CranioSacral Therapy (CST) and SomatoEmotional Release (SER)

On Demand Study Groups

A Virtual Study Group for CranioSacral Therapists and Students of the Upledger Institute International

facilitated by Suzanne Scurlock, CST-D

Study Group Overview
Detailed Overview
What this Study Group Explores
Learning Outcomes
Why This Matters in Practice
What's Included
Audience
Meet Your Instructor

Dialoguing with the Brain

Open to ALL CST levels (from CST 1 and above)

Lifetime Access Only $99

brain being held in hands with healing energy

Dialoguing with the Brain is an on demand professional study group for CranioSacral Therapists and students trained through the Upledger Institute International.

This study group explores how to work skillfully and safely with the brain using therapeutic presence, refined palpation, and simple dialoguing. Through clinical storytelling, live demonstration, and whole-body integration, participants deepen their ability to listen to brain tissue and facilitate functional change.

The program is facilitated by Suzanne Scurlock, CST-D, a senior instructor with more than 40 years of experience teaching CranioSacral Therapy. Participants receive lifetime access to professionally recorded lectures, demonstrations, and clinical Q&A.

Open to ALL CST levels (from CST 1 and above)

Investment: Only $99

Detailed Overview

Healing Brain Work Through Presence, Precision, and Deep Listening

In this study group, you will explore:

How Direction of Energy remains the foundation of healing brain work
Why the 10-Step Protocol must not be bypassed when working with the brain
How to dialogue with brain tissue without over-diagnosing or over treating
The role of thoracic inlet, ribs, diaphragm, and sacrum in cranial function
When to treat — and when to refer (including safety considerations such as suspected brain bleed)

What This Study Group Explores

This study group moves through a natural clinical arc:

Re-grounding in foundational CranioSacral principles, including Direction of Energy and overall balancing
Clinical case progression from early cautious brain work to deeper structural listening
Working with migraine, post-trauma compression, aphasia, and cortical restriction
Distinguishing between “geeking out” anatomically and staying relationally present
Understanding that tissue responds to safety and neutrality more than words

You will see how healing brain work is not about memorizing structures — it is about deepening presence and trusting tissue intelligence.

Learning Outcomes

By participating in this study group, practitioners will:

Refine their ability to dialogue simply with brain tissue — safely and confidently
Strengthen whole-body assessment skills before entering cranial structures
Apply frontal bone and prefrontal cortex engagement techniques appropriately
Recognize clinical red flags requiring referral
Embody presence before technique, listening before doing, and safety before intervention

Why This Matters in Practice

When working with the brain, precision and presence matter more than action.

Clients with migraine, post-concussive symptoms, or aphasia often require subtle engagement
Whole-body restrictions can override cranial corrections if not addressed first
Gentle, layered frontal releases can restore space and fluid flow

CranioSacral therapists must balance confidence with discernment.

Not all head pain should be treated — some require medical referral
Over-interpretation can disrupt therapeutic neutrality
Safety and therapeutic presence are the true regulators of the nervous system

What's Included

All components were professionally recorded live over Zoom.

Your registration includes:

A full-length lecture on Dialoguing with the Brain: Advanced CranioSacral Listening & Clinical Application
Live demonstration illustrating frontal bone lift, whole-body assessment sequencing, and prefrontal cortex engagement
Clinical insights drawn from over four decades of teaching and clinical experience
Practitioner Q&A addressing migraines, post-trauma brain work, and safety considerations
Lifetime access via the Online Training Center (OTC)

Audience

This study group is designed for CranioSacral Therapists and students of CranioSacral Therapy seeking to:

Deepen confidence in working with the brain
Refine therapeutic presence and simple dialoguing skills
Integrate whole-body assessment into CranioSacral treatment planning

Meet Your Instructors

Suzanne Scurlock, CST-D

Creator of Healing From the Core®

For more than 40 years, Suzanne Scurlock — senior instructor for the Upledger Institute International — has been helping CranioSacral Therapists and students strengthen and refine their palpation skills, sensitivity, grounded therapeutic presence, and confidence.

Her live courses, online study groups, and mentoring sessions support practitioners in every stage of their journey — from first discovering CranioSacral Therapy to mastering advanced SER work and beyond.

Suzanne is the author of two acclaimed books: Full Body Presence: Learning to Listen to Your Body’s Wisdom and Reclaiming Your Body: Healing from Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom.

Mariann Sisco, PT, CST-D

Mariann Sisco is passionate about helping people solve even the most puzzling issues. Once struggling with her own health challenges that didn't respond to conventional care, she discovered the guiding principles of CranioSacral Therapy and other osteopathic approaches...and finally experienced hope and healing.

Fueled by her personal belief that you cannot diagnose the power of the human spirit, Mariann now delights in sharing her skills with patients and students alike.

Mariann has enjoyed a long and celebrated career in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, orthopedic clinics and most recently at the Upledger Institute incorporating CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Mechanical Link in her work to improve functional outcomes and relieve pain. In 1988, The University of New Mexico named her their first "Clinical Educator of the Year."

Details on Our Study Groups

All the lectures, demos, and Q&A were filmed live over Zoom. You can watch from your location with a practice partner or on your own.

The beauty of this type of study group is that the cost of registration gives you lifetime access to the video to watch as many times as you need so you will get all the nuances that you may have missed during the initial lecture and demonstration. You can revisit the material again and again until you feel confident to put the skills into practice.