Testimonials for CranioSacral Therapy

And H. is acting like the child he was meant to be. He is so comfortable in himself and happy. Sometimes it seems he must feel really bad inside because he is whiny and miserable.

Thank you so much for helping him to feel better!

Susan

Also, am hosting an old friend in town from Oklahoma City, and he is constantly commenting on how much more confident and focused my posture and presence are. Thanks for working magic with me! I’ve been feeling like a vastly happier person, and the results I’ve gotten are many and nearly unquantifiable in their scope.

MP;SF

SCIATIC NERVE PAIN

Brian Esty has been helping me with numbness in my hand and helping my son with the challenges of Asperger’s. He has a wide knowledge of how the body works and he understands how it connects with the mind. His grasp of Infant Reflex Integration and the Masgutova  Method is subtle and extensive.

I have had sciatic and back pain for years and have tried many different methods for reducing and alleviating it. I tried chiropractic, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, stretching exercises, and more.

Brian’s expert knowledge of human anatomy and of how to work it to reduce and relieve pain is extraordinary.

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HOT FLASHES

I might have to rewrite my class review in a few days (or whenever my life stops evolving).  I have found that I have had a lot less hot flashes yesterday, as long as my goal was in my mind (even at the back of my mind).  I did have a few hot flashes yesterday and today, and was actually able to make them go away with just the thought of my goal!  This has never happened before!!!  It is a feeling of getting control of my body back. I can’t tell you how liberating that is!

I found Brian when I was desperately seeking relief from an acute injury, and have continued to see him regularly for maintenance. Brian’s vast body of knowledge and incredibly gifted talent with structural integration are unparalleled. I particularly love that Brian really, truly, listens to me and observes my posture to tackle whatever matter of ailment I walk through his door with. I love that he has a family package and I can share his amazing work with my entire family. My children particularly enjoy having him work on them!

Brian has helped my family with shoulder injuries, Achilles heel injury, anxiety and stress, correcting and realigning postural habits of body, eye tracking and improvements in school with regards to reading, lateral and locomotion issues, energy movement/applied kinesiology, and allergy (vial) sensitivities.

The best thing about a session with Brian is getting to spend time with Brian! I completely trust his methodology, have experienced incredible results, and always look forward to giving my family and myself the gift of his healing touch.

have been seeing Brian for a year now and his help has been paramount to my health and wellbeing. I came to Brian with a shoulder injury that I sustained while training for an open-water swim. It was one week until race time and I was desperate for help. Well, not only did Brian alleviate the pain in my shoulder so that I could swim my race, but he became my number one go-to guy for my overall body/energy wellness.

During our sessions, Brian helps me to better understand the patterns my body has grown accustomed to that hinder my more integrated self. Best of all, he gives me simple but very effective exercises and/or tips for countering these habits and feeling my best.

I love that Brian offers a family packet of sessions because my husband and two young children also love to work with Brian. Here is just some of what he has helped my family with lateral stability issues that have caused knee stress on my youngest son, bilateral integration to help improve my daughter’s reading and school work experience, a partially torn Achilles tendon (My husband thought he’d never play basketball again and now he can!), emotional recuperation after the loss of a parent, addressing old injuries so that they no longer fester in daily habits of body, allergy (vial) testing, applied kinesiology to help move energy and clear obstacles, general integration and sense of wellbeing far beyond muscle manipulation.

To add to this incredible list, Brian Esty is just about the kindest, most generous person to work with. I look forward to spending time with him as much as I do receiving healing work from him.

re: Availability

Oh, GOOD!  I am glad you are not too full and have space for others in need…  What you do is so important!  I was talking to someone from the Waldorf school today.  The child doesn’t cross the midline, is homolateral…  I told her to get on your waiting list:)  Another friend’s daughter and son have super tight limbs, and feet that need attention.

I appreciate what you have done for all of us!

Oh my gosh !  T’s foot is back to normal.  It’s been swollen for years.

Can’t wait to come in for me!

A.G., Marin

“I just went to a networking event. Before I came, I did that lean/ fall facing the wall posture and that deer turn posture that you taught me. I was amazed at how much of a social butterfly I became. I made a lot of contacts and got a lot of business cards. Couldn’t have done it without you!” JW SF

Brian Esty has been helping me with numbness in my hand and helping my son with the challenges of Asperger’s. He has a wide knowledge of how the body works and he understands how it connects with the mind. His grasp of Infant Reflex Integration and the Masgutova  Method is subtle and extensive.

My hand has improved markedly since working with him.

He has taught me exercises to do with my son and he has shown me how to do them with great refinement, i.e. he shows you how to do them in the way best tailored to your particular child, not just the general technique that you might find in a book. I see very positive changes in my son’s ability to interact with others as a result of Brian Esty’s work.

His home office is very peaceful and looks out upon a green garden. One is really in another world there. He has a strong yet sensitive touch and an almost hypnotic voice that helps you let go and receive the strength of his healing.

I can recommend him for both children and adults.

A. Berkeley, CA 2012

“I had lived with chronic debilitating numbness in both of my legs for years before I went to Brian. My doctors were pretty insistent that it was time for me to go in for spinal surgery, and that there was nothing else to do.  Because I am in my late 60s, I was afraid that I would never fully recover from surgery and that this would be the beginning of the end for me.

Instead, I talked to Brian, who suggested that we try some things before I scheduled surgery. After our first session, I felt better than I had in months. Within a few weeks of starting with Brian, I am now going to the gym every day and even playing Golf again! I still get a little occasional numbness, but it goes away quickly and just makes me pay attention to what I am doing. Brian helped me get my life back!”

M. D. San Mateo 2011

“I don’t know how I injured myself, but my right hip began to hurt.  After two days it became a sharp pain that shot down my leg and up my back.  I was unable to sit or lay down comfortably.  I went to the UCSF Emergency Room after 3 nights without sleep and barely able to walk.  They checked me out, prescribed some medications, and sent me home.

The next day a co-worker told me about Brian.  I was still in so much pain that I decided to try him out. When I called Brian, he asked me a number of questions and told me he had an opening late that afternoon.  I took it.

He told me that my body was really out of alignment. He said that it was my psoas muscle. I had never even heard of it.  He did some deep tissue massage at various points in my abdomen and my back.  There was no chiropractic work done. When I stood up after an hour of work I had little pain. That was the first night I slept at all in 4 days.  I still had some aching that would flare up at night, but no pain.  After two more sessions with Brian over the next week.  I was totally pain-free.

It has been almost 6 weeks now and I have seen Brian 5 times.  He is working on some other minor problems I have had for quite some time, but I have had zero pain in my hip, back, or leg.

I would highly recommend Brian to anyone who wants pain relief without all of the medications typically prescribed by doctors. Moving forward, I will be seeing Brian for annual checkups to ensure I stay in alignment. 

J.S.  SF

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Client comment after the second session:

“This is the first time I have felt pain-free in the last two years!”

HG SF

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New client called in acute lower back pain. I saw him that afternoon and followed up by email several days later:

Hi Brian,

It worked great…I am feeling 1000 times better. Amazing. Thank you.

SL SF

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I have had sciatic and back pain for years and have tried many different methods for reducing and alleviating it. I tried chiropractic, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, stretching exercises, and more.

Brian’s expert knowledge of human anatomy and of how to work it to reduce and relieve pain is extraordinary.

After the first session, I went from not being able to work at my computer for more than 1/2 hour without the pain being so intense that I had to stop, to where I could work for hours at a time with minimal discomfort.

Each session has brought about an improvement for me.

I highly recommend giving his unique methodology a try.

And, if you are experiencing low energy issues, as I was, ask him about the hair analysis. The results were right on and I now have a plan in place to resolve it.

Brian is a healer.

HM, Alameda, CA

~

“I had lived with chronic debilitating numbness in both of my legs for years before I went to Brian. My doctors were pretty insistent that it was time for me go in for spinal surgery, that there was nothing else to do.  Because I am in my late 60’s, I was afraid that I would never fully recover from surgery and that this would be the beginning of the end for me.

Instead, I talked to Brian, who suggested that we try some things before I scheduled surgery. After our first session, I felt better than I had in months. Within a few weeks of starting with Brian, I am now going to the gym every day and even playing Golf again! I still get a little occasional numbness, but it goes away quickly and just makes me pay attention to what I am doing. Brian helped me get my life back!”

MD; SM

I attended Brian’s Touch For Health class a few years ago and was impressed with his knowledge and manner.  Brian inspires confidence and exudes ‘gentle healing’.

In February of this year I had total knee replacement surgery and the after-effects were debilitating.  Immediately, I thought of Brian as a source for help and relief.

After the first visit I was walking pain free along the outer edge of the surgical leg.  We’ve had a few more sessions and most recently Brian was able to clear a problem along the outer edge of my knee – a problem that I’d been speaking with my surgeon and the physical therapy staff since the day of surgery.

I visit with Brian every few weeks and I cannot wait until the next visit – for I know that I will benefit from the experience physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Without reservation, I recommend Brian Esty for your aches, pains, hurts, and body/mind needs.

Also, I’m hosting an old friend in town from Oklahoma City, and he is constantly commenting on how much more “confident” and “centered” my posture and presence is. Thanks for working magic with me! I’ve been feeling like a vastly happier person, and the results I’ve gotten are many and nearly unquantifiable in their scope.

MP;SF

~

“Since I began working with Brian Esty, I have noticed that things bother me much less than they did before. Prior to starting this work, I couldn’t enumerate the myriad of things, large and small, that used to bother me, upset me, scare me. Now I can honestly say that the circumstances of daily life are much less daunting and life has become sweeter regardless of circumstances.

My circumstances have not changed, I have changed.”       CZ SF

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I wanted to thank you for the session last evening.  It really made a difference to me and my well being.  You are truly gifted and your healing prowess and spirituality is second to none.  I am honored to work with you.~

~

“I just went to a networking event. Before I came, I did that lean/ fall facing the wall posture and that deer turn posture that you taught me. I was amazed at how much of a social butterfly I became. I made a lot of contacts and got a lot of business cards. Couldn’t have done it without you!” JW SF

~

Yelp Review:

Brian has a unique way of focused listening to issues as well as his bodywork strategies and techniques for addressing them that certainly defies my description.  He has helped me get to the source of many body related issues and showed me a course that will remedy their recurrence.  Quite simply miracles occur with Brian and his work.

Response to thank you note for review:

You deserve even more eloquence but that was the best I could do yesterday.  You are a miracle worker and miracles have occurred as a direct consequence of both knowing and working with you.

Partial or complete paralysis after stroke is common. Regaining motor control afterwards is an iffy proposition. Traditional physical therapy is helpful, but there is more that can be done. Reflex integration exercises intensively focused on the hands and feet can help the brain re-connect with the lower level motor control systems which are usually left intact. Because of the strong association between the hands and mouth, it is common for speech to also improve from these exercises.

Client with Anorexia and Bulimia which had been treated for over twenty years stated after the first session that she had never felt anything like that before. Between the first and second session, she stated that she had gone through a whole week without an episode, and that normal triggers for her were manageable.

I’m able to sleep better now, and my legs are better!  I have a cold now, but I’m very happy about it.  I remember I had told my Lyme doctor, I had not had a cold or the flu in 6 years since I had Lyme.  she said that was because my immune system was compromised, and that when I did get a cold my immune system was working better.

Soooo….I have a cold, and I guess my immune system is working better.  It started as a sore throat, then went into my head, and now it’s in my head and chest…and soon it will be gone, I think.

Thanks so much…”

AL, SF

“I went to see Brian after working in an orchard for several days pruning trees. Looking up all day had left my neck extremely painful and with limited mobility. Brian worked on it for five minutes or so before I heard an audible soft pop, it slid back into place and the pain went away for good.”

SH SF

45 year old client had a classic head-forward posture that had over time resulted in a hump of hardened tissue over the spine at the base of the neck. They complained of chronic neck pain and stiffness. Sessions initially focused on posture and releasing long-held muscle tension using Myofascial Bodywork. The intent was to move the head back over the torso and to reengage the supporting musculature. The hump of hardened tissue was also consistently worked on the break it up. After seven hours of Myofascial Bodywork, there was substantial improvement and after this, the sessions included more postural retraining. After seven more hours, the neck issues and hump of hardened tissue had pretty much dissolved.

Teasing out spasticity from other muscle issues can be challenging. However, it is often found that Cerebral Palsy is only a portion of the frozen muscle issues. Much can be improved with manual Techniques.

“My son was chronically bent over sideways at nearly ninety degrees when Brian first saw him. Working in combination with Physical Therapy, my son is now able to straighten out and stay straight for long periods.”

~

“My newborn girl had a lot of trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. After seeing Brian she was able to rest better and cried much less”

CV SF.

Corporate executive who was working with me for other gains was “restructured” and their spouse was let go within a couple of weeks. The client’s comment was that without the work we had been doing they would have been “anxious, bordering on insanity” going through this time of change. The client has been experiencing some anxiety, but it has been mild and transitory. They stated that it has been a novel experience going through the job hunt process without being motivated (driven) by fear.

35 year old working closely with a stressed boss / small business owner was having difficulty handling the bosses mood swings and controlling behavior. We did a couple of balances that balanced out the reactivity and allowed this person to engage with their boss without having to feel anger or frustration. The client has been able to create an exciting job as a key member of their boss’s team.

“Brian,

I was able to have a very nice weekend thanks to your work on Friday.  things at work are still very tumultuous and it is becoming increasingly clear that my days are numbered here although no one will come right out and say it.

A resignation by me would not be met with wet eyes.

Thank you again for asking the right questions to help me return to sanity and your loving kindness.”

~

I have been in the hairdressing industry for 25 years. Over the years the standing and repetitive motions have taken a toll on my body. My weak points tend to be my lower back and right shoulder. I met Brian about 2 years ago and he has really helped me with my posture and becoming aware of how I hold my body when I am working with clients, and where I tend to also hold tension. Since working with him I feel that my body stays in correct postural alignment. Because of Brian, I have more energy at work, less overall pain in my body at the end of the day, and I notice I even breathe better and handle the daily stress of working with clients much easier. Working with Brian is now a maintenance tool I use so I can continue being creative and working in the field of hairdressing for years to come.

LL San Mateo, CA

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Client after an initial session stated in their follow-up that they felt a “lift” like when they first went on SSRI’s, a general sense of excitement, a sense of peace and safety at a place that they have not experienced in a long time.

“I had carried the trauma of being raped as a small child for over forty years. Talk therapy helped me come to terms with the reality of having been abused and to lead a productive and successful life. I was never able to completely let go of the sense of being in danger and reacted stressfully to minor and random events. The reflex integration work I did with Brian quickly helped free me from this and to more fully enjoy life’s challenges.”  SF

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“After the trauma of a serious car accident with my newborn baby in the car, I was unable to calm down around her or to drive without becoming extremely anxious. My child suddenly started having seizures and crying inconsolably. Brian corrected her and my cranial alignment, which needed work after the crash, and also taught me ways to control my stress and the stress my child was expressing. Shortly after seeing Brian my child’s seizures stopped.” SF

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“An abusive childhood had left me with deep-seated blocks to emotional connection with others. I had trouble forming intimate bonds and my relationships were controlling and manipulative. In working with Brian and my [talk] therapist, I began to bond deeply with the people I love and become playful and happier in my relationships. I also became much more sensitive to their needs.” SF

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From doing this work I have found that it is absolutely true that emotion is the experience of energy moving in the body, and that by changing how energy flows you change the emotional experience and thought processes.  Creating dramatic shifts is as simple as identifying where energy is restricted and getting it moving again. Sometimes this takes just a few minutes.

“Since I began working with Brian Esty, I have noticed that things bother me much less than they did before.  Prior to starting this work, I couldn’t enumerate the myriad of things, large and small, that used to bother me, upset me, scare, me.

Now I can honestly say that the circumstances of daily life are much less daunting and life has become sweeter regardless of circumstances.

My circumstances have not changed; I have changed.”  San Francisco

S. is doing pretty darn well in school. He is happier now – when he comes home, I have a little boy who hums to himself.  I saw him on a field trip day and he seems to have three friends in the class.  Three real friends that he can hang out with. This is untoward wealth for him.

His reading is improving and improving. He reads faster and more fluently.

Yesterday he sat down in a restaurant and did one of those word search things where you circle the words. One of the words was backward and diagonal.  He has NEVER done one of those puzzles before. We checked and he got everything correct.

His handwriting is still terrible, and his focus is still lacking, but he’s in a far better place now than he was 6 months ago. Thank you.

C.M. Palo Alto

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Autism is such a broad diagnosis it is in some ways not very informative. Here however is a testimonial for work that made a difference for this 6-year-old boy.

Testimonial on Joshua

Joshua’s speech therapist of 3 years recommended Brain Integration for my autistic son, Joshua.

Joshua had been diagnosed with autism at 6 years old. There had always been some signs of

autism in him but all assessments done had said that he did not have enough characteristics to be

labeled “autistic” ,untillast year.

Since first seeing therapist, Brian Esty, “Dr. Brian”, as my son calls him, I had been concerned

about his inability to understand language and things that we tell him or ask of him. He did not

have any “non-rote” language. I would have to tell him to say please, thank you, and bye to

people. He did not respond correctly to even yes/no questions. He did not listen and pay

attention to his surroundings. He was not social. He did not have consistent eye contact.

Joshua engaged in weekly sessions of BIT. After only a few sessions he already began to have

more spontaneous language. He even said, “‘thank you Dr. Brian, bye-bye” without any

prompting. I was pleasantly surprised! He also began to say goodnight to his sister. Joshua

began to look forward and verbally asked to see Dr. Brian every week.

After each session, I began to notice more positive results.

His ability to understand language had greatly improved. He used to answer all yes/no questions

without thinking. Now he actually thinks about the questions we ask him before answering.

He follows directions better, has better listening skills, and continues to improve. He even

received an award from his speech therapist at school congratulating him on “good listening

skills! He is also not as resistant to doing his homework. It just seems easier for him.

He also became more social. He is not shy about going up to people to say hello and hold hands,

whereas before, he would not approach people at all besides his parents. He now greets all

visitors when they come to our house.

Understands taking turns by saying “my turn, your turn”

He is definitely more confident. He has a younger sister who always used to take things away

from him and he wouldn’t care. Now, he pulls her hair whenever she gets in his way (I may not

like it more this way but people always tell me that is a normal reaction for a 6-year-old).

He is more aware of his surroundings. One day, our family was in the car and his sister was

crying. Joshua automatically grabbed a tissue and gave it to her. He notices the weather when it

is sunny and rainy.

After Brain Integration Therapy, I have seen a difference in his eye contact, playfulness/silliness,

humorous side, more spontaneous language, has more interest in other things, understands rules

(turn-taking, board games,)

We even began to give him chores to do around the house, like passing out napkins and putting

his dirty clothes in the hamper.

I have a lot to be thankful for. And one of those is Dr. Brian and his Brain Integration Techniques.

~

Japanese client after two-hour Goal Balancing session

how are you?  Thank you for the great session and i am still balancing of my brain.  While I drove from SF to LA, I have a funny story.  I started thinking of something Japanese language then at the same time, English language also came to my mind.  So I can think Japanese/English same time now.

Thank you and see you soon.

MM Japan

The client presented with severe pain in the right wrist. The assessment found that the muscles that extend the hand at the wrist had a great deal of hardened connective tissue that had developed a ropey feel and that actively prevented the hand from closing all of the ways. We did 3 sessions spaced a week apart from 20 minutes of deep tissue bodywork on the forearm followed by 10 minutes of reactive muscle reset to restore the balance of the extensors and flexors of the hand. By the third session, the pain had greatly diminished and the grip was nearly normal

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction is a diagnosis for a range of neuromuscular imbalances rooted in miscalibrated neural feedback from muscles of the jaw, cranium, and/or neck, resulting in chronic pain. Standard options for treating TMJ include retraining using mechanical appliances, drugs, or surgery. Fortunately, many cases of TMJ can be treated quickly with long-lasting results using Craniosacral Therapy and other manual therapy techniques.

There is a strong correlation between Reflex Integration and TMJ

I use gentle, hands-on techniques to reset muscle tension for optimal function, eliminating pain, teeth grinding, headaches, etc. These techniques are safe, painless, and often quite pleasurable, eliminating TMJ pain without surgery, drugs, or appliances. I pay attention to treating the root causes of stress and other factors that have an effect on jaw tension as part of the long-term solution. I am very successful at quickly getting relief from pain.  I also successfully treat post-surgical or appliance-use trauma.

Frozen Shoulder: Also known as adhesive capsulitis. The root cause is inflammation of the shoulder joint capsule from any cause. The secondary effect is tightening and hardening of the soft tissues that surround and cross the joint.  This shortened tissue can aggravate the joint further, creating a chronic condition, that does not seem to get any better. Myofascial treatment is very effective at opening up the soft tissue, which removes pressure from the joint capsule, allowing it to recover. I can usually get an immediate improvement in range of motion and function, and with continued work, continued improvement. Complete recovery is contingent on the tissue’s inflammatory response subsiding, which may take some time.

Client presented with long-term reduced range of motion of the right shoulder. I did several hours of Bodywork and Kinesiology. Increased range of motion from 50% to at least 90%.

“Good job, Brian!”

PK  Bangkok, Thailand

Hey Brian-

i woke up this morning,and there is a noticeable difference.  last night, after i left your house, i concentrated on not limping/favoring and breaking that pattern.  then D. brought my “good shoes” home from the health club which fit me properly.  that helped too.

my body feels the most normal it has since pre-accident.  so i wanted to thank you.  i am walking slowly, but more normally and more “centered” in my body.  yea!

thanks again for your work!!!

“Hi Brian:

I’m able to sleep better now, and my legs are better!  I have a cold now, but I’m very happy about it.  I remember I had told my Lyme doctor, I had not had a cold or the flu in 6 years since I had Lyme.  she said that was because my immune system was compromised, and that when I did get a cold my immune system was working better.

Soooo….I have a cold, and I guess my immune system is working better.  It started as a sore throat, then went into my head, and now it’s in my head and chest…and soon it will be gone, I think.

Thanks so much…”                                                                A.L. S.F.

SW SF

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Client was doing Yoga on the Wii Fit and found that after doing a series of Myofascial bodywork their center point was much more aligned and stable. I also used Goal Balancing with this client.

~

Hi Brian,

Just a short note to say, THANK YOU! OMG, my body feels so good! I had a session with my yoga teacher this morning and we were both amazed at how different my body moved and felt! Can’t wait to see you again! S.B. S.F.

Brian,

Thank you so much for all of your teaching. You have a really sensitive spirit full of energizing insights. I appreciate you sharing your gifts with me.

MA CS,

Brian,