Countless massage therapists have learned and utilize CranioSacral Therapy (CST) in sessions to benefit client health. CST was developed by John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M., who also co-founded The Upledger Institute to promote and publicize the work.
In 2010, The Upledger Institute is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Founded in 1985 by Upledger and Allen Merrell, The Upledger Institute has trained more than 100,000 health care professionals residing in more than 100 countries in the therapeutic approach.
“I believe that some of the best healing comes from the heart and the hands,” Upledger told MASSAGE Magazine. “This belief has been highly criticized over the years. Today I am extremely proud that massage therapists and other bodyworkers are finally being recognized for the healing work that they do.”
CranioSacral Therapy is used to address common ailments including headaches, back problems, stress disorders and TMJ; complex conditions affecting the central nervous system, motor coordination and learning development; and diseases such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
From early in his career, Upledger’s style of health care practice could be termed inclusive. To further his cause, Upledger used the prominence and infrastructure of The Upledger Institute to introduce and support other leading-edge alternative and complementary health care modalities and promote the general acceptance of hands-on work, according to a press release from the institute. With his leadership, The International Alliance of Healthcare Educators (IAHE) was formed, as was the International Association of Healthcare Practitioners (IAHP).
“Incredible strides have been made in the advancement of manual therapies” in the past quarter-century, the institute’s CEO and John E. Upledger’s son, John Matthew Upledger, told MASSAGE Magazine. “When I first started working with the Institute in 1986, I encountered a lot of skepticism whenever I explained our therapeutic approach. Alternative therapies were not well accepted, and CranioSacral Therapy was virtually unknown. To have been involved in the evolution and acceptance of natural health care, and CranioSacral Therapy, in particular, is a great source of pride for me.”
As The Upledger Institute’s reputation has garnered attention worldwide and the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy have become widely accepted.
During the year-long anniversary celebration, the institute is offering its alumni and new students the opportunity to celebrate its 25th milestone through free class drawings and monthly product specials. Practitioners can look for the institute’s ads in MASSAGE Magazine and product specials in the monthly CST Working Wonders newsletters. Besides the textbooks authored by Dr. Upledger, the institute and IAHE members offer a selection of more than 300 health-related books, CDs and products.
For more details, call the Upledger Institute Educational Services Department at (800) 233-5880.
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