Children & adolescents

Children  & Adolescents

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) can be used as a support for children of all ages, with children generally being very sensitive and responsive to this type of treatment. Many parents appreciate skilful and sympathetic assistance and support during the early stages of their child’s life, as well as when their children are older.

Parenting can offer up challenges during the various stages of child development and, over many years, CST has been proven to be a valued resource for both parents and their children.

Some of the issues that CST may address for your Child:

Scale & number of treatments

Sometimes great change is achieved in one session, but often several sessions over a period of time may be necessary. The number of treatments required will differ depending on many factors which will be discussed at the visit.

Acute conditions will often respond quickly to treatment and symptom relief may be achieved with 1-6 visits. Chronic conditions will often respond quickly to treatment as well but may require on-going treatment to remain symptom free.  

Children who have physical or stressful lifestyles often find maintenance treatments are a great way to keep pain and symptoms associated with stress at bay. Depending on your situation maintenance treatments are recommended once a month or as required.

Children do not need to have any health issues to gain from CST, although it is highly recommended as a great mode for general well-being and relaxation.

CST & learning difficulties

The gentle and non-invasive delivery of CST is ideal for children who are dealing with the following types of learning difficulties.

Autism - CST may ease tension patterns for children who are on the Autism Spectrum, assisting them in feeling more comfortable, safe and aware of the world around them. 

ADHD - CST may assist children with ADHD by easing body tension and building a feeling of safety.  ADHD children’s brains catalogue everything at a rapid rate and the relaxation that CST provides gives the child’s brain a break from this constant work. 

Dyslexia - Children with Dyslexia often have difficulty processing visual and auditory information.  CST may assist in reducing tension patterns around the eyes and ears which allows all areas of the brain used to process language the ability to function more efficiently.

Dysgraphia - Children with Dysgraphia normally have very sharp minds but at the same time have difficulty demonstrating their knowledge. CST may assist in reducing tension in the arms and hands which makes the process of writing easier for them. 

CST also works on emotions and the stress these children may feel about being different from their peers. A CST session may help to alleviate these unwelcome feelings. 

What does a session look like for a child?

The first aspect of a session is always about developing a relationship and making your child feel comfortable.This may start out with a brief explanation of what will take place during the session, talking about your child’s interests, school, etc. Depending on the age of your child, we find what works best for them.

For younger ones, they would normally sit on the treatment table while mum or whoever is with them reads a book or looks at pictures. Locations may change if necessary, i.e move to the floor. It may also be necessary to take breaks, so your child can move around for a while. The child is the main focus and it is important that it works for them, with their comfort and cooperation being key during the session to enable them to gain the best outcome.

Your child will remain fully clothed during the session. The sessions begin with lightly placing hands on your child’s body, on the bottom of their spine, their neck, head, abdomen or other areas.

The therapist will listen through light touch to the internal subtle rhythms in their body and will be guided as to what is required.