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Cranio-Sacral Therapy: 

A Spa Treatment for the Mind

By Randy Dellosa, MD

Published: June 4, 2013

When people get physically fatigued, a common 
way to relax is to get a massage at the spa.  
However, when people get mentally tired from 
too much thinking, analyzing, or worrying, they 
hardly know what can help to soothe their 
stressed-out minds.  One therapy which 
specifically aims to balance the brain and relax 
the mind is known as Cranio-Sacral Therapy.

  

With our Cranio-Sacral Therapy Instructor Jim Green

Cranio-Sacral Therapy is a gentle hands-on 
light-touch therapy developed by Dr. John 
Upledger.   As an osteopathic physician, he 
strongly believed in the self-corrective abilities 
of the human body.  As for Cranio-Sacral 
Therapy, he considered it a means to facilitate 
the body’s self-healing process.  Ever since 
Dr. Upledger developed the system in 1970s, 
he has trained thousands of medical doctors, 
physical therapists, clinical psychologists, 
dentists, and professional massage therapists 
in the science and art of Cranio-Sacral Therapy.  

Unfortunately, in the Philippines, only a few 
certified and comptetently-trained Cranio-
Sacral Therapists currently exist.

Jim Green, my Certificate, and the 2 Skulls we practiced on

As the name implies, Cranio-Sacral Therapy 
works on the whole central nervous system, 
from the cranium (or skull) down to the 
sacrum (or lower end of the vertebrae).  Cranio-
Sacral Therapy relaxes tight muscles, releases 
restricted fascia, and balances misaligned 
bones thereby ensuring the smooth flow and 
energetic rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid around 
the brain and spinal cord.

Cranio-Sacral Therapy is not only a relaxation 
therapy, it is also a clinical therapy for stress-
related conditions such as depression, anxiety, 
ADHD, OCD, chronic fatigue syndrome, TMJ 
dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, and 
even sexual difficulties.

Receiving Cranio-Sacral Therapy for Myself

People do not have to be sick or stressed out in 
order to undergo Cranio-Sacral Therapy.  Fact 
is, many people who know the importance of a 
sound mind and body incorporate the Cranio-
Sacral Therapy into their personal wellness 
program.  There are no age restrictions for 
trying out this therapy, hence, children, 
teenagers, adults, and the elderly can all enjoy 
its benefits.  Cranio-Sacral Therapy can be 
done daily, though most people will have 
regular weekly or bi-monthly sessions.

Lunch with Classmates

A session of Cranio-Sacral Therapy typically 
lasts for an hour.  It is performed with the client 
lying down on a massage table.  The session 
begins with a whole-body assessment to find 
areas of tightness, restriction, or imbalance.  
Once identified, very light touch is applied on 
these unbalanced body areas.  Very gentle 
body manipulations are then done to correct 
the abnormalities.  As the session proceeds, 
it is common for emotional catharsis to occur 
since suppressed emotions can cause the 
development of the abnormalities in the body.  
The final minutes of the session is spent doing 
some verbal processing between client and 
therapist.  The therapist shares his findings 
while the client shares his or her experiences.

Class Picture after our Cranio-Sacral Therapy Workshop 

The end result of a Cranio-Sacral Therapy 
session is a sense of lightness, relaxation, 
and integration which is felt not only in the 
body but in the mind as well.  Truly, if 
anything comes close to an actual massage 
for the brain and mind, it can only be Cranio-
Sacral Therapy.

Holistic Healing for You

Randy Dellosa, MD

Dr. Randy Dellosa, popularly known as Doc Randy, is known as the life coach-psychotherapist of Filipino celebrities. He is reputed to be the first and so far the only Filipino who is both a psychiatrist (M.D.) and a doctor of clinical psychology (Psy.D.)