What is Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy?

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is an exceptionally gentle yet very potent form of complementary therapy which supports your body’s innate ability to balance, restore and heal itself, as well as helping to replenish your underlying energy.

Using educated, gently mindful touch, and sensitively listening without fixed agendas, CST offers a safe and judgement-free space where the effects of challenges such as injury, disease, trauma and stress can be processed and the body’s natural affinity towards health be reignited.

CST has its roots in osteopathy. People often ask about the name and think it only refers to the head. In fact, CST works with the whole person, and changes may occur in body, mind and spirit during and after the session.

'Sound is our mind.
Silence is our being.
- Osho'

Who is it for?

Because CST is so gentle, it is suitable for all: new-borns, toddlers, teenagers, pregnant and post-natal women, adults and the elderly. It is particularly useful for people who require extremely gentle, non-manipulative or careful treatment and those who have not benefited from traditional approaches.

How does Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy work?

Perhaps it might be helpful to think of a CST treatment as a kind of bodily orientated mindfulness session in which I listen to your body with my hands in a similar way that a talking therapist would listen to your words.

Our bodies are full of wisdom which we often ignore or overlook when we are not in tune with our physical sensations. Disconnection from our inner experiences can lead to chronic stress and unprocessed emotions which over time can strain the nervous, immune and musculoskeletal systems.

The quieter you become
the more you are able to hear
- Rumi

Touch is potent. It is the first language we ‘speak’ and how we discover ourselves, the world around us, and our place in it. Touch is also deeply entwined with our sense of well-being and safety. By helping to calibrate the autonomic nervous system, touch can lower our stress levels, help foster emotional resilience and turn down the volume on pain, trauma and anxiety.

CST practitioners are trained over several years to listen to, encourage and amplify certain subtle rhythms in the body. In my clinical experience, the presence of these rhythms corresponds to a happier, healthier person.

What happens in a session?

At the first session there will be a detailed and sensitive discussion of your history and your reasons for coming for CST. During the treatment you will remain clothed and will usually lie face-up or on your side on a treatment table. I will gently use my hands to make contact with your body and listen to its various systems and stories.

Because the body functions as a whole, I may focus on areas other than where your symptoms are occurring. It is common to feel deep relaxation, warmth, tingling, as sense of ease, increased energy and a sense of feeling more alive, balanced and heard in the truest sense of the word.

Touch is the first language we speak.
- Stephen Gaskin

Mothers and babies

Having a child is one of life’s most profound events. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) can help provide support to mothers, partners and babies in this period of physical, emotional and psychological change.

 

Ante-natal Treatments:

As your body supports, holds, and nurtures your developing baby, CST can provide a calm, welcoming and accepting space where you can be supported, held and nurtured, as well as find relief from minor ailments such as back, shoulder and neck discomfort. 

 

Baby Treatments:

Birth is a natural process that evolution has designed us to experience, but it is not always easy. It can be a tough transition from womb to the outside world for some little ones and their mums! 

CST can help your baby find more ease and comfort as well as providing an open, welcoming space for them to gently process any residual birth experiences that might still be held in their bodies, or process and release shock from their nervous systems.  

For a deeper exploration of how CST can support mothers and babies through pregnancy, birth and beyond please read my blog post.

Craniosacral therapy is not intended as primary healthcare but to work alongside the relationship you have with your doctor or other health professionals.

'When I am silent,
I fall into the place
where everything is music.
- Rumi'

How many sessions, When and How Much?

There are no set number of sessions. Sometimes people report relief from their symptoms after one or two treatments. For long-standing problems further sessions may be needed, and I may recommend weekly treatments over a longer period, the course of which would be reviewed regularly between us.

Generally I work at Ahead4Therapy in Devizes on Mondays, the Evolution Osteopathy, 75 Roupell Street, London, SE1 8SS on Wednesdays and Bramham Therapy in Marlborough on Fridays. Outside of these clinic times I am able to see clients in my treatment room at my home in West Lavington. In particular circumstances I can also offer home visits to clients in Wiltshire.

My sessions fees are: 

London £80 per hour / Wiltshire £70 per hour. 

I am able to offer reductions to those in full-term education. I also offer discounts on packages of treatment: 5 sessions for the price of 4.5.

Craniosacral therapy is not intended as primary healthcare but to work alongside the relationship you have with your doctor or other health professionals.

What can I expect from a session with you?

Let’s chat! As a therapist with over 10 years of specialised training in anatomy, physiology, trauma work, breathwork, mindfulness and coaching, I bring a holistic, clinically grounded approach to my practice. My extensive experience allows me to deeply understand the body’s complex systems and the profound impact that being embodied has on overall health. By integrating these therapeutic techniques, I offer personalised care that supports not just physical healing but emotional and mental well-being.

Get in Touch

Locations

Evolution Osteopathy, London

75 Roupell Street, SE1 8SS

Bramham Therapy Marlborough

6A London Rd, Marlborough SN8 1PH

Ahead4Therapy, Devizes

41 St. John's St, Devizes, SN10 1BL

Testimonials

A possible ray of light for those suffering with Long Covid symptoms: Today I ran 3km, without stopping, for the first time since I was ill in March 2020. In October I was pushed to run 100m! I had 4 sessions with Andrew Radley, who is a brilliant Craniosacral Therapist. I approached the first session with a slightly doubtful, open mind. I felt immediately improved. This only lasted around 10 days, so I went back for more. Each time my improvement lasted longer. I've not been back since the early December restrictions in London and I still feel SO much better.'

(E.A, January 2021)

Andrew is a marvel - with magical hands, and a reassuring manner, he manages to release tensions which are held deep below the surface. CST has helped me keep a clear head and a "more relaxed" body which is imperative in any performance-related career. By listening with his hands to what my body needs - without having to ask probing questions - Andrew has cleared away pent up neck and back tension completely noninvasively, allowing me to breathe deeper and connect more fully, which is not only useful as a singer, but as an educator too. After a CST session with Andrew it feels like I am floating on a cloud, without the emotional and physical tensions I had entered the session with."

(DEP)

Catherine Smale

Andrew is an immensely gifted and compassionate practitioner. Prior to seeing him, I had struggled for many years with chronic migraine, anxiety, depression and widespread muscle pain. None of these issues had responded to conventional medical treatments and I was not terribly hopeful that Andrew would be able to help me. However, after seeing him on a weekly basis for several months, these physical and psychological issues melted away and I have now (re-)discovered a sense of safety, wellness and emotional connection that I did not believe was possible. Friends and colleagues have commented on the transformation they have seen in me and, for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am really alive. I cannot recommend Andrew highly enough.

Nicola Coombe

Andrew's work is immensely compassionate and trustworthy in enabling an environment of deep stillness and thus healing and true inquiry.

I came to CST in despair, reeling from a tumultuous period of breakups, health scares and chronic stress. I’ve been seeing Andrew for the last six months, and in that time I’ve seen my insomnia, low mood, allergies, anxiety, vertigo and muscle pain recede and my energy restored.

I was nervous about CST at first, but the beauty of it is that it is gentle and your body will never tackle something its not ready for. Instead Andrew will focus on parts of you that are working well, to encourage space, healing and balance. Every CST session is different, but it is a very physical therapy that feels akin to deep meditation or sinking into a warm, hot bath. You walk out feeling zen and aligned. After the first session I felt like I had lost 10kg from all the emotional stress I had been needlessly carrying around. After a few sessions, you become better attuned to your body and you can feel the therapy working in subtle ways in-between sessions as you heal old injuries; energetic, emotional and physical. I have already referred my families and friends to see Andrew. It is my heartfelt belief that in this stressful, urban jungle, everybody needs CST in their life and I will be forever grateful. (RJ)