Why See a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist (BCST)
Are you ready to make a change in your life? Tired of being tired? Trying to work out how to manage stress better?
If you suffer from back, neck or shoulder pain, headaches, sleeplessness or exhaustion; if you need help getting back on track after illness or surgery, or just some support through a stressful time, biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) may be the right therapy for you.
All pain and discomfort is the result of stress, whether it is the sudden stress of an accident or injury, or the long, slow build-up of a stressful job, an unresolved emotional situation, or just the busy pace of daily modern life. Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy provides a non-manipulative, gentle hands-on, mind-body connection that helps you learn to listen to your body. It supports your body to work at its own pace and return to its natural and balanced state of health - your natural state of being.
Deborah is passionate about helping people to help themselves, whether it is finding more balance in their lives or restoring their bodies to better health. She has broad experience of working with people to relieve stress, migraine/headache, TMJD (jaw joint disorders) and post traumatic stress disorder, as well as helping people to recover after injury, illness or surgery. She is available by appointment in Birkenhead, Auckland.
Stress Busting "95 percent of all illness occurs because of stress in the body's autonomic nervous system." ~ Dr. Bruce Lipton, PhD, American developmental biologist. Biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) directly addresses an overloaded nervous system, supporting the body to relax and improve immunity and neurological responses to stress, thus lowering inflammation.
BCST may help you to: • Restore calm where the fight/ flight/freeze response has been switched on for too long – when you feel like you have your foot on the accelerator and the brake at the same time! • Gently release locked in tension from trauma/stress (accidents, injuries, illness, emotional) • Sleep better • Switch back on your body's innate ability to heal along with normal nervous system and hormonal functioning.
Deborah will work with you to find strategies to help you de-stress and find more balance in your life. She offers a combination of options from her therapeutic toolkit that also include Reiki, Yoga, breathing techniques and meditation.
How is a BCST practitioner different from a cranial osteopath? In Cranial Osteopathy the practitioner is, first and foremost, an Osteopath – the focus is on the bones of the skull and spine, manipulating them to correct any perceived imbalances in the inter-relationships between the different cranial bones, spinal segments and related tissue. A cranial osteopath will usually work mechanically with a combination of massage, manipulations and perhaps some subtler cranial focus during a treatment.
In Craniosacral Therapy – the focus is on the membranes (or fascia) of the body and the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The craniosacral system operates like a semi-closed hydraulic system... when the fluids of the craniosacral system move, the dural membranes containing it also move, as do any surrounding structures, including the bones and related soft tissue (fascia, muscle & organs). The objective of craniosacral therapy is to support the body's own innate ability to restore balance without applying pressure or force to do so. A BCST practitioner works subtly with the natural rhythms of the body without any manipulations, massaging or force.
A registered Biodynamic Craniosacral therapist has undergone a two year diploma training in anatomy, physiology, embryology and extensive supervised hands on training with clients. Many BCST practitioners have worked previously as massage therapists, Reiki practitioners, and with other body therapy techniques to bring a holistic approach to your therapy.
Babies and Children One of the best known applications of BCST is with newborns and infants. Since no physical manipulation is used, it offers a safe, gentle approach to their wellbeing.
Many Midwives and Lactation Consultations will recommend BCST to help with unsettled feeding issues and reflux, and also with babies who are overly alert (hyperarousal of the Central Nervous System - which can result in constant crying when all baby's comfort needs have been met). Another common issue with newborns is a torticollis, where typically the head is rotated habitually to one side and there may be difficulty turning it, which restricts their ability to feed from both sides. Other common reasons for referral: premature or assisted birth, very long or very short fast labour, sleep issues, head shape irregularity.
Pre-school and school-age children can also benefit from this gentle and enjoyable therapy. Common reasons Children may be recommended for Craniosacral Therapy are : sleep pattern disturbances, digestive issues, to assist recovery after surgery or an accident, migraines or headaches, stress and anxiety management, behaviour issues (ADD, ADHD), glue ear and respiratory ailments, to ease the discomfort of plates and braces during orthodontic treatment. Deborah has 6 years experience working with children undergoing orthodontic treatment and as a result has broadened her scope of practice to include Myofunctional therapy and Buteyko Breathing methods to provide a multi-faceted approach for children whose occlusion issues (crooked teeth) have developed from poor breathing habits which, if left un-checked, can lead to a restricted airway, an open mouth posture, poor eating habits (loud &/or noisy, open mouth eating) and poor whole body posture. Many a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD has turned out to be a breathing issue where hyperventilation through open mouth breathing is over-exciting the central nervous system.
What health conditions may respond to BCST? Because it is focused on supporting your body's innate healing systems, BCST is valued by many as a preventive health resource to bolster immunity, providing better resistance to dis-ease through its focus on body awareness... it may assist you to more wholistically approach and deal with medical issues associated with pain and dysfunction, including...
Migraine/Headaches
Musculoskeletal Pain - stiff or sore neck, shoulders, back, hips
Colic/Reflux/IBS
Autism/ADD/ADHD
Central Nervous System Disorders
Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries - concussion, whiplash
Chronic Fatigue
Depression/Anxiety/Emotional issues
Stress/Tension - related issues/PTSD
Sleep difficulties - insomnia
Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJD) - "clicky jaw" or pain in the jaw joint, clenching
Post-Surgical Recovery
Why "Tides of Change"? In Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy we are aware of various natural rhythmic expressions of the various tissues of the body, in particular the craniosacral fluid within the spinal column and surrounding the brain. We call these rhythms tides, and a body's sense of fluidity and ability to express all the tides is a good indicator of the health of an individual. Deborah has named her clinic "Tides of Change" to reflect this central aspect of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and also because of the poetic connotations hinting at making a change for the better by coming into a better relationship with your body through a combination of BCST and the other supportive skill-set Deborah brings to the table.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken in flood, leads on to fortune..." ~ William Shakespeare
Testimonials: "I've felt quite rejuvenated after the treatment and the pain in my lower back has improved incredibly. Thank you so much! Baby had a nice long 2 hour nap once we got home after the treatment (she usually only naps for an hour)."
"I have had Craniosacral treatment from Deborah many times. She has helped me through many hip revisions over the last years. Her work and touch is skilled and intelligent. The process of post surgery trauma resolution and rebalancing of new gaits has been easier due to having the body led approach of craniosacral therapy."
.... there are more testimonials on the "About Deborah" page. You can be assured of being in safe hands with Deborah who is registered with the Pacific Association of Craniosacral Therapists (PACT)