Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy & Bodywork
Supporting Stress, Development, and Emotional Resilience in Children
For over a decade I've taught martial arts to youth, guiding children in movement, breath, focus, and grounded confidence. Over the years, one truth has become more and more obvious: children are under enormous pressure today — emotionally, physically, socially, and neurologically — and many don’t have enough safe outlets or support to process that stress in their bodies.
Kids are under enormous pressure nowadays.
Parents feel it too. Kids aren’t the only ones overstimulated, overtired, and overwhelmed.
Families today are navigating fatigue, behavioral challenges, sensory overload, sleep difficulties, and rising stress levels on all sides.
That's where pediatric craniosacral therapy (CST), gentle bodywork, breath support, and nervous system co-regulation come in.
These therapies help children release tension, build emotional resilience, and feel more at home in their bodies while giving parents support and relief, too.
Kids Need Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy: Touch, Movement & Co-Regulation
Children are wired for physical connection, movement, and attuned presence.
They learn who they are through:
Play and physical activity
Safe pressure input and grounding touch
Experiencing calm nervous systems around them
Movement exploration and breath awareness
Loving co-regulation with caregivers
Now more than ever modern life gives kids:
More screens than sensory input
More structure than play
More stimulation than stillness
More “behave” than “be”
Many children crave touch and physical engagement — but don’t always receive it in healthy, therapeutic ways. Without positive touch and embodied connection, stress builds up in:
Facial muscles and jaw
Diaphragm and breath mechanics
Gut and digestion
Posture and movement patterns
Emotional expression
Craniosacral therapy and gentle bodywork give children what many are missing:
a safe, relational, nurturing touch experience that helps their body feel safe again.
When a child feels physically supported, their nervous system learns:
I am safe here. I can soften. I can breathe. I can feel myself.
This nervous system foundation supports emotional regulation, learning, digestion, social engagement, and sleep.
What Pediatric Craniosacral & Somatic Bodywork Support
Families seek this work for many reasons, including:
Stress & emotional dysregulation
ADHD, ADD, and sensory processing challenges
Autism support (alongside other care)
Behavioral difficulties
Sleep struggles & nighttime tension
Headaches & growing pains
TMJ tension / tongue posture / jaw development
Immune system fatigue
Digestive issues & abdominal tension
Post-injury recovery & developmental imbalances
Co-regulation & attachment support
pediatric craniosacral therapy - family fatigue
This work does not replace medical care, speech therapy, behavioral therapy, orthodontics, or other interventions — it enhances them.
In fact, craniosacral therapy often works best in tandem with occupational therapy, oral-facial myofunctional therapy, chiropractic care, developmental play therapy, and functional medicine approaches.
Many parents report:
Calmer moods
Improved sleep
Better bowel movements
Softer facial tension
Reduced jaw clenching
More emotional ease and connection
Fewer meltdowns
Clearer communication
More grounded physical presence
Why Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy Matters: Development, Dentistry, & Growing Bodies
As kids grow, the nervous system, facial bones, breath habits, and musculoskeletal system develop together.
Things like:
Orthodontic changes
Tongue-tie and airway development
Glasses & visual stress
Mouth breathing
Posture and screen use
Stress responses
…all influence how the skull, jaw, breath system, and nervous system mature.
Pediatric craniosacral therapy gently supports these transitions, helping the body adapt and stay regulated through growth, dental changes, and sensory demands.
CST & Pediatric Research
infant colic relief with pediatric craniosacral therapy
Although research continues to grow, CST has shown positive outcomes in areas like:
Autism spectrum support (sleep, anxiety, social engagement)
Infant colic & digestive discomfort
Birth trauma recovery
Pain modulation
Nervous system regulation
Headache & migraine relief
Emotional stress reduction
What studies suggest — and what I see every day — is that CST provides powerful support when combined with other pediatric care, because it regulates the very foundation children grow from:
the nervous system + breath + physical presence + emotional safety.
For Parents: You Need Support Too
Children don’t regulate alone — they regulate through us.
Many parents share:
“I’m exhausted.”
“I don’t recognize my child lately.”
“I feel overstimulated and under-supported.”
“I just want them to be able to relax and enjoy childhood again.”
This work supports you too — helping you become the grounded, calm anchor your child regulates through.
“When caregivers and children receive nervous-system support together, the whole family benefits. I’ve guided many sessions where a parent comes in with their child, both receive bodywork, and sometimes we even teach the family how to gently massage each other.”
What a CST Session for Children Feels Like
My work integrates:
Craniosacral therapy
Somatic therapies
Chinese Clinical Massage
Breath awareness & gentle movement
Martial arts-based developmental principles
Trauma-aware nervous system support
Playful grounding presence
Kids often leave sessions:
Softer in the face
Breathing more freely
More settled and connected
Smiling, playful, grounded
Parents often say they feel like a weight has lifted too.
Growing Up Should Feel Safe in the Body
kids get too much screen time
Children don’t just “grow out of” tension — they grow through it with the right support.
Giving a child:
Safe touch
Space to feel in their body
Permission to soften
Healthy pressure and movement input
…is one of the greatest developmental gifts we can offer.
Ready to Support Your Child’s Regulation, Resilience & Development?
If you’re in Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, or the Triangle and feel your child could benefit from grounded, gentle, nervous-system-supportive bodywork, I welcome you both.