40 Years of the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy (CCST)

40 years - and what massive changes have arisen in the Cranio-Sacral field during those 40 years.

When the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy (CCST) was formed by Thomas Attlee in 1986 as the first college of cranio-sacral therapy, the only other person teaching cranial work outside of the osteopathic colleges was John Upledger in the USA, and cranio-sacral therapy was almost totally unknown. Since then, CCST has trained thousands of students, many other trainings have emerged, and cranio-sacral therapy is now available in the majority of countries across the world. What a transformation.

Origins

When Thomas formed CCST, he had just graduated from the European School of Osteopathy (ES0). The ESO was the most progressive osteopathic college at the time, the only osteopathic college in the world which taught cranial work throughout its 4-year training. The teaching was deeply rooted in the work of William Sutherland, Rollin Becker, James Jealous and John Upledger, who was a guest lecturer at the college. But the approach to cranial work was essentially mechanical. Thomas felt there was far greater potential for cranial work. In particular, the word “energy” was not used and “emotions” were not acknowledged. Thomas felt that these two factors were crucial in enabling a more comprehensive, progressive, integrated understanding of health and wellbeing. So he created CCST to enable a broader approach to cranial work.

Cranio-Sacral Integration

Cranial work can be broadly divided into three main categories: Biodynamic, Biomechanical and Integrated. One particularly significant contribution to the cranial field developed by Thomas at CCST is the distinct approach of Integrated Biodynamic Cranio-Sacral Therapy, integrating: the whole spectrum of approaches from biodynamic to biomechanical, working with emotions, through Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Fascial Unwinding, Mindfulness, Trauma resolution, Quantum awareness, integration of the individual within the Cosmic field through extensive personal development to enable a more profoundly effective therapeutic presence.

Some approaches describe cranio-sacral therapy as “body work”. This is a limited perception. Cranio-Sacral Integration is a profoundly transformative integration of the whole person - body, mind, emotions, spirit - in the context of their life, in the context of the whole cosmos. This is what mades the CCST training so transformative.

Quantum Awareness

The physical body is not just anatomy. It is a biomagentic field, an individual matrix within the wider universal matrix, a single drop in the cosmic ocean. When we engage with this cosmic consciousness, the responses are very different and far more profound.

Distant CSI

This understanding has led CCST to the groundbreaking development of Distant Cranio-Sacral Integration. Hundreds of cranio-sacral therapists, from Canada to India, from the USA to Australia are enabling profoundly effective results through distant work firmly based in cranio-sacral principles.

Fascial Unwinding

Fascial Unwinding has been specifically developed by Thomas to a far deeper level, engaging with the cybernetic systems of the body, the deeply imprinted tissue memory - emotional and physical, the liquid crystalline fascial matrix, and the inner healing potential of the body - a transformative process, with widespread applications for trauma resolution, chronic pain and body-mind integration.

Clinical Experience

Teaching Clinics are hugely appreciated by students as one of the most valuable preparations for professional practice, experiencing a wide variety of patients, from new-born babies to the elderly, from chronic ill health to acute injuries, from physical pain to emotional trauma.

In Order To Heal Others, You Need To Heal Yourself

A key element at CCST is the emphasis on Personal Development, the most significant factor in developing a genuinely potent therapeutic presence. Almost every student reports that by the time they graduate they are a different person from when they started - not only a highly trained professional therapist, but also happier, healthier and more integrated - their relationship with their family, their work and with life transformed.

Compassion

Compassion is at the heart of CCST - inherent in the teaching, the tutor support and the personal attention to every student and patient. CCST is not merely teaching a technique, it provides a truly compassionate approach to supporting everyone on their journey through life.

Global

Over the past 40 years the college has run trainings in many countries, and students from all over the world, from the USA to Hong Kong and from all over Europe travel to London to experience the high standard of training provided by CCST..

Highest Standards

CCST has always sought to maintain the highest standards, in its teaching, in preparing students to become successful therapists, in its ethical approach, in its extensive support for students.

Still Growing

40 years experience has informed the CCST approach, enabling us to grow year-by-year, to learn and adapt, to build the best possible college of cranio-sacral therapy that we can. We appreciate the many tutors, students, and others who have contributed to the growth and development of the college. We look forward to the next 40 years and more, stretching out indefinitely into the time-space continuum.

With love and cosmic consciousness
College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy (CCST)
www.ccst.co.uk

Article taken from the Spring 2026 Edition of The Fulcrum Magazine (Issue 98). Produced and published by the Craniosacral Therapy Association (CSTA) UK.