Occasionally Asked Questions (OAQ)
1. How often should I receive BCST / Somatic Therapy? All of us are unique but my suggestions are: If you're coming in with a very upset nervous system (whether feeling over-activated and on edge, shut-down and withdrawn, or frozen somewhere in between) and want help returning to a healthy baseline, sessions at least once a week for 2-6 weeks are a good idea. This can help shift one's system to function and feel better in day to day life. If you're looking to address a chronic issue, whether physical or emotional, once weekly for a month or two can also help your body acclimate to the work, but it's also okay to spread the sessions further a part. Once your system is settled and you are feeling more spacious and simultaneously grounded, it's still great to have sessions every once in a while as you feel called. I personally love to have sessions once a month if I can, whether or not I have a specific reason. It keeps the body-mind-spirit humming along nicely, while fortifying it for future life challenges, because those will always come. I find BCST, received consistently, makes those times much easier to navigate. & of course, something is better than nothing. If, for whatever reason, you're unable to come as often as you feel you need or want, just do what you can. The Greater Intelligence is holding the whole situation and I find that people get what they need within the time and resources they have.
2. What's the point of BCST? This is a bit cheeky of a question, but the point of a BCST session is to have a safe space to meet yourself wherever you're at, with non-invasive support for all parts of you: your nervous system and body, your emotional/mental body, your spirit.
3. What does a BCST session look like? I've found the relational healing field "begins" before the actual session begins. There are greater forces at work and in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy there is acknowledgement of these mysterious quantum-field forces that give life to and interconnect us all. When the in-person session begins, there is a space at the beginning to share verbally anything you might want me to know. Sometimes I ask if you have an intention, as this can help organize the energetics of your session. From there, when/if you feel called, you can lay down on the massage table. Clothes stay on, ideally socks off, but socks are optional. I often start and end with contact at the feet. Usually starting with contact at the feet, especially with new clients, can be a slow, gentle way for our bodies to feel safe with each other as our nervous systems come into a co-regulatory coherence. However, no two sessions ever look exactly alike as it's a process of specific relational attunement to you & your body during that particular moment in time. Any hands-on contact, whatsoever, is optional & based on your needs. There are also non-touch options in being supported with your own somatic experience. I like to stay in dialogue throughout the session, with occasional check-ins, as it can help deepen and enrich one’s experience while also strengthening your interoception (ability to perceive what's happening within yourself) and learning to speak the language of the body. But again, this, too, is a negotiation as well; some folks may prefer a little more quiet and not want to talk much during the session, which is also perfectly okay. Contact may include touch with deeper pressure, gentle rocking, or lighter holds held in stillness for anywhere from 5-20 minutes at a time. Traditionally, a biodynamic craniosacral touch is the lighter, “sattvic” touch, whereas polarity therapy touches include deeper pressure, or “tamasik” touch, and rocking, or “rajasic” touch – just different ways to meet you wherever you are, in a way that feels safe and supportive. Options for physical contact include leg compressions, holding the feet, hands under the shoulders, sacrum, spine, the heart, diaphragm, hips, head, jaw, face, forehead. While the term “craniosacral” points to the cranium and sacrum and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flowing between these poles, BCST is a whole-you (body, mind, spirit) therapy. All touch in a BCST session is touch that doesn’t want anything from you. As a practitioner, I am receptive and listening to anything that wants to be shared, visibly/verbally or invisibly/non-verbally, while maintaining a wide-view and resonating with the Health within you that is never lost, an eternal health that is holding and permeating all of life. In BCST, we call it the Breath of Life. This health, or Breath of Life, can express as different qualities and be directly felt as different sensations within the body. Sessions range in time but all have a spacious ending. There is time to stay in stillness a little longer, move the body as it wants to move, and leave when you’re ready. There is the option to debrief or maintain the privacy of your internal process & experience as it unfolds over the next few days. I offer an optional follow-up where I reach out a couple days later in the case there is anything you’ve noticed in the days following the session you’d like to share or have support around.
4. What does a *remote* BCST session look like? A remote BCST session involves us, the practitioner and client, connecting via video chat. Similar to an in-person session, there is space in the beginning for a verbal check-in. From there, there are a few options that include the client staying sitting in a chair or laying down in their own space and finding a comfortable position. Just like in-person, as the practitioner I am attuning to you/the client & the relational field between us where, energetically-speaking, physical distance doesn’t matter. I hold the container for what it is your body wants to express and support you in being with your own experience in a resourced, slow way. A remote session will often have more verbal dialogue between us throughout as I guide you through exploring whatever is present from a place of neutral witnessing & appreciative curiosity. It is in these supportive conditions of neutrality, curiosity & appreciation that energy starts to open up, shift and flow. From an outside perspective, it might appear as a quiet conversation with me seemingly doing very little while you/the client might experience deep relaxation and subtle shifts within your body based on subtle cues I pose for a deeper awareness. It could also appear as make-believe as I “pretend” to physically hold certain areas of the body and verbally describe what I’m doing as if we were physically in the same room. To quote Dr. Randolph Stone, one of my teacher’s, Anna Chitty’s, teacher – “Energy is the real substance behind the appearance of matter and form.” This is why remote sessions can still be incredibly supportive and beneficial. We are more than our physical bodies, and the subtle, energetic body can actually be palpated and felt across time-space. Furthermore, two of my favorite practices can be great for remote sessions: Resonance Practice & Two-Chair. There is a spacious transition-time at the end with an option to de-brief together.
5. How is Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) different from Craniosacral Therapy (CST)? Both Craniosacral Therapy (CST) and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) work with the craniosacral system, but the main difference lies in their approach. CST, often influenced by Upledger’s work, tends to be more mechanical, focusing on localized physical manipulations to correct the body. In contrast, BCST takes a more holistic view, recognizing you as a soul on a journey, experiencing life through an earth body. This approach honors that our bodies carry not only our personal histories but also the stories of our ancestors. Where CST is more focused on addressing specific physical issues, BCST is about holding space for your whole being to be seen and felt. It’s not about fixing or diagnosing — it’s about supporting you and allowing your body to remember its natural state of health. Our bodies are wise, and when they’re truly met with understanding, they have an amazing ability to heal and self-correct. Additionally, BCST often embraces a broader perspective, acknowledging the influence of karmic, ancestral, and spiritual forces — recognizing the divine consciousness that permeates all experiences. This creates a healing environment that's more than just physical. Lastly, BCST is about expanding your nervous system’s capacity to be present with whatever is, which we call your "window of presence." It’s not about rushing to change anything; it’s about being with whatever arises, slowly and gently. When emotions or sensations are overwhelming, the process is paced, with small sips of feeling, pendulating to what feels resourcing and supportive. This approach helps you build a wider capacity to stay present and connected to your own ground and center in the face of whatever comes up.