Flexible programme

Arranged in five principal stages, the programme is built around a series of 4-5 day intensive workshops. You may move through these stages at your own pace, provided you allow time between workshops (usually at least three months) to absorb and apply the practical work, further develop your fine palpatory skills, review the course notes and cover required reading.

At each workshop you are provided with a comprehensive study guide of the course material with ample space for your own notes. Dr Upledger’s textbooks provide a detailed anatomical, physiological and research background for the workshops, and describe every technique.

The final essential element of the programme is practice. We do all we can to support and encourage your development at every stage, through networking, the provision of opportunities to work with the Institute’s clinical staff, and helpline back up.

Learning by experience

The workshops are primarily experiential. The demonstrations and "hands-on" exercises are supported by clear, illustrated lectures which connect up the experiential elements with their functional and symptomatic indications. All aspects of each workshop’s syllabus are brought together in a form that can immediately be integrated into your own practice. Those who require greater degrees of technical depth and detail will find the textbooks and research work satisfying, but we emphasise that the aim of the workshops is to encourage and support an objective and compassionate therapeutic approach.

Your assurance of quality

All course material is written and organised by Dr John Upledger, recognised worldwide for his research involving cranial techniques and for his subsequent development of CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release^®

Current teaching formats draw on over 20 years of instruction to groups with widely differing therapeutic approaches and experience.

Your workshop will be conducted by an Upledger Institute Certified Instructor, an experienced practising health care professional who has completed our extensive programme of preparation and has trained directly with Dr Upledger.

Continuing support

Networking: Once you have completed a workshop, you will receive a class roster which will help you to form or take part in an existing local network, for information exchange or to further develop your skills. Study groups meet regularly and are organised by experienced practitioners.

Study Groups: You will be able to attend regular study group sessions organised by Advanced trained practitioners throughout the UK. During these sessions workshop material is reviewed and practised, and treatments are exchanged.

Assistance in your practice: The Institute’s staff practitioners are available by telephone or mail should help be needed. Evaluation, treatment and advice about individual clients may also be sought either by referral to a more experienced practitioner in your area, or by arranging visits to a practitioner at the Institute.

Preceptor scheme: This is available for students who have successfully completed the SER1 workshop. Precepting involves spending time with one of the Institute’s practitioners and, where appropriate, assisting with evaluation and treatment. Further details are available through our office.

International support: Our students have the backing of all the people, experience and expertise available through our various offices around the world. Each establishment works autonomously to further the work of Dr John Upledger, and we all teach the same workshops. You can attend different workshops in different countries if you so choose.

Listings and referrals: Upon completion of a workshop, each student’s details are entered or updated in the Institute's worldwide database at Palm Beach, Florida. The International Association of Healthcare Practitioners maintains an annually updated worldwide directory of Upledger students and their attained level and speciality. To access this information use the link to Upledger CST Worldwide.

A list of UI UK students who have completed CST2 is also updated regularly.

Workshop arrangements

Meeting sites: To enhance your workshop experience the Upledger Institute selects attractive, convenient and well managed facilities. Rooms at corporate rates are available to participants choosing to board on-site, and we ensure that there is always alternative budget accommodation reasonably close by.

Hours: (except Advanced workshops) Classes run from 8:30 or 9:00am to approximately 5:00pm, with registration 30 minutes beforehand on the first day. The last day normally runs from 8:00am to approximately 3:30pm. Actual times for your workshop will be confirmed in advance.

Attire: Dress comfortably in loose fitting, casual clothing - a sweater is recommended.

CST1

Four days, 24 hours of continuing professional development.

Advance preparation: Read Your Inner Physician and You and CranioSacral Therapy (Chapters 1-6), both by Dr John Upledger.

Programme highlights

• Palpation: gross-subtle, active-passive. Three rhythms; heart, breathing and CranioSacral.
• Fascia as a whole body system, cross diaphragms, techniques for release of pelvic diaphragm, respiratory diaphragm, thoracic inlet and occipital base.
• Flexion and extension of the CranioSacral system.
• Still point induction including CV4.
• Direction of energy techniques.
• Anatomy slides of skull and cranial sutures.
• CranioSacral system as semi-closed hydraulic system.
• Vertical and horizontal cranial membrane systems.
• Body resistance, elastic resistance, visco-elastic characteristics of tissue.
• Unidirectional tractional force.
• Frontal lift.
• Parietal lift.
• Sphenoid compression-decompression.
• Biaxial temporal mobilisation.
• Ear pull-bilateral temporal decompression.
• Membrane system slides.
• Dural tube evaluation, traction, treatment.
• TMJ and TMJ technique.
• 10-step protocol.

From this workshop you will gain advanced palpatory skills for the study of subtle biological movements, and a concise 10-step protocol for evaluation and treatment that is easily integrated into your existing practice.

CST2

Four days, 24 hours of continuing professional development.

Advance preparation: Successful completion of the CST1 workshop, followed by ample independent study time for skill development and practice. Required reading: Chapters 7 onwards of Dr Upledger’s CranioSacral Therapy, and the chapter on the Temporomandibular joint in CranioSacral Therapy 2, Beyond the Dura.

Programme highlights

• Cranial dysfunctions.
• Hard palate, the mandible, and temporomandibular joint dysfunctions.
• Whole body evaluation.
• Arcing.
• Fascial gliding.
• Symmetry/asymmetry.
• CranioSacral motion.
• Dural tube mobility.
• Paravertebral movement.
• Energy cysts.
• Regional tissue release.
• SomatoEmotional Release^®

The course begins with the study of cranial base dysfunctions as perceived, diagnosed and treated by Dr William Sutherland, the father of cranial osteopathy. In this course students learn how to integrate Dr Sutherland’s techniques for identifying and evaluating lesions into our "10-step protocol", and how to apply correction when needed.

Evaluation and treatment of the hard palate, the mandible and temporomandibular joint are presented and practised to complete the exploration of the masticatory system.

You can expect to take away with you skills to localise and correct motion distortions of the spheno-palatino-vomero-maxillary complex, and restrictions of the teeth. You should be able to evaluate general vitality, motivation, emotional status and biochemical dysfunction using the CranioSacral rhythm. You will have had the opportunity to observe and/or participate in the process of SomatoEmotional Release^®

SER1

Four days, 24 hours of continuing professional development.

Advance preparation: Successful completion of the CST2 workshop. You should review Dr Upledger’s textbook CranioSacral Therapy 2, Beyond the Dura and read SomatoEmotional Release and Beyond.

Programme highlights

• An introduction to, and historical review of the development of energy cyst and SomatoEmotional Release^® concepts.
• Location and release of energy cysts.
• Techniques for releasing the vocal apparatus, to aid expression and release of suppressed emotion.
• Introduction to the idea and use of therapeutic imagery.
• Principles and practice of dialogue.
• Integration of imagery and dialogue techniques with the process of SomatoEmotional Release^®.
  

SomatoEmotional Release^® is a therapeutic process that helps rid the mind of the residual effects of past trauma and associated negative emotional experiences. It is employed to supplement the practice of CranioSacral Therapy and to advance and expand its usefulness.

You will gain specific techniques for energy cyst and SomatoEmotional Release®. Such releases are often necessary to allow many patients to let go of the deepest causes of pain and illness. They enable the application of CranioSacral Therapy to be utilised by the sufferer at deeper levels. By achieving improved listening and comprehension skills you will have increased understanding of verbal and non-verbal signals. This will help to encourage clients to work cooperatively with you in improving health.

SER2

Four days, 24 hours of continuing professional development.

Advance preparation: Successful completion of the SER1 workshop. You should review SomatoEmotional Release and Beyond by Dr John Upledger, and read Getting To Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury. Dr Upledger recommends that you also read The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, and The Triumph of the Embryo by Lewis Wolpert.

Programme highlights

• The history, key concepts and therapeutic process of psychosynthesis and Gestalt and Jungian psychology.
• Practical application of the integration of psychosynthesis and Gestalt and Jungian psychology with SomatoEmotional Release^® and therapeutic imagery and dialogue.
• Review of throat and hard palate techniques for releasing the vocal apparatus.
• Methods for inviting a solicited image, maintaining it and discovering an image's purpose.
• Skills for facilitating dialogue between the patient's levels of consciousness.
• 10 step protocol for imagery and dialogue.
• Exercises in active imagination, archetypes, self awareness and dialogue and facilitated imagery.
• Approaches to dream work.
• Continued focus on CranioSacral rhythm as significance detector.

In this workshop SomatoEmotional Release^® techniques are integrated with various creative and dialoguing methods. The emphasis is on wholeness and self-healing. The goal is a comfortable holistic mind-body approach to the resolution of problems and obstacles related to client progress and growth.

The class begins with a review of the techniques taught in CST2 to encourage the expression of suppressed emotion through release of the throat and hard palate. This is followed by an introduction to psychosynthesis and Gestalt and Jungian psychology.

By blending concepts from three schools of psychology with SER and CST, therapists learn specific techniques to help their patients increase awareness of the "inner self". Class exercises are designed to increase self-awareness by strengthening the relationship between the conscious and non-conscious mind.

The SomatoEmotional Release^® process requires extreme sensitivity on the part of the therapist, and a positive attitude and trust from the patient. The SER2 workshop gives you a greater insight into your patient's issues and specific techniques, enabling you to fine tune your dialoguing skills.

Advanced 1

Five days

Advance preparation: Successful completion of the SER2 workshop.

This workshop offers an extraordinary experience for the serious CranioSacral Therapy practitioner. In the course of five intensive days, two 5 student groups are led by a team of a senior UI instructor and two highly experienced staff therapists. Mornings are given over to discussion, and in the afternoon sessions each student is treated by the other four in the group, with the supervisory team giving guidance when it seems indicated.

Occasional Additional Workshops

From time to time UI UK may offer workshops designed to add to or further enhance awareness of the skills that are taught in this syllabus.