Craniosacral for Skeptics

Craniosacral work is commonly taught using physiologic models for which there’s little scientific evidence. Practitioners often don’t agree on what they’re feeling in the same patient. And randomized trials don’t see a difference in outcomes between Craniosacral and gentle-touch modalities.

And yet, for many seasoned practitioners and patients, this work is experienced as uniquely beneficial.  The way that Craniosacral touch manifests over the course of a session, the images that guide the touch, and the sense of very deep contact using minimal pressure -- these make for a compelling therapeutic encounter.

The tension between these realities leaves many practitioners with a real dilemma:  How to deepen their skills and deliver good care without propagating the ideological flotsam. Can it be done?