CST Charlotte
Hosted by Sheryl McGavin, OTL, CST
About Sheryl & CST Charlotte
Are you interested in Craniosacral Therapy (CST)? Continue reading for information about CST and resources available in the Charlotte area for those interested in receiving CST or training in CST.
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Hello! My name is Sheryl McGavin and I am an occupational therapist in private practice, providing craniosacral therapy services. A little over 30 years ago I began to study craniosacral therapy, and because my patients experienced such benefit from this gentle modality I chose to specialize in CST. I developed this website as a resource for people in the Charlotte area seeking CST services for themselves and for therapists wanting to learn CST. I am actively training new therapists and mentoring local therapists to increase availability of quality CST providers in the Charlotte area. I am still in practice, with an office in Waxhaw. However, due to the growing demand for CST and limited availability in my schedule I can no longer accept new clients. On this website I provide a list of therapists who I am training and/or mentoring who you can contact if you are looking for a CST provider. If you are a therapist wanting to learn CST there is information for you, too!
About Sheryl (me): I have been an occupational therapist for over 40 years, and have always embraced a holistic view of health and and health care. Craniosacral therapy, and the somatoemotional process, addresses the body as well as the emotions and considers the individual with regard for his or her unique situation. CST treatment principles recognize how all parts of the body and aspects of a person are interrelated, and how structure and function affect each other. The innate intelligence of the body is respected and treatment focuses on releasing blocks, tensions or restrictions that may inhibit the body's self healing abilities. The subtle, rhythmic motion of the craniosacral system (the membranes and fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord) is palpated to locate the origins of symptoms and light touch is used to work with the structures involved. The gentle nature of this work makes it accessible to people of all ages and almost all conditions.
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As I observed the positive, and sometimes remarkable, changes in my patients, CST naturally evolved into my specialty. For the last 30 years the focus of my practice has been CST - providing CST for my clients and teaching CST to others. Awareness of the benefits of CST continues to grow in the healthcare community and there is an increased need for skilled providers. I have shifted my focus to training therapists to increase the availability of CST for those needing it and consequently have limited some of my direct client care.
I learned CST by taking classes with Dr. John Upledger - an osteopathic physician, developer of CST and founder of the Upledger Institute. In 1999, Dr. Upledger invited me to work as a therapist and instructor at his clinic in Florida. For over 10 years I worked in the clinic and intensive programs at the Upledger Institute, and I taught beginning through advanced level CST classes for the Upledger Institute all over the world. I worked with and learned directly from Dr. Upledger - co-teaching with him during his last year of teaching before he retired. After Dr. Upledger retired, I left the Institute and moved to North Carolina - needing to be in a climate with seasonal changes, and a land where there are farms, forests and mountains, and to be closer to my family in Ohio.
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Since leaving the Upledger Institute, I have developed and taught classes with Don Ash of the CST Alliance and also teach my own classes here in Charlotte. I started "CST Charlotte" - a community of therapists studying together, learning about and providing CST services in the Charlotte. In my years of practicing and teaching CST, I have learned that the gentle and holistic nature of this modality can often be helpful for those who are not finding benefit from other approaches, or who need something in addition to the other modalities they are using in order to fill in the gaps in their care. At this stage of my life, it feels like the best way I can serve those who could benefit grom CST is to make sure there are more skilled providers available to provide that service.