Bodywork and Beyond: CranioSacral Therapy
Learning to Listen Differently
I’ve built my practice around the art of listening with my hands, my presence, and my attention. But a recent introduction to CranioSacral Therapy deepened that skill in a way I didn’t expect.
I took a class with Pat O’Rourke, a seasoned bodyworker with over 40 years of experience. What stood out wasn’t just the anatomical depth (though we did explore cranial bones, the dural tube, and cerebrospinal fluid), but how relational the work felt. This wasn’t about mastering a new technique. It was about unlearning urgency and waiting for the body to speak.
The Subtle Power of Gentle Work
CranioSacral Therapy is quiet, but powerful. It supports the nervous system through sustained, light touch sometimes no more pressure than a coin resting on your skin. Rather than “fixing,” the practitioner holds space, gently encouraging the body toward regulation. This can support chronic tension, trauma patterns, anxiety, headaches, TMJ, and more.
And for clients who’ve been doing “all the right things” but still feel stuck, this softer approach can be surprisingly effective.
Shifting the Way I Practice Massage in Bellingham
Even in sessions where I don’t formally use CranioSacral holds, the principles have already influenced my hands. I’m slower to intervene, more curious, and more likely to wait. I trust that your body knows what it needs, and that it will tell me if I’m quiet enough to listen.
Whether you come to me for therapeutic massage, stress relief, or deeper healing work, this lens of gentle listening will be part of what we do together.
As a massage therapist in Bellingham, I’m just beginning to explore this modality, but it’s already become a foundational part of how I show up at the table. If you’re curious about this kind of work, or if your nervous system is asking for something quieter, I’d love to talk about how it might fit into your next session.