Craniosacral Therapy for Pregnancy Birth and Postpartum

Class Description

$800 USD

32 hours - five days

9:30-5:30 on days 1-4;  9:30-1:30 on day 5

All classes are taught in English

April 23-27, 2012, in Portland Oregon  four spaces left in this class

or

November 12-16, 2012 in Portland Oregon  six spaces left in this class

Pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery are powerful times for subtle work. Since 1995 I have been adapting my knowledge and experience as a Midwife, Doula and Craniosacral Therapist to provide care for a specific population - women in the childbearing year. The time has come for me to pass on this knowledge so the work can continue to grow.

Expectant and new mothers benefit from Craniosacral Therapy. Yet, there are so few people to treat them. Maternal Craniosacral Therapy treatments before and during pregnancy help babies assume ideal positions for birth. These babies are more likely to be born normally - without undue medical interventions. Postpartum Craniosacral Therapy helps mothers integrate their birth experiences and recover more completely from both Cesarean and vaginal births.

Very few craniosacral therapy training programs offer any classes on pregnancy and postpartum. They require students to complete many levels of expensive training before learning to treat mothers. The training, sadly, tends to be fear-based and pathology-focused. I teach from the midwifery model of care perspective. I am passionate about getting these vital skills into the hands of people who can help mothers and babies.

Prerequisite: Subtle Hands-On Skills  is the required prerequisite for this class. This requirement will be waved only if you have already studied CST with Carol Gray. This requirement will not be waived if you have studied CST elsewhere.

In addition, students should be licensed, certified or student health professionals (CNM, CPM, DC, DO, IBCLC, LAc, LDEM, LM, LMT, MD, ND, NP, OT, PT, RN, etc.) or otherwise legally entitled to practice touch therapy or with instructor approval.

While not required, students are encouraged to receive at least one craniosacral therapy treatment prior to taking this class.

Overview: The focus of this class is CST for pregnant mothers, their babies in utero and women in postpartum recovery. It includes a pregnancy/postpartum anatomy and physiology review plus lectures, demonstrations and lots of supervised hands-on practice with classmates plus pregnant and new mothers. In order to maximize learning success enrollment is limited to six students.

By the the end of this five-day class you should be able to:

Describe the historical and theoretical foundations of the work

Identify physical, energetic and emotional effects of pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery

Describe the work in a way that mothers can understand

Position a mother on a bodywork table safely and comfortably

Demonstrate sensitive palpation skills

Use assessment techniques to identify body areas that would benefit from treatment

Locate and release physical, energetic and emotional restrictions

List clinical considerations

Help the mothers-to-be and their babies prepare for the birth together

Provide treatments for mothers and their unborn babies during pregnancy and labor

Provide treatments for mothers who are recovering from vaginal or cesarean births

Listen to mothers’ fears and concerns without judgment

Know when to refer a mother to a different practitioner

Make a big difference in the lives of the women and babies you treat

Become part of a network co-creating better births for mothers and babies leading to a healthier society

Carol Gray is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider. These classes have been approved or are eligible for continuing education credit in a variety of health-related professions.

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