Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Receive the Gift of Healing with CranioSacral Therapy

Many of you requested to hear more about the time I spent in Florida treating Veterans with PTSD so here it is!

Important aspects of this treatment program include how it is all set up and coordinated. Lori D'Agostino of the Upledger Foundation is our very hard working administrator, and Kat and Chas Perry from Integrative Intentions are our Program Directors.

All the therapists gathered on the first afternoon so we could meet one another and become familiar with our schedule for the next five days. The following morning we met with the six Veterans that were receiving treatment in circle before going into our groups. All the treatments took place in one big room. Each Veteran had three therapists; treatment time lasted between 2 to 2.5 hours for each session.

At the end of each day, the therapists gathered together. The primary therapist from each group summarized the day of treatment. The next morning, each of the Veterans shared their treatment experience when therapists and Veterans alike gathered in a circle. It was amazing to track the changes that happened for each one of the Veterans in the group.

The whole program is set up so that each Veteran can take the lead in his or her own experience. The Veterans had their own room that nobody else could go in, which was a key aspect in the set up of this program. They could take a break during treatment time plus begin and end the sessions whenever they wanted. This private room meant they had time to get to know and provide support for one another all in a designated place when they needed a break.

Each one of the Veterans were amazing and inspiring in so many ways. I have permission from some of the Veterans to share feedback they had about their time with us. Here is what Brian, who had not received CST ever before, had to say about this experience:

"No words can explain the phenomenal regenerative healing process that took place inside my body this week through your healing hands; thank you! The experiences were fascinating, amazing, mesmerizing and humorous on so many levels, and I thank each one of you for making us feel accepted with no judgment and I now know that my whole body has been storing deep contracted body postures from traumatic exposure from the military in my tissues."

Brian is a co-founder of an organization called Green Vets. He is also involved with Sublime Soil, which is focused on our environment.

Another Veteran who is doing great work for the Veteran community is Frank Selden. He is publishing a book called The Suicide Solution.

Frank also shared his experience about the program:

"You all mirrored unconditional acceptance to me in a way that in itself became part of the healing process. You helped me open my voice, express my feelings and expand my heart."

As those who have received CST know, imagery can be a powerful way of relieving pain and tension in the body. Eric came up with some imagery during one of his treatments to help him with stressful situations. He shares:

"Now as I imagine that cannon ball on my chest and the crack with the volcanic like steam releasing it totally puts me at ease. I think that was my strongest revelation over the week! I use that image anytime I think anxiety is coming on I can release it!"

Shortly after the program ended, Eric was at an airport where the power went down. He shared these words:

"and everything was all messed up and I had to catch a flight to Reno. It was extremely stressful but I was on the same flight as Ken Piercy (one of the therapists)! So as we were talking and I mentioned to him that this would have been a bad situation for me to be in a week ago, and we laughed about it. But the only reason I could laugh about it was that I was releasing steam the whole time! You've given me a very valuable tool! Thank you!"

Eric is another amazing Veteran who is contributing to our world. He is working for a company that sells a machine that creates electrical stimulation to the skin at specific frequencies to promote healing and reduce pain. The company is called First Alternatives Therapies. I just bought one of the machines and am seeing some great results with my clients. Plus I started treating my cesarean section scar and noticed the skin is not pulled as tight. I am excited to see what will happen with more treatment. I will let you know more as I gain more experience about what it has to offer.

I hope this information has inspired you to take a deeper look and discover what these incredible Veterans are doing to make a difference.

From My Hands and Heart, Kate xx