Improving Outcomes in Craniosacral Therapy

Through the Science of the Physiology of Emotions and Principles of Energy Psychology

Craniosacral Therapy is a great bodywork system that has been found to be effective in a variety of physiological and psychological symptoms. In the biomechanical branch of craniosacral therapy, the focus is on working with the central nervous system and the surrounding structures to regulate the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid as the primary strategy for restoring health. In the biodynamic branch of the craniosacral therapy, the focus is enlarged to include accessing and working with additional fluid (energy) bodies that are theorized to possess materials and blueprints for resolving physiological and psychological symptoms in the physical body.

How does the ISP Professional Training complement Craniosacral Therapy?

Integral Somatic Psychology™ (ISP™) can help improve the effectiveness of craniosacral therapists who engage their clients in psychological processing in a number of ways. ISP, through the use of a) the science of the physiology of emotions, b) the science of biological regulation, and c) an energy psychology, can create a greater capacity in clients to process and complete the intense psychological experiences that can arise in the course of craniosacral therapy. Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP), by providing a model of the energy body that is more proximal to the physical body involved in stimulating psychological experiences in it, can help craniosacral therapists transform the higher-order energies usually worked with in biodynamic craniosacral therapy into specific forms of energy to better manifest concrete psychological experiences. ISP can also help to improve the ability of craniosacral therapists to work psychologically with their clients through affect therapy that is part of the curriculum.

Explore the ISP Professional Training.

ISP was a very helpful addition to my training in Somatic Experiencing. The emphasis on the bodily experience of emotions and how to work with them—recognize, experience deeply, and manage/regulate—was invaluable for my professional and personal growth.

Kenneth Talan, MD, SEP, Child and Adult Psychiatrist

Having been interested in affect theory for many years, I found Raja’s approach spot on in terms of redirecting attention to affect (rather than sensation) and connecting it to the whole body. This helped me understand why I was sometimes frustrated with SE™. On a personal level, I found the “hands-on” experience very valuable and meaningful, both as a patient and as a therapist.

Ruth Shidlo, PhD, SEP