The Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust (CTET) offers accredited training courses for aspiring practitioners of Craniosacral Therapy. Established by Michael Kern and Franklyn Sills in 1989, CTET provides in-depth and clear courses, and has developed a growing reputation as a school of excellence. Some recommended reading for the course, including books authored by Kern and Sills, can be found in the infographic attachment to this post. The Trust provides a comprehensive practitioner training in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy along with several introductory and advanced courses.
Comprehensive Practitioner Training
The comprehensive practitioner training in Craniosacral Therapy at CTET takes place on a part-time basis over a period of approximately two years. The training includes a total of 48 days of classroom attendance, comprised of 11 seminars lasting four to five days each, along with between four and 10 additional days at the Trust’s teaching clinic.
Teaching methods take a flexible approach that combines solid theory with hands-on practical experience. Individual learning styles are respected and supported throughout the duration of the course. Course graduates are equipped to effectively practice Craniosacral Therapy in a professional capacity.
The development of treatment, perceptual and palpatory skills is emphasised during the training, and the personal experiences and explorations of each individual student are encouraged. Students are taught to understand and synchronise with the biodynamic organising forces inherent within the human body and to work with the body’s natural rhythms to promote healing and well-being.
Introductory Weekend Seminars
CTET runs introductory weekend seminars that can introduce potential students to Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST). These seminars are designed to offer a comprehensive introduction to BCST and provide students with some direct experience of key principles of practice.
The principles of BCST are explored with an emphasis on practical work and participants are taught to develop their own sensitivity to the body’s natural rhythmic impulses.
People who attend one of these introductory seminars and then go on to enrol on the practitioner training will have the cost of the introductory weekend deducted from their fees, making it a completely free introduction for those who wish to continue their training.
Once the practitioner training has been completed graduates can continue with advanced professional development seminars and have the option to complete an Advanced Biodynamic Diploma. More information about this can be found in the embedded PDF.
Living Anatomy Foundation Course
Students who wish to develop an in-depth understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the living body can attend the Living Anatomy Foundation Course. This course takes place over eight weekend seminars, with supplementary work completed at home.
The courses run annually, with approximately one seminar per month from January to September. The course incorporates unique teaching styles including practical exercises in touch and palpation skills, surface anatomy, meditation and visualisation, body movement and mobility testing to give participants an experiential understanding of the work being covered. The course also describes how body tissues are formed and organised and the way that this determines bodily function. Powerful forces are involved in cell division and organisation from the moment of conception onwards. These intelligent organisational forces not only lie at the heart of our embryological unfolding but continue throughout life guiding the body’s maintenance and repair. Clinical experience shows that if we can relate to the body with an understanding of how it forms, we can then contact a deep vitality and intelligence.
The structure of the course exceeds the minimum anatomy and physiology requirements for registration in the UK as a qualified practitioner of Craniosacral Therapy, in accordance with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, the Craniosacral Therapy Association and the Association of Physical and Natural Therapies.
In addition to training courses, CTET also runs the landmark ‘Breath of Life Conferences’ and workshops.
