"If you understand the mechanism, your technique is simple."
William G. Sutherland, D.O.
Seminar Information
• CST-2 Intermediate
• CST-3 Whole Body
• CST-4 Pediatrics
• CST-5 Dialogue and Imagery
• CST-6 Therapist Intensive
• CST for Animals
• Practical Integration
• CST Fundamentals (2 days)
• CST Primer (1 day)
• Registration Information
Acorn Seminars is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider #450070-06 and for NY Sponsorship.
Acorn Seminars is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any other craniosacral therapy school, group, or organization. It is our policy that students with previous CST training must be checked out prior to class through a practical examination in order to take higher level Acorn Seminars classes.
CST-1 Basics class (31 CE)
This class is designed to introduce the participants to the cranial work of William G. Sutherland, D.O. and craniosacral therapy of John E. Upledger, D.O. This class is designed to work with clients seven (7) years of age and older.
Day 1: craniosacral rhythm, V-spread technique, and Stillpoint technique.
Day 2: diaphragms, core link/dural tube.
Day 3: intracranial membranes, frontal, parietal, sphenoid, and temporal bones.
Day 4: additional core link/dural tube techniques, TMJ, and a review of the complete protocol.
CST-2 Intermediate class (32 CE)
The intermediate level is designed to build upon the CST-1 class, with techniques focused on the sphenoid, mouth/face, whole body, and unwinding techniques.
Day 1: review of CST-1 protocol, sphenoid patterns.
Day 2: hard palate- maxialla, vomer, palatines, zygomas, and nasal bones.
Day 3: whole body evaluations- arcing, craniosacral rhythm, fascial glide, and facilitated segment.
Day 4: unwinding, pediatric protocols for infants 0-1 year and children, 1-7 years of age.
CST-3 Whole Body class (32 CE)
The whole body class introduces the participants to the global concepts of CST developed by Dr. John Upledger that can often be at the core of physical ailments that have eluded the therapist using CST-1 and 2 formats and protocols. This gentle and organic continuation of CST will further explore unwinding, mouthwork, dialogue, chakras, vectors, and meridians.
Day 1: whole body unwinding techniques, review-arcing, energy cyst model, significant stop, tissue response and the big picture concept.
Day 2: expanded mouthwork includes supra, infra, and retrohyoidius tissues.
Day 3: dialogue techniques from Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., author of Getting the Love You Want and imagery techniques by Martin L. Rossman, M.D., author of Guided Imagery for Self-Healing.
Day 4: chakra balancing, TCM meridians, and Dr. Upledger's vectors.
CST-4 Pediatrics class (32 CE)
The Pediatrics class works with children and babies, the very heart of the work of Andrew Taylor Still, M.D. and William Garner Sutherland, D.O. As the old saying goes, "As the twig is bent, so inclineth the tree."
Having created a strong foundation for participants in CST-1, 2 and 3 to explore the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of the whole body, we will now take these basics and apply them to working with babies and children. The reason the class is placed after the CST-3 class is that working with babies and children requires much greater manual skills, experienced decision making, and clear focus by the therapist. Because children are much more comfortable in their emotions, it begs the therapist have greater self-knowledge of their own emotions. Focus will be on gestation, birth, and the post-partum experiences. These amazing moments create patterns, habits, and viewpoints that affect and color our entire lives, and having the opportunity to revisit these places allows us valuable insights into ourselves as well as our ability to hold safe and therapeutic spaces for our pediatric clients as well as adults.
Day 1: revisit protocols from CST-2 and 3 with instructor demos. Introduction to obstectrics, birth process, and post-partum experience. The afternoon practice session for the class participants in groups of three will focus on the gestation process.
Day 2: revisit protocols from CST-2 and 3 with instructor demos. Introduction to obstectrics, birth process, and post-partum experience. The afternoon practice session for the class participants in groups of three will focus on the birth process.
Day 3: participants work on babies in the morning and afternoons in groups of two (depending on number of available babies) for 45 minute sessions. Unwinding, dialogue, chakra and meridian work from CST-3 will be further discussed. The afternoon practice session for the class participants in groups of three will focus on the post-partum process.
Day 4: working with the pregnant mother, new mom/new baby. Babies and children are invited back in the morning session for short finishing sessions by the instructor and assistants. Students may be invited into sessions as well. The afternoon practice session for the class participants in groups of two will focus on the integration process of the 4-day pediatric class.
CST-5 Dialogue and Imagery class (32 CE)
The Dialogue and Imagery class advances on the CST-3 material. The works of Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., Martin L. Rossman, M.D., Carl Jung, M.D., Ph.D. and Fritz Perls, M.D., Ph.D. are suggested readings.
Day 1: review basics of the expression connection starting with techniques from CST-1, CST-2, and CST-3. Afternoon sessions will involve class participants in groups of three focused on general dialogue techniques.
Day 2: focus on Gestalt therapy and the work of Fritz Perls, M.D., Ph.D.. Afternoon sessions will involve class participants in groups of three focused on the techniques of Gestalt therapy.
Day 3: focus on the nervous system- ventricular system, limbic system, brain stem and Dr. Paul MacLean's Triune Brain model. Afternoon sessions will involve class participants in groups of three focused on the nervous system and related systems.
Day 4: focus on the immune system. Afternoon sessions will involve class participants in groups of three focused on the immune system and related organs.
CST-6 Therapist Intensive class (40 CE)
The Therapist Intensive is designed to give the therapist the opportunity to review all of the basic information from CST-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The class also explores issues and emotions that might have eluded the therapist in their personal life, clinic practice in an open group setting.
Class size is limited to ten practitioners per class for five days. Mornings consist of a question and answer period plus discussion from 9am to 12. Lunch will be provided from 12 to 1pm, and clinical sessions will begin at 1pm and end at 7pm. Ending times are approximate. Each day, participants will have the opportunity to lead a session, assist in three sessions, and receive a session.
The Individual Seminars
CST for Animals (35 CE- no NY sponsorship)
Dr. Green developed and designed the Craniosacral therapy class for Animals and it is an introduction to the craniosacral work in general. It is a 4-day class consisting of lectures, demonstrations, and practice sessions throughout each day. For those interested in equine craniosacral therapy, as well as feline and canine craniosacral therapy, you will find everything you need to know. This class is open to the veterinary physician, the caring pet owner, and anyone who would like to have some effective hands-on tools to help their animals. Techniques to be covered will be beneficial for both people and animals. Please refer to the Animals page in the sidebar.
Practical Integration (31 CE)
Dr. Green developed and designed the Practical Integration class for the participant who wished to learn the most widely applicable techniques of Craniosacral therapy in a clinical setting. It is an excellent introductory class to the work in general as it gives an overview to the first three CST classes. This four-day class is structured to offer an improvisational application of CST, giving more of the basic evaluative and therapeutic techniques to help an array of acute and chronic problems.
CST Fundamentals (16 CE- 2 day class)
CST Primer (8 CE- 1 day class)
The CST Primer is an excellent opportunity for the lay person, student, or parent to have an introduction to Craniosacral therapy. Presentations will include the history of CST, evaluations with the cranial rhythm, the stillpoint technique, v-spread technique, and TMJ self-help technique. Lectures will be followed by demonstrations by the instructor and then labs so participants can practice what they have just learned. This will be followed by question and answer periods. There are short breaks in the morning and afternoon sessions and a lunch break. All participants will receive study guides and a certificate of attendance.
How do I register for classes with Acorn Seminars?
Choose the seminar of your choice from the Calendar page and use the contact information below to register.
In the United States and classes overseas, please contact Regina Green at (315) 325-4423 or e-mail us at info@acornseminars.com
Acorn Seminars Policies
Participants should be aware that classes can and do run over time. Please allow flexibility in your schedule for this.
It is also important for us to create a safe and friendly environment for everyone to learn. CST. With this in mind, we encourage participants to receive CST sessions prior to and after the classes for preparation and completion of work they will receive from their fellow classmates. It is important to know that classes ARE NOT a substitute for professional CST sessions where privacy, personal attention and freedom of expression are encouraged in a one on one secure environment.
We ask participants to be respectful and mindful of the group environment and their fellow participants by taking responsibility for their personal conduct in class. This includes turning off cell phones, no texting or recording during class, limiting the use of aromatherapy, perfumes and aftershave scents, arriving on time for class, breaks and lunch, and being respectful of other's boundaries and personal space. Participants doing their own marketing of products or classes is not allowed in our seminars.
For energy workers and self-taught practitioners who use energy techniques in a particular field like Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, crystals, Esoteric Healing, etc., the CST classes ARE NOT appropriate places to randomly practice or indiscriminately use one's energy skills on others.
Particpants are required to engage in ALL lab exercises during class. In regards to craniosacral therapy, energy work, and religious beliefs, beginning from day one of the CST-1 Basics class, we work with the energy of the body to facilitate its own healing process. Energy is a biological, chemical and physical aspect of all human beings and as such, is very important in the work we do and in all therapeutic modalities, including the allopathic tradition of health and well-being. Students who wish to pursue any of the branches of medicine must actually take classes in biology, chemistry and physics, all considered the hard sciences and all deal with energy. Energy is not and should not be thought of as anything other than another way to bring health and awareness back into one’s own healing journey. When we speak of using energy, we are talking about the energy of the person we are working with, not some outside energy. There is nothing about the work that should be confused with religion or a faith-based belief. In the Practical Integration class, CST for Animals and from CST-3 and onwards, students are introduced to the Indian system of medicine called Ayurveda which is thousands of years old. Students will also be introduced to working with chakras, a hands-off technique that is taught in the Acorn CST classes. The energy we use with the chakra work is the natural energy of the body that is used to breathe, digest, excrete, and overall regulate homeostasis of a person. People have come to rely on outside energies every single day to make their life more pleasant and user-friendly with cell phones, microwave ovens, garage door openers, iPads, etc. If you have ever had an ultrasound performed, electric stimulation, x-rays, a CAT scan or an MRI, taken a ride in an airplane, sun-bathed, or walked through a metal detector, you have been exposed to outside energies and some of these can be quite unhealthy for the body.
In regards to physical abilities, we do our best to create an inclusive environment for everyone to come and learn craniosacral therapy. Being sensitive over the years to respecting our students with different abilities, we have had sight-impaired, hearing impaired, and also orthopedically challenged students attend our classes who enjoyed them and had a full and rich experience. However, a student must have the physical capabilities to gently and comfortably perform the hands-on techniques for the lab portion of the classes on another person for up to 30 minutes to 1 hour without creating stress or tension in their own bodies or their fellow classmates.
Class Information
• CST classes US tuition: $750 per person or $700 if registered one month prior to seminar date. Payment is due at time of registration. Classes are limited to 30 participants.
• CST Animal class US tuition: $800 per person or $750 if registered one month prior to seminar date. Payment is due at time of registration. Classes are limited to 18 participants.
• CST- 6 Therapist Intensive class US tuition: $900 per person or $850 if registered one month prior to seminar date. Payment is due at time of registration. Classes are limited to 10 participants. This is a five (5) day class.
• CST Fundamentals US tuition: $375 per person. Payment is due at time of registration. Class times are 9am to 6pm both days- ending times are approximate. Full attendance is required to receive certificate.
• CST Primer US tuition: $200 per person. Payment is due at time of registration. Class times are 9am to 6pm both days- ending times are approximate. Full attendance is required to receive certificate.
• Class times are 9am to 7:00pm for all 4 days. Ending times are approximate.
• Class participation for all 4 days is required for continuity of the class. CE certificates will be awarded to all who have participated fully for all 4 days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday).
• Participants will receive a study guide and hand-outs for each class.
• Participants are encouraged to receive 2 CST sessions prior to the class and have a session set up after as the classes are designed as educational experiences only. This has been found to be one of the quickest ways for the participant to advance their comprehension and skill of the techniques.
• Review of the CST material from previous classes will be just that- a review. It is assumed that participants have taken responsibility for class preparation by both doing and receiving CST prior to taking the next level class.
• Discounts on repeat classes will remain in effect for up to three years after taking the initial class.
• Acorn Seminars reserves the right to cancel seminars in which case the tuition fee will be returned in full. We are not responsible for hotel and flight reservations.
Recommended Readings
Andrew Taylor Still 1828-1917 by Carol Trowbridge
Teachings in the Science of Osteopathy by William Garner Sutherland, D.O.
Osteopathy in the Cranial Field (3rd. Ed.) by Harold I. Magoun, A.B., D.O., F.A.A.O.
Craniosacral Therapy by John E. Upledger, D.O., F.A.A.O. and Jon Vredevoogd, M.F.A.
SomatoEmotional Release and Beyond by John E. Upledger, D.O., F.A.A.O., D.Sc.
Acorn Seminars is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any other craniosacral therapy school, group, or organization.