What to Expect

People often ask me what happens during a craniosacral therapy treatment. My primary focus is ensuring your comfort, allowing you to fully relax and benefit from this gentle, hands-on therapy.

Here's what typically happens during a CST session:

Case History
I begin by collecting a thorough case history, exploring your medical background, current health concerns, and any specific goals or expectations you may have for the session. This helps me understand your unique needs and allows me to tailor the session to provide the best possible care for you.

Comfortable Positioning
Next, I'll invite you to lie down on a massage table, fully clothed. However, if lying flat isn't comfortable for you for any reason, you can choose to lie on your side or sit in a chair. I have pillows and blankets available to support your body, ensuring your comfort throughout the session.

Gentle Touch
I use light touch techniques to evaluate your craniosacral rhythm, which is the subtle movement of the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. During this process, I'll lightly place my hands on different areas of your body, such as the head, spine, sacrum, and any other areas as needed.

Facilitated Relaxation
Through gentle touch and focusing on specific points across the body, I aim to relieve tension and induce deep relaxation. Clients often describe the sensation as calming and soothing, allowing them to enter a state of deep restorative relaxation.

Listening and Responding
Throughout the session, I listen attentively to your body, sensing changes in the craniosacral rhythm and areas of tension or restriction. Based on this feedback, I may adjust my hand holds to support the body's natural healing processes.

Integration and Closure
Towards the end of the session, I gently guide you back to a state of wakefulness. The session concludes with a brief discussion to reflect on the experience and address any questions or concerns.

Overall, a CST session is a gentle and nurturing experience designed to promote relaxation, release tension, and support the body's innate ability to heal itself. Each session is tailored to your unique needs, ensuring a personalised and holistic approach to wellness.

  • "Before my first session, I had not heard about cranio so I was not sure what to expect. During the sessions, I experience all sorts of feelings and sensations, most importantly feeling very calm, relaxed and safe. My sessions have given me different benefits depending on what is happening in my life, but overall it really helps me to release stress and other emotions I have been holding in. I often feel ‘light and free’ afterwards. I have had sessions around my exams, which have particularly helped me with my stress and anxiety levels. Catherine is really kind and makes you feel very comfortable. Her energy is so calming, making her the perfect cranio therapist! She has such an extensive knowledge about cranio and how the body works - I really enjoy learning from her about my session. 10/10 would recommend."

    Emily

  • "Cranio for me has been a holistic, positively revealing therapy. It is non-evasive and allowed my body to begin a healing process. It allowed my body to let go of held negative energy and find moments of deep rest and nurturing. What surprised me about CST is that you don’t have to do anything but lay down and allow the body to be guided. Catherine is an extremely compassionate and gentle therapist. She has a high regard for where you are at, nothing is too silly or wrong to express, I feel very confident in opening up and knowing it will absolutely stay ‘in the therapy room’. Likewise in other sessions I know I don’t need to talk; Catherine will guide the body to release and rest."

    Nikki

  • "Catherine is highly empathetic and intuitive and has the most gentle, friendly demeanour that makes the treatment so cosseting. Her room is quiet and the environment exceptionally calming. Catherine is quickly able to connect into my system and work. It takes me to a very deep place of relaxation and feels like I have had 8 hours sleep. I still remember from my very first cranial session, back in the 80’s of being confused about what was actually being done during my session because it can feel like nothing is being done or having an impact but our bodies internal and innate wisdom recognises and understands what to do and how to heal even if our mind can’t fathom it out. If you are a regular cranial goer then Catherine is a wonderful, knowledgeable, practitioner. If you are new to this modality then I hope my 35 years of love for this type of treatment inspires you to try it."

    Bev

  • "I have had many Craniosacral sessions with Catherine. I initially started as a way to relieve short term stress, but I have found that regular sessions are beneficial to maintaining healthy stress levels and promote overall wellbeing. I would describe the feeling afterwards as a “reset”, both physically and mentally. A session for me is always followed by a deep and restorative sleep. Catherine is both knowledgeable and highly skilled at what she does, as well as being a warm and friendly person who immediately puts you at ease. She listens carefully to any issues I may wish to address, but also through her techniques she is able to read the stresses and tensions within the body. I have found that CST works well alongside more “conventional” treatments and would highly recommend Catherine."

    Diana

  • "I have been having sessions with Catherine for quite some time now and have had some phenomenal shifts and releases. She has such genuine care and compassion and has the ability to create such a safe space for even the most traumatised nervous system to drop down, relax and start to release. I have worked with many healers over the years and Catherine is truly amazing in how she holds the body and energy in her gentle hands. My body always feels so much lighter and free after a session. She is worth her weight in gold!! She is a healing angel and I feel truly blessed to have found her."

    Dr Elaine McQuade

  • "I first visited Catherine last year when I was suffering from long-term sinus problems. Never having had CST before I wasn’t sure what to expect, however Catherine was very welcoming and put me at ease right away. She was very professional throughout and was exceptional at explaining to me the whole procedure and what it would entail prior to starting the session. I found the whole experience non-invasive, very calming and relaxing and I came away feeling a whole lot better than I had done in a very long time. Catherine is a very kind and caring lady who makes you feel relaxed from the moment you meet her. She really helped me feel better during a tough time."

    Jackie

  • "Never having had craniosacral therapy before I felt immediately comfortable and relaxed in Catherine’s company. Her gentle approach and calm voice allowed me to fully appreciate the treatment given. She was thorough and professional and I would certainly recommend Catherine.’"

    Lisa Ballard

  • "I came to Catherine and cranial therapy as I was having pains in my lower back. My mum had died suddenly and traumatically and Catherine helped me understand that the pain was my body's reaction to this. Just having an hour in Catherine's calming, serene presence helped calm my nervous system. It allowed me the space to stop and drop down into a relaxing state that was unachievable elsewhere. She is highly skilled at knowing where the pain came from and worked on those areas. I have tried other alternative therapies but cranial helps me the most. It's similar to a calming meditation for a whole hour. It works wonders and can help in so many areas. Thank you, Catherine."

    Vic Raworth

  • “I was new to CST when I first had a treatment with Catherine but she immediately put me at ease. She has an intuition in her hands and touch that aligned with me straight away and I felt instantly relaxed. Time literally just floats away during a treatment and the tension in my body melts away. A craniosacral treatment is the perfect end to a stressful week at work.”

    Adele

  • “I feel very safe with Catherine. Her ability to feel what is going on in my body is remarkable and I always feel calmer and more centred after a treatment from her.”

    Dr HEK Perry

  • “I visited Catherine as I have an autoimmune condition which means traditional therapies could often lead to a flare up and leave me in pain, so I was looking for a gentle but effective approach. After the first session I was surprised at how amazing I felt and the lasting effects. As a psychotherapist I understand how the body holds onto emotions and this can lead to blocks in the body, however even with my knowledge I was surprised at the release I had during and after treatment with Catherine. I have regular treatment with Catherine. She is just lovely! She is warm and gentle and I always feel held and safe. I would highly recommend Catherine and I’m sure you will be just as surprised by the positive effects and change that comes from craniosacral therapy with her, she really does have healing hands!”

    Cecilie Enos Sweeney