Overview
The core training consists of five workshops: CST1, CST2, SER1, SER2 and Advanced 1. The Upledger approach allows people to progress through these as and when they are ready and have completed sufficient practice in between. How quickly anyone completes the core training is dependent on many factors. There are also many other opportunities to develop your palpatory skills and a greater understanding of the work, as you go as you will see from the Further Courses page and also from the Study Support page. You will find a variety of other specialist courses to tempt you further down the road!
If you are coming to the training with no previous healthcare experience, then you can do the Foundation Certificate, followed by the Training from Scratch programme. Here is a bit more of the overview information.
How long will the training take?
How long is that piece of string?
We are often asked how long it will take to train in this work. There are a few answers to this question, depending on your starting point. You can find out more about how to proceed if you have no background on the next page, and more about the timing, but if you are already practicing and working as a healthcare practitioner of some kind and are looking to incorporate a few techniques into what you do, then that can be just a few classes with a good dob of practice and perhaps study groups. However, the true essence of Dr Upledger’s work is all around the SomatoEmotional Release process, while remaining very grounded and in touch with the tissue (the clients body) and getting to fully understand the depth that takes, as in similar approaches – years, decades, if ever?! I am partly jesting, of course. We are always learning, but to answer the question, to work thorugh the Core Curriculum typically takes 18 months to three years, depending on your time, inspiration and set up.
Location, location, location… or… where and for how long?
Workshop details
We always do our best to select comfortable, convenient and well-managed facilities, and also to ensure that there is a range of accommodation and lunch options nearby. Teas, coffees and refreshments are usually provided in the breaks.
Each four-day class runs from 8:30 or 9:00am to approximately 5:00 or 6.00pm, with registration 30 minutes beforehand on the first day. The last day may start a little earlier so that it can end earlier and people can get on the road. Typically, we will aim to finish by 3.30pm at the latest on the last day. Actual times for your workshop will be confirmed in advance and / or on each day of the course, as required.
The Advanced workshops are residential and the hours can be a little longer than that; but the last day will also typically finish earlier.
When am I qualified?
If you want to call yourself an Upledger trained CranioSacral Therapist, we ask that you become qualified first. This involves taking all of the above courses, successfully completing the Techniques Exam and being a Qualified member of the Cranio Sacral Society, the UK’s organisation for our practitioners. You can fInd out more about the Exams here and the Cranio Sacral Society either on our summary page or on its own website.
Up until that point, you are incorporating CST into what you do under any other training and working within the core competencies of that training.
What then?
Of course, as any good thing grows and continues to be developed, more can be added to it. As people have wanted to learn more, so additional courses have developed and grown. We run the more advanced or specialised courses at least ever couple of years. You will find out more about them on the Further Training page.
First, find out about the different ways we offer to Support your Study!