Two Year Professional Training in Craniosacral Biodynamics: Diploma Course

Successful completion of this course leads to a Diploma in Craniosacral Biodynamic Therapy. Graduates are eligible for accreditation by the Craniosacral Therapy Association of the United Kingdom and the Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America, which recognise this course. This training is also affiliated to other biodynamic training institutions worldwide via IABT, the International Affiliation of Biodynamic Trainings and graduates can also use the designation BCST to indicate that they have graduated from a biodynamic training.

The professional training in Craniosacral Biodynamics is taught at the Institute over ten five-day seminars during two years; the meetings are approximately bimonthly. During the course, students are required to produce homework assignments and a clinical project, and to undertake practice sessions between seminar meetings. Supervision, feedback and course handouts are provided throughout the training. Students undergo continual assessment and are required to achieve a professional standard of practice before graduation. Formal tutor assessments occur halfway through the course and towards the end of the training.

Intention of the Training

To provide a nurturing and safe learning environment in a setting of natural beauty.
To nurture and encourage the personal development of both tutor and student alike.
To provide an integrated training in Craniosacral Biodynamics firmly rooted in the innovative work of Dr. William Garner Sutherland which includes the insights of later practitioners in the Cranial Field.
To provide an integrated training with influences from other relevant fields which include the pioneering work of Dr. William Emerson in prenatal and birth trauma, the work of Dr. Raymond Castellino in healing infant trauma and the work of Dr. Peter Levine in healing shock and traumatisation in the human system. These influences are especially emphasised in the Advanced Courses.
To provide an in depth appreciation of the healing principles of the Breath of Life and its unfoldment in the human system.
To provide an in depth understanding and appreciation of these principles and to be able to safely apply them within a clinical context.
To convey and teach, within this context, clearly defined palpation and therapeutic skills with the ability to apply these skills within a clinical context.
To graduate skilled, safe and therapeutically effective Practitioners.

Course Work and Student Evaluation

Homework is assigned each training module. This includes both written work and reading. Students are asked to write up a minimum of two practice sessions as part of each assignment. Students are expected to complete all homework on time.
There is a written project undertaken in the second year of the training.
Students are expected to undertake a minimum of two practice sessions a week outside of class time. These are with practice clients who enter into a non-paying, non-professional relationship with the student. Practice clients must understand that the purpose of sessions are solely to support the student s learning process. If the practice client needs professional help they must be referred to a qualified practitioner. Students will receive supervision feedback in small groups during seminar time.
Students are evaluated in an on-going fashion throughout the course. Palpation and clinical skills are tracked by tutors and appropriate feedback and help is offered in an on-going fashion.
There are two formal practical assessment/feedback sessions scheduled during course time. These are individual sessions where students practice the work on tutors for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Clinical palpation skills are the focus of the assessment sessions. Students are given tutorial feedback and their skills are assessed. These occur towards the end of each training year.
There is a written final exam given at the end of the second year.
Students are encouraged to form local study groups which meet between seminar times. Study groups with tutors can also be arranged.
Students are required to experience at least ten sessions from a qualified practitioner within the two years of course time.

Teaching Format

Small class sizes of up to 20 students are maintained.
Learning occurs largely via observation and exploration.
At least a five to one student-teacher ratio is maintained in order to provide in depth feedback on palpation and clinical skills during practical sessions.
Small and large group feedback occurs after practical sessions.
Teaching methods include lectures, the use of visual aids, demonstrations, guided sessions, visualisation work, small group exploration and feedback, supervision feedback; all with an emphasis on student observation and exploration.
Tutorial and supervision sessions are included in each training module. Each student is assigned a tutor who may be consulted for personal feedback.
Practical clinical applications are emphasised with approximately sixty percent of class time given to hands on practical session work.
Course notes are provided for each training module. Notes on clinical applications and diagrams and drawings to support the learning process are provided.
Students are encouraged to meet as a peer group each seminar and to elect a student representative. This representative is nominated to give course feedback and suggestions from the peer group to the course co-ordinator. Students are also encouraged to individually give course feedback at any time. Written course feedback forms are part of many homework assignments.

Karuna Institute

International Training and Retreat Centre

Two Year Professional Training in Craniosacral Biodynamics: Diploma Course

Intention of the Training

Course Work and Student Evaluation

Teaching Format

course details