1

At the end of block 1 you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a frontal lift

2. Demonstrate parietal lift

3. Demonstrate temporal release

4. Demonstrate sphenobasilar synchrondrosis compression/decompression

5. Attune to sacrum

6. Demonstrate an atlanto-occipital joint release

7. Demonstrate still point induction from the occiput

8. Demonstrate dural tube traction from the occiput