Have you ever received a phone call, looked down at the Caller ID and immediately tightened up seeing an unwelcome name? Have you ever been cut off in traffic and your heart rate sped up as you slam on your brakes to avoid a crash? If so, you have experienced your body’s fight/flight/freeze/fear response in action.

Our bodies react physiologically to protect us against danger, whether real or perceived. While the degree of intensity may vary depending on the severity of the danger, our body’s reaction is basically the same. It does not matter if it is a relatively minor moment of stress, or major physical, mental or emotional trauma.

This reaction is perfectly natural, and it is a healthy evolutionary response designed to keep us safe from “danger.” However, when the intensity or frequency of the stress/trauma is too great and/or accumulates, we get “stuck” in some degree of fight/flight/freeze/fear. Even when there is no longer any immediate danger, some part of us subconsciously stays in “protection” mode.

Instead of letting go of stuck tensions, we often push through, never fully recovering from our body’s threat response. While we may adapt, cope, and move forward, the tension starts to pile up. Eventually, we get worn down and “something has to give.” This leads to mental, emotional and physical dysfunctions like trouble sleeping, headaches, chronic pain, difficulty relaxing, loss of focus, anxiety, depression and more.

Craniosacral Therapy treatments help break the cycle, reducing the load on the central nervous system and allowing the body and mind to de-stress and repair on very deep levels. SomatoEmotional Release helps to identify and release patterns and sources of stressors and traumas. Combined, these two therapies are powerful tools to help create lasting health, happiness, and peace of mind.

SomatoEmotional Release (SER) expands on the therapeutic principles of CranioSacral Therapy to help rid the mind and body of accumulated stress and the residual effects of trauma.

These modalities help calm the physiological responses of trauma so that the mind and emotions can return to a state of balance. In addition to general self-care, stress relief and wellness, CranioSacral & SomatoEmotional Release Therapy can address a wide range of conditions, including, but not limited to:

·        Stress Management

·        Anxiety/Depression

·        Trauma/PTSD

·        Grief/Loss

·        Abuse

·        Life Transitions

·        Self Esteem

·        Mental Focus/Clarity

·        Physical Pain

·        Loss of Connection to Self

You may wish to consider CranioSacral & SomatoEmotional Release therapy if you are struggling with the physical effects of stress, anxiety or other mental health concerns. If you are working with a mental health practitioner, you can ask them if they feel the support you could receive from CST & SER therapy could help you find more ease during your course of treatment.

In either case, most people can benefit from releasing tension and stress in their lives. By encouraging the body to return to a more natural state of balance, these therapies can allow people to:

·        Break free from patterns of stress and tension

·        Relieve pain often associated with trauma

·        Safely explore physiological reactions related to subconscious holding patterns

·        Empower transformation by identifying/recognizing the relationship between mental thoughts/triggers and physical responses (and vice versa)

·        Experience calm from within and amplify the ability to self-regulate

·        Strengthen connection with the integrated “true self”