CFT

Craniosacral Fascial Therapy

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​Craniosacral Fascial Therapy was founded by Dr. Barry Gillespie, who merged concepts from craniosacral therapy and myofascial release therapy, in the early 1980s.

 

This full-body system connects the nervous tissues to every structural cell and holds a lifetime of emotional and physical trauma. It is like our own Internet where all of our cells are communicating with each other 24/7. When we cut a finger or take a bruise, the system is hard-wired to immediately send healing cells.  This system is always trying to heal itself, but sometimes it needs some “knowing” CFT hands to help get unstuck. The most profound work can be at birth in the golden hour where the fresh soft tissue traumas are poised to return to a more physiologic state.

 

The results of a tight system are:

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Adults                                 

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• Migraine                            

• Concussion

• TMJ

• Pain

• Range of motion

• Hip pain

• Sinus conditions

• Airway

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Pelvic pain

• Whiplash

• Scars

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Children

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• Asthma

• Earache

• Concussion

• ADHD/ADD

• Learning disorders

• Sinus conditions

• Anxiety

• Autism

• Mouthbreathing

• Bedwetting

• Headache

• Scoliosis

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Infants

 

• Birth trauma

• Tongue tie - lip tie

• Torticollis

• Colic

• Reflux

• Inability to latch

• Difficulty sucking

• Difficulty swallowing

• Constipation

• Indigestion

• Asymmetrical head shape

• Earache

• Crawling patterns

• Stridor

• Strabismus

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For more health conditions, click here.

 

The craniosacral is the brain breathing, where the brain slowly expands and slowly contracts. It's this expansion and contraction that we call a brain cycle where the brain is actually breathing. The sacral aspect is the tailbone. When the brain expands, the tailbone goes into flexion, when the brain contracts, the tailbone goes into extension. The ultimate goal over a series of sessions is to have a slow expansion of 100 seconds and the brain slowly contracts a 100 seconds, where the brain is very relaxed and very calm, so the whole brain cycle is 200 seconds. It's this craniosacral cycle that allows the brain and spinal cord to move freely.

 

The other aspect to it is the fascial web (connective tissue web), head to toe, finger to finger. It surrounds every muscle cell, goes into every organ, goes around every nerve, every blood vessel, the eyes, the teeth... It keeps the body in structural alignment. It gives us tensegrity. The only problem is that trauma can create strain in the system. If there's strain/pain in your neck or your eye for example, it can cause issues in your body, and that is what we deal with in CFT.

 

The practitioner does not do the actual correcting. They merely hold the mechanism in whatever position is most favorable for the innate forces within the body, such as the pull of the meninges or the fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid, to restore normality.  The inherent capacities of the body will more readily assist the practitioner in the correction of the traumatic patterns.  When we do CFT, the body is saying that forgotten bike accident at nine is what needs to be healed right now. For whatever reason(s), now is not the time for that cord-wrapped birth trauma to be healed. That may come at a later session.

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Frequently asked questions

 

Question: How many sessions will I need?

 

Answer: Until your brain cycle is at least 200s (that is 100s to expand and 100s to contract).  Then, your nervous system is in a good place to allow the brain, spinal cord, and sacrum to move freely and get the cerebrospinal fluid to reach your whole body, which will nourish and detox the body.  There’s often still tight fascia in the deeper layers even when the brain cycle is 200s, therefore you can decide how many sessions you would like.  I find that it generally takes 4 - 5 sessions to get to 200s as most clients coming to me have a low brain cycle to start with.

 

Question: Will I feel a difference after each session?

 

Answer: Every person has a unique experience.  Some people have a big fascia unwinding experience in the first session and they either feel very exhausted with detox symptoms afterwards, or they feel very energised.  Then, they feel nothing after the next session.  This doesn’t mean that nothing has happened, as your brain cycle will have improved (I test it at the end of every session).  A young boy with ADHD, whose brain cycle increased from 10 to 100 after his first session, didn’t feel any different until 2 days after, when his parents saw a big change in him.  Some might not feel anything for several sessions until that deeper fascia layer is unwinded and deeper trauma is released.

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Question: Do you recommend other therapy or programmes, which compliments CFT?

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Answer: It depends what the original cause of the problem is.  I highly recommend a program called "For my life" (online and also in-person in the USA), created by Dr. Henry Wright - a Christian counsellor.  Things like unforgiveness, bitterness, feeling unloved, a broken heart etc, can have a major impact on your physical health.  Read more about this life-changing programme here.

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Watch this video to find out more about the Gillespie Approach.

 

You are welcome to call or email me if you have more questions.

 

 

Location & Travel information

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I’m based in the GU12 area, on the border of Surrey & Hampshire in England, United Kingdom.

 

For international clients, I’m a 30-minute drive from London Heathrow Airport.  There’s a direct bus service from the airport to my local area.  London Gatwick is an hour’s drive, but there’s a direct train to my area.

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How to book

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To book an intensive over 2 - 3 days for those who live far, read more here.  For 60 min weekly sessions over a few weeks, or just one session to try it out, or you would simply like to ask questions, send an email to cfthesti@gmail.com, or call Hesti on +447580340728.​​