What is BCST?

Biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) is a form of light touch bodywork that is especially effective for balancing the nervous system.

Relational touch

BCST practitioners offer gentle, noninvasive touch. The therapy is grounded in deep trust in the way that bodies respond to touch itself. Through creating a safe container in which the body feels held, seen, and accepted as it is, a BCST session offers space to rest, move, and heal. The gentleness and spaciousness that biodynamic work offers can be a powerful support in healing from trauma and its expressions in the body.

BCST sessions explore how we might come more fully into our felt experiences of our bodies, a practice which has deep implications for how we move in the world, both on the individual and collective level.

BCST can be effective in supporting:

• injury and trauma

• PTSD

• chronic pain

• headaches and migraines

• anxiety and depression

• insomnia

• postural issues

• digestive issues

  … and more.

Babies and little ones who are struggling with the aftermath of a difficult birth, or who are having issues with latching, feeding, sleeping, or attachment can also benefit from craniosacral therapy. They are always welcome to join their parent in a session. Get in touch with me to hear more about craniosacral therapy for babies and children.

Lineages

BCST emerged from the lineage of osteopathy, a manual therapy that treats the body as a holistic system with an inherent ability to heal. The founder of osteopathy, Andrew Taylor Still, was profoundly influenced by Western physiology and anatomy as well as the bone-setting practices of the Shawnee and Cherokee medicine people. For more on the history of the work, and how we might situate ourselves in relation to that history, I’m grateful for this piece by BCST practitioner Susan Raffo.

In session

A BCST session usually happens with the client lying on their back on a massage table, fully clothed. The practitioner places their hands on various parts of the body, often focusing on the cranial-sacral midline which begins and ends at the sacrum and the cranial base. The practitioner may use verbal cues and felt sense meditations to help guide the client into a more fully embodied state. Throughout the session, the practitioner listens carefully and attentively to different expressions in the client’s physiology. This deep listening and the practitioner’s responsiveness facilitates a space for the body to heal, within its capacity and at its own pace.

BCST meets the body where it is, without trying to elicit a particular response or catharsis from the system. Using light, spacious, compassionate hands, BCST practitioners offer their clients valuable resources for being in relationship with their whole system.

Why ‘touchstone’ craniosacral?

In our sessions together, we create touchstone experiences; body memories of feeling safe, held, and embodied that we can return to as resources in our daily lives. The more we practice being in our bodies in this way, the more familiar our systems are with this kind of deep presence and listening. Cultivating practices of embodiment, on and off the table, is a powerful tool for healing and for moving through our lives.