Dates 2008 - 2009:
Introductory courses and Training
in Cranio-Sacral Therapy.
INTRODUCTORY DAY :
Saturday 28th June 2008.
A very practical day for anyone interested in training in Cranio-Sacral Therapy - an opportunity to meet the Tutors, to see the College, and above all to see if Cranio-Sacral Therapy suits you.
One Year Course: July 2008 - July 2009.
Two Year Course: October 2008 - July 2010.
Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology Foundation Course:
October 2008 - May 2009.
Introductory Courses (Stage A) - (London):
July 12th-17th 2008. £480.
Postgraduate Seminars.
(First price is for early bookings. Second price is for late bookings)
To book a place on any of these seminars, please send a deposit of £50 in order to secure your place. Balance is due one month prior to the start of the seminar, in order to take advantage of the early booking price. Please note that all fees are non-refundable. Please make cheques payable to CCST. Please contact the college if you would like any further information.
First Aid (with Alex Braskiewicz).
Sunday 7th September 2008.
£70 (£80)
This is a one day appointed person First Aid Course. The course is open to all - therapists, student therapists and members of the public.
The course provides a First Aid Certificate valid for three years.
Time: 9.30 am - 5.00 pm .
Venue: 13-17 Rosemont Road Swiss Cottage London NW3 6NG
This course fulfils the CSTA’s membership requirements and provides a 3-year qualification.
Alex is an excellent and dynamic teacher, recommended by the CSTA. Places will be limited, so please send in your bookings as soon as possible.
Trauma (With Thomas Attlee).
Friday/Saturday/Sunday 21st/22nd/23rd November 2008.
£225 (£250) A profound and practical exploration of Trauma and how to address it.
In this three day seminar on Trauma, we will be:
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exploring the Causes, Characteristics, and Nature of Trauma.
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establishing Practitioner Resources.
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establishing Patient Resources.
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exploring and addressing different Levels of Trauma
-in the Tissues
-in the Core
-in the Energy Matrix.
- developing a well-integrated framework for a practical, resourced approach to addressing Trauma from a broad perspective.
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integrating the many layers and levels of Trauma in a profound, safe, and effective manner.
CCST graduates are likely to find that this course takes you to new and deeper levels, beyond the basic training. For non-CCST graduates, this is an excellent opportunity to explore and experience the integrated approach taught at CCST.
Review:
“Thomas Attlee’s course on trauma was a breath of fresh air. It greatly complemented other post-graduate studies and workshops I have taken, and also worked well as a stand-alone post graduate training for those who had not previously studied this area.
The course struck a great balance between the sensitivity and subtlety required when working in this area, whilst remaining pragmatic and informative. I found the focus on practical processes, both for working with the body and through dialogue with the person themselves very accessible and relevant. There was an ease and lightness that created safety without undermining the profundity of working in this area.
I particularly enjoyed the pace of the course. There was ample time to explore and discuss fundamental aspects of trauma work such as grounding, resourcing for both therapist and client, differing causes and characteristics of trauma, catharsis, and re-traumatisation whilst developing the appropriate skills and knowledge that could be immediately used in CST practice with our clients. These included sites of holding trauma and key contacts to work with these, and processes for working with the manifestation of trauma at different tissue levels from the deepest core fluid levels up to the fascial patterns. This meant that we were equipped with a set of skills that prepared us for working along the trauma spectrum, allowing for minor trauma and the physical patterns of trauma to be acknowledged in amongst the more challenging and psycho-emotional aspects of this work.
The structure of the course allowed a well integrated framework to be available for each of us to work in accordance with our own particular skill set. A comprehensive set of handouts have allowed me to refer back to the infrastructure of the course content to maintain a firm understanding of the factors to consider when treating trauma as it arises in my practice, whether this is overtly or on the non-verbal and subtle levels of the system”
Review of Trauma Workshop at CCST, with Thomas Attlee
Thomas Attlee’s “Trauma” workshop is a mind-altering group exploration, literally “Held” by Thomas. The keyword throughout the course is Equanimity, as Thomas fosters the peace and confidence that encourages us to intellectually expand into some of the scariest areas of health practice.
Group discussion rather than lectures, respected our practitionership, as we discovered and shared new ways of perceiving, accepting and dissolving trauma.
Practical sessions animated the coursework within a trustworthy and contained environment, and a detailed, well researched, and thoroughly structured course framework underpins all.
Conferring in circle, we brain-stormed causes and characteristics of trauma, compiled lists, broadened perceptions and shared experiences and concerns about Trauma. Thomas summarised each session and produced - like rabbits from a top hat - crib-sheets of all we’d come up with - and some we hadn’t.
The ideals of Equanimity and Resources pop up through the whole course, as we realise that clients can only feel safe and grounded, if we have paid enough attention to these in ourselves. (After the weekend there was probably an unexpected rush of bookings for Vipassana courses and Buddhist retreats).
During the practical sessions, we were taken gradually deeper into our own internal landscape, starting with guided meditation, and building to 2 treatments a day, to identify sites of trauma, and accessing different levels of trauma, through treating variously with fascia, cranio-sacral levels, mid tide, long tide, and dynamic stillness.
The traumas that I’d thought about - and assumed would come up painfully – didn’t. I could remember them, but there wasn’t the expected somatic reaction. Later discussion revealed this to be a recognised phenomenon, not just avoidance or denial, because the memories were really there, but not the excruciating pain. The trauma appeared to have dissolved.
Working with deeper levels - I was surprised by the development of humility, but on the other hand, I got stuff I didn’t expect. Fondly assumed to be petty annoyances, feelings came up of …..intense annoyance, linked to…...deeper yuk.
I really valued the group approach. Everyone contributed, and respected each other’s input. Everyone upheld professionalism, with the notable lack of cynicism, sarcasm or black humour that so often accompanies dealing with scary stuff.
Reflecting Thomas’s standards in training, the high level of honesty and compassion among the participants was impressive. Input from people with specialities was pertinent and helpful, with individuals self-monitoring in order not to monopolise discussions. It was a real pleasure to be part of this training, and uplifting at more than an intellectual level.
I felt like a pioneer in a new landscape, scouted by Thomas Attlee. He holds the course-group, in serene exploration of the mine-field that Trauma can be for health professionals.
Carol Williams
Practitionership, Boundaries and the Therapeutic Relationship (with Melanie Langer)
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Saturday/Sunday 2nd/3rd February 2008.
£160 (£180)
Being a practitioner goes beyond the basic skills acquired during training. Even an experienced cranio-sacral therapist can find themselves needing to develop other skills in order to work effectively with clients. Our work goes beyond the hands on therapy, extending to the practical aspects of running a practice, managing client issues and facilitating the vast array of interactions that can occur during the course of this work. This includes developing a profound appreciation and understanding of boundaries and what happens to them as we interact on all levels through this work.
The multi-dimensional nature of CST puts greater emphasis on the importance of working with clear boundaries and of having a conscious awareness of where we are, at any given time during the treatment process.
This weekend course is open to all cranio-sacral therapists and is particularly suited to new practitioners. It will give an opportunity to take an introductory journey into the therapeutic relationship, how it begins from the very first phone call and the importance of having a conscious awareness of our boundaries, and those of our clients.
Meditation, Emotion and the Eight Transverse Diaphragms (with Andrew Stones) -
Saturday/Sunday 24th/25th May 2008.
£160 (£180) - for the whole weekend, £80 (£90) - for single days
A weekend course with Andrew Stones.
The two days can either be taken as a complete weekend, or either day can be taken singly as a one day course.
Meditation: Interweaving throughout the two days, Andrew will be teaching meditations and chi kung type exercises which have helped him directly with craniosacral perception.
The Eight Transverse Diaphragms: On Saturday, Andrew will teach the “S.T.A.I.R.S.” method (Somatic Transverse Automatically Integrating Reciprocal-tension Systems) which he was given and has developed. This is a method of integrating the midline structure of the body via the transverse diaphragms and the body-cavities between them.
Emotion: On Sunday, the theme is the “Welcome” technique, which is a method of tissue dialoguing which Andrew has developed. This involves sensing into the emotions held in the tissues and actively welcoming them to facilitate rapid tissue change.
Review: "It seems that you've discovered a thrilling new therapeutic method that you should establish copyright for as quickly as possible! It seems to me to show the body's blockages more clearly even than is the case with conventional Cranio-Sacral Therapy. Each of the diaphragms seems to carry its own 'message'; and bringing them back in to balance - which is the usual result for most treatments - is an intensely therapeutic process for the person being treated.
I'm also increasingly finding that I can 'read' emotional' issues in some of the diaphragms from time to time and this facility is developing as I use the system more confidently.
Thanks for introducing me to this method of working."
David Ellis, RCST
Biographical notes: Originally trained as an osteopath, Andrew has been involved in Cranio-Sacral work since the early 90's, when he studied Cranio-Sacral Therapy at the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy with Thomas Attlee and osteopathy in the Cranial Field at the British School of Osteopathy. He went on to do clinic work at the Osteopathic Centre for Children, where he studied with Stuart Korth. He has also studied the Journey Process with Brandon Bays.
Participants wishing to repeat this course, having attended it previously, can do so at half price (the material is basically the same, though with some additions and variations).
Dentistry and Cranial Work (with Wojciech Tarnowski and Chris Castledine) -
Saturday/Sunday 5th/6th April 2008.
£180 (£220).
A unique whole person approach to dental problems, based in part on Wojciech’s studies over the past 28 years with some of the most eminent original cranial osteopaths who studied with Sutherland.
Wojciech is eminent for his individual understanding of Whole Body Therapy from a Dental perspective - and Dentistry from a Whole Body Perspective.
This will be a practical seminar, exploring the complex interactions between dentistry and whole body patterns, understanding how to approach patient's dental problems, distinguishing Ascending Patterns (patterns within the body affecting the teeth) and Descending Patterns (patterns within the teeth and jaw affecting the whole body).
Chris will provide his fascinating presentation on Dentistry and Orthodontics - including slides, models and dental appliances - exploring when and why it might be appropriate to use Dentistry and Orthodontics and when a Cranio-Sacral approach might be more appropriate - and how the two can be combined and integrated.
For those who have attended these highly successful seminars previously, Wojciech will be bringing new ideas, particularly in relation to recognising different levels of causative factors - physical, mental, emotional, rational, energetic, pranic, spiritual etc.
This will probably be the last opportunity to experience this course, before Wojciech moves to Uruguay next year.
Birth, Babies, Children, Mothers
(with Thomas Attlee).
Saturday-Thursday 3rd-8th May 2008.
£480 (£520)
An inspiring and comprehensive seminar, recommended for anyone wishing to work with babies and children.
We will be exploring: -
The Birth Process.
- The effects of Birth Trauma.
- Engaging with Birth Process.
- Addressing Birth Trauma, both in children and in adults.
- A Practical Approach to the treatment of Babies and Children.
- Management of Babies and Children.
- Common Childhood Conditions (and less common ones).
- Getting in touch with Our Own Birth Process.
- Treatment of Mothers - during Pregnancy, Birth, and Post-Partum.
Thomas has been presenting this course for the past 20 years. There will be contributions from a Doula (birth assistant) or Midwife, and from several Babies and Children. The course will also include:
- Demonstration Treatments
- Video footage of several Births
- Practical Work every day, exploring Birth Process.
Review:
As an osteopath working almost exclusively with babies and children, I work with children every day of the week and have done for the past few years. My paediatric training has been very much ‘on the job’, picking up a bit here and a bit there from the many osteopaths that I have worked with. Although I get good results with my treatments, I had this nagging feeling that perhaps there was something crucial missing from my knowledge bank. The problem was I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and this meant that I was not as confident as I should have been considering my experience.
Thomas Attlee’s course ‘Birth, Babies, Children, Mothers’ was exactly what I needed because it presented the birth process, the treatment of babies and children, and the treatment of pregnant and post-partum mums in a structured, sequential format. By the end of the course, I finally felt like I had all the jigsaw pieces in place. There were several memorable highlights: It started with the unexpectedly warm welcome on the first day of the course. I was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into a group of participants spontaneously introducing themselves and readily entering into very enjoyable conversations. I quickly felt part of it. After the introductions, we had the chance to explore our own and each other’s birth process - not in words (that came later), but with our hands - feeling the strain patterns through the body and the cranium. One participant shared how exquisitely sensitive her umbilical area was and during treatment she relived in present time what could only have been the shock of her umbilical cord being cut too soon. We watched a video of three women giving birth which, for those people who have never watched a baby being born, dispelled a lot of misconceptions (excuse the pun). Mums and Dads in the group later had the chance to share their experiences as well. We had a whole afternoon with a midwife who was also a Cranio-Sacral Therapist and had also given birth herself (a very rare individual) which gave me the chance to ask all the questions I have always wanted to ask but had never before met anyone qualified enough to answer. She brought with her a large flip board of drawings explaining midwifery, together with some Forceps and a Ventouse cap. Her attitude was empowering, reminding us that giving birth is a natural process that the female body is designed to go through without interventions. Thomas Attlee and his assistants brought in some wonderful books from their private library about some controversial concepts and ideas such as the foetus is conscious from conception and does feel pain, and how the relationship between mother and baby is already established long before birth. The bonus for me was watching Thomas treat the babies in the demonstration part of the course. The skill and efficiency with which he works can only come from many years of experience. But not only that, Thomas has a unique way of treating. It is a very active process of direct action, disengagement and unwinding that is entwined with love, respect and rapport. The babies loved being treated by Thomas and they visibly relaxed under his hands. I got more out of this course than I had originally bargained for and I would recommend it to anyone who works with, or would like to work with children. Tracey Aird.
(This course is part of an ongoing professional training in Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and is offered to graduate Cranio-Sacral Therapists because it seems from past experience to provide a valuable resource not readily provided elsewhere, and much appreciated by the postgraduate Cranio-Sacral Therapists who attend it each year).
Graduates Day - Saturday 19th July 2008.
Following the huge success of last year's Graduates Day (and all previous ones), including a highly entertaining and informative speaker, the usual outstanding lunch, a record attendance of over 80 participants, topped off with champagne and a wonderful celebratory party atmosphere, we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible this year for another Reunion.
Guest speaker: To Be Announced
Working Cranio-Sacrally with Tissue Memory
(With David Ellis).
Dates to be arranged.
£150 (£175).
What does it mean to work with Tissue Memory and how do we access it?
The body uses its own language to communicate with us about our personal development - through the dysfunctions, traumas and pathologies it creates in order to 'grab our attention'.
This does not mean that all illness has an emotional cause and that tissue memory can always be accessed. Nonetheless at those stages of our lives, when we are at a crossroads for personal development, the body will reveal that this is a critical stage of our personal development through our illnesses. It has its own language, and this workshop provides much practical work through which participants are able to learn the language of the body.
Scientific research confirms the ability of cells to store and communicate information in three specific areas:
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Remembering how to deal with wounds (1).
- 'Memory' operating in immune system cells (2).
- And also in muscle memory, particularly in competitive sports (3).
This is not to say that Tissue Memory outside these areas is a figment of the imagination of the many therapists - of all types around the world - who have experienced it or who have witnessed their patients undergoing spontaneous recall about earlier (often traumatic) events in their lives - (the internet is full of such anecdotal evidence) - simply that no one in science has thought it worthwhile to carry out the necessary research.
We will be exploring how to recognise, make use of, and deal with such information when It is revealed. This workshop challenges some of the accepted thinking about the cranio-sacral approach to trauma (although it is not specifically intended to be a trauma workshop).
David runs a Cranio-Sacral Therapy Practice near Kenilworth in Warwickshire, about which more information is given at www.craniosacraltherapy.org.uk.
The following references are dealt with in greater detail in James Oschman's "Energy Medicine in Therapeutics and Human Performance" published 2003.
- - Weiss 1924: page 167.
- - Springer 1994: page 328.
- - Young 10975: page 307.
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