I am CFT trained in the Gillespie Approach by Dr. Barry Gillespie and the CFT Global Team of Kim Sherlock, LMT and Holly Steflik, LMT.
The Gillespie Approach originated from the cranial osteopathic principles of Dr. William Sutherland, the myofascial release work of John Barnes, P.T., and Dr. Gillespie's background as a periodontist. Dr. Barry Gillespie found the connection between all 3 treatment approaches to conceive the Craniosacral Fascial System.
The brain expands and contracts; Dr. Gillespie measured that movement and found improvements in the CFT system with that optimization. The goal is to have a "breathing” brain, a cranium working effectively with the sacrum/coccyx to pump cerebrospinal fluid up and down the spinal cord, but also into the fascial web that connects every structural cell of the body. When physical and/or emotional traumas adversely tighten this freely moving craniosacral fascial system, tremendous pressure can be adversely exerted on the entire body, and create symptoms and illness.
Learn more at https://www.gillespieapproach.com/
Let's Start with Fascia…What is Fascia?
Fascia is a strong, but flexible, connective tissue matrix composed of elastin, collagen and a liquid/gel complex. Fascia is present even at the cellular level and is active in nutrient transport and communication. Fascia wraps around every single bone, muscle, nerve, organ, and vessel in our body to give us support, shape and structure. Tensegrity, a structural principle of architecture, explains how our body is held in a state of balanced tension, but able to move fluidly. Fascia connects every single part of you, so what happens to one part of you, happens to all of you. Trauma or injury in one area of the body can create pain or irritation in another part of your body through these "lines" of restriction.
Fascia loves to be hydrated with water; it loves to move; it loves warmth to move with greater ease and fluidity.
Beginning at birth, our body experiences and records a history of traumas, and they can be large or small, physical or emotional. Fascia is a latin word meaning "bandage". When the fascial system is injured or "traumatized" it quickly responds by "bandaging" the issue, and over time traumas and fascial "bandages" create lines of restriction and tightness throughout the entire fascial system. Each time, your body also compensates and adapts to new "normals" of pain, altered posture, impaired movement, symptoms, etc. by finding the path of least resistance to carry on your activities of daily living. What about what you can not see? Your internal structures (your bones, muscles, organs, connective tissue, and nerves) may now also be moving and functioning in ways to adapt and compensate. Over time you incorporate the compensations into a body you don't even recognize! You feel tight inside and out, and one single event at the gym per se can bring you to your knees! CFT can unwind and release those layers upon layers of compensation and restriction so that your entire body can return to a more functional state of health.
“I myself had a Traumatic Brain Injury, Post-Concussion Syndrome, orthodontics, car accidents, surgeries, whiplash, and falls. I was a prime CFT candidate with symptoms of "brain fog", migraines, sinus infections, TMJ, neck pain, twisted hips, and anxiety! CFT is a go-to treatment for my own health care.”
– Ronda Crary
Have you experienced?
– Concussions
– Auto accidents
– Broken bones
– Sports injuries
– Whiplash
– Falls
– Dental Work
– Orthodontics
– Surgeries
– A Difficult Birth
– Childbirth
If so, CFT could benefit you.
What is a CFT session like?
Even though I use a massage table, this is not "massage". The client is fully dressed in clothing they can easily move in. I use my "eyes and ears" of palpation skills, to listen to the body, through sensing and responding to the pattern of fascial restriction and mobility present in the body. Initially, I assess the expansion and contraction of the cranium to get a baseline. My hands stay at specific contact points for each technique to see how the fascia responds. The client will feel some stretching, and unwind in a release. Unwinding can look like a modern interpretive dance. The session is closed with a reassessment of the cranium's movement. CFT can leave you feeling tired, but also "light and airy", so it is recommended to have an undemanding day after treatment, and to give your body time to ease back into activity. Drink lots of water to flush out toxins released, and perhaps an epsom salt soak and early bedtime:)
CFT is effective for all ages and benefits a variety of conditions…I focus on adolescent-adult age clients.
Birth trauma
Tongue tie - lip tie
Torticollis
Reflux
Colic
Inability to latch
Difficulty sucking
Difficulty swallowing
Constipation
Indigestion
Asymmetrical head shape
Earache
Autism
TMJ
Strabismus
Asthma
Earache
Concussion
ADHD/ADD
Learning disorders
Sinus conditions
Anxiety
Neck pain
Allergies
Bedwetting
Headache
Scoliosis
Migraine
Earache
TMJ
Neck pain
Jaw pain
Hip pain
Sinus conditions
Back pain
Anxiety
Depression
Pelvic Pain
Whiplash
Scars