Get CranioSacral Therapy from a Technique Certified CranioSacral Therapist (CST-T) in San Marino, CA
Get CranioSacral Therapy from a Technique Certified CranioSacral Therapist (CST-T) in San Marino, CA
What is CranioSacral Therapy (CST)?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the function of your craniosacral system--i.e., the membranes and the cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
Sometimes, the body finds creative ways to store significant events in our lives in and around the body in innovative ways. CST can also offer a somatic exit to finally allow resolution as an adjunct to therapy.
The work can be profoundly relaxing, exhilarating, deeply moving, or involve resolving old "issues."
Our CST training is via the Upledger approach through the Upledger Institute. CST can affect not only profound structural change within the body but also mental and emotional change.
By freeing the central nervous system to perform at its best, CST enhances the body’s natural healing processes to help regulate the central nervous system, dissipate negative effects of stress, enhance health and well-being, and strengthen resistance to disease.
CST tends to be effective for acute and fragile conditions.
SomatoEmotional Release (SER)
SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is an advanced technique within CranioSacral Therapy (CST) that helps release emotional stress and trauma held in the body’s tissues. It is basically a session when all the tensions in the human body decide to release all at the same time. It is a spontaneous process during a session rather than a planned event. At Total Potential, we use SER to uncover and resolve the underlying emotional components that may be contributing to chronic pain, tension, or dysfunction.
While traditional physical therapy often focuses on symptoms, SER works with the mind-body connection, helping patients safely access and process unresolved emotions stored deep within the nervous system. These hidden tensions—often linked to past injuries, trauma, or prolonged stress—can cause patterns of restriction or imbalance that traditional physical therapy may miss.
During an SER session, our skilled therapists use light touch and guided dialogue to support the body in identifying and letting go of these restrictions. Patients frequently report feeling lighter, more balanced, and more emotionally grounded following treatment.
Benefits of SomatoEmotional Release:
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Reduces chronic tension and pain
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Addresses the emotional roots of physical symptoms
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Promotes deep relaxation and nervous system regulation
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Enhances mental clarity and emotional well-being
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Supports trauma recovery in a gentle, non-invasive way
If you're already getting professional therapy services from a licensed mental health provider, this is a powerful adjunct to move forward or loosen the mental and emotional barriers that you have run into. At Total Potential, we combine SER with our holistic approach to restore healthy and efficient movement, not just by treating the body—but by helping the whole person heal.
Our Specialties in CranioSacral Therapy (CST)
We stand on the shoulders of giants. At Total Potential, we go beyond basic CranioSacral techniques. Our team has advanced training in using CranioSacral Therapy (CST) to support and regulate the immune response, restore resilience in cases of chronic depletion, and relieve dysfunction related to the cranial nerves—which affect everything from digestion to balance to facial sensation.
1. Immune Response Support
CranioSacral Therapy helps calm the nervous system, reduce inflammation, and promote lymphatic flow—creating the conditions for a more balanced and responsive immune system. Sometimes chronic inflammation needs more encouragement and acute inflammation just needs to communicate with other resources within the body to do their job more effectively. And sometimes, the immune system needs to know that it needs to "cease fire" and maybe calm down for the moment. This approach is especially helpful for patients recovering from illness, autoimmune disorders, chronic infections, or long-standing inflammation.
For patients dealing with persistent fatigue, stress, or burnout, the combination of CranioSacral Therapy (CST) and epicenter work (Australian osteopaths) offers a deeply restorative experience. This approach was founded by one of our mentors, Eric Moya, CST-D, MS/MFCT. He is the founder of the Assocaition of BodyMindSpirit Therapist (ABMST). Just by identifying the epicenter of the human system and the human system in question, and just sitting in the middle of the quietness that is the sum of all restrictions in question, the chronic depletion work has a subtle and profound effect of increasing resilience and help the patient/client gather existing resources while safely being with change (stress) and creating stability (homeostasis). It is amazing how the body can regain its capacity for self-repair, restoration, and resilience.
3. Cranial Nerve Dysfunction
Cranial nerves influence critical functions like swallowing, hearing, vision, and autonomic regulation. Karen Axelrod MA, CST-D developed the cranial nerve curriculum for the Upledger Institute and is our mentor in this direction of CST. We use precise, gentle techniques to support optimal cranial nerve function—often helping with issues like vertigo, tinnitus, migraines, facial pain, and even digestive irregularities linked to vagus nerve imbalance.
How CST Can Blend with Our Other Approaches
Functional Manual Therapy® (FMT)
Sometimes the nervous system itself holds patterns of tension that limit movement. Pairing Functinoal Manual Therapy® (FMT) with CranioSacral Therapy (CST) helps calm the body at its deepest rhythms, making new, efficient movement easier to sustain.
Restrictions in the organs can influence the craniosacral system. Combining Visceral Manipulation (VM) with CranioSacral Therapy (CST) helps integrate the CranioSacral System and the nervous system while improving mobility in both internal and cranial structures.
When trauma is both physical and emotional, releasing nerve restrictions is often key. Neural Manipulation (NM) works hand-in-hand with CranioSacral Therapy to calm the nervous system and resolve deeply held tension.
New Manual Articular Approach (NMAA)
Joint restrictions can create tension patterns that ripple into the craniosacral system. Pairing New Manual Articular Approach (NMAA) with CranioSacral Therapy (CST) helps restore both structural mobility and nervous system balance.
Cranial and sinus restrictions often impact the rhythms of the nervous system. Pairing Nasal Release Technique (NRT) with CranioSacral Therapy (CST) enhances cranial balance and supports deep nervous system calm.
