Craniosacral Therapy & PTSD: Unlocking the Body's Innate Healing Power

When I first began working with people who carried the weight of trauma, I learned quickly that their pain wasn’t just in their minds- it was in their bodies. Every muscle held a memory, every joint seemed to guard a secret. That’s when Craniosacral Therapy (CST) revealed its true gift: it doesn’t just address the symptoms of PTSD, it helps unlock the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

Dr. John Upledger, the founder of Craniosacral Therapy, often said, “The body remembers everything that has ever happened to it. The good news is, it can also release it.”  This is the heart of CST.

The Subtle Power of Gentle Touch

For those who have experienced trauma, the world often feels unsafe - even lying still on a massage table can feel like a challenge. Craniosacral Therapy meets people right where they are. With a gentle touch no greater than the weight of a nickel, the therapist listens to the rhythm of the craniosacral system - the pulse of cerebrospinal fluid that flows around the brain and spinal cord.

This quiet listening allows the body to guide the session, not the therapist. It creates a sense of safety and control that is vital for those living with PTSD. As the body feels safe, it begins to unwind patterns of tension that have been locked in place for years - sometimes decades.

How Trauma Lives in the Body

Trauma is not just an emotional wound- it is a physical imprint. PTSD can show up as hypervigilance, anxiety, insomnia, migraines, digestive upset, or chronic pain. The body is always on guard, waiting for the next threat. CST helps regulate the nervous system by working directly with the craniosacral rhythm, calming the fight-or-flight response, and inviting the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state to take the lead.

This gentle work allows stored trauma to surface in a safe way - sometimes as a memory, sometimes as a shift in breath, sometimes simply as tears. Dr. Upledger called this “SomatoEmotional Release” — the body finally letting go of the story it has been holding.

- A REAL STORY OF HEALING -

One of my clients- let’s call her Sarah- came to me after a traumatic event that left her unable to sleep through the night. She jumped at every sound, her jaw ached from clenching, and she described feeling like she was "stuck on high alert ", 24/7.

During our first CST session, Sarah’s body stayed tense, her shoulders barely dropped. But slowly, over several sessions, her craniosacral rhythm began to smooth out. She reported sleeping for four hours straight - something that hadn’t happened in months. By our sixth session, she said she felt a “deep exhale” in her chest that she hadn’t felt since before the trauma.

Sarah still had hard days, but she noticed that she could pause, breathe, and reset. She wasn’t living in fight-or-flight anymore- her nervous system had a new baseline of calm.

A Holistic Approach to Healing

Combining medical massage with mindful breathing techniques provides a holistic approach to treating frozen shoulder during menopause. While massage works to physically restore mobility, breathing exercises address the underlying stress and tension that may contribute to the condition.

A Path to Integration and Wholeness

The goal of CST is not to erase what happened but to integrate it — to help the body and mind feel whole again. For many with PTSD, this is a turning point:

• Sleep improves

• Anxiety lessens

• Chronic pain begins to soften

• A new sense of calm emerges

Each session is an invitation to the body: “You are safe now. You can let go.”

A Gentle Companion on the Journey

Healing from PTSD is not a straight line. Craniosacral Therapy is not about forcing change — it is about creating space for it. It is a gentle companion that walks with you as your body remembers its own natural rhythm, its own strength, its own peace.

As Dr. Upledger so often reminded us, “Within every human being, there is an inner physician.” Craniosacral Therapy simply gives that physician the chance to do its work.

If You're Ready to "Feel Safe Again"

If you are carrying the effects of trauma in your body — the tight chest, the sleepless nights, the constant vigilance — know that you don’t have to live that way forever. CST offers a quiet, safe space for your body to begin its healing journey at its own pace.

If you feel called to try it, I would be honored to hold that space for you.

Your healing begins the moment you decide that you deserve to feel whole again!