A former brother in a semi-monastic spiritual order, Jim was a co-founder of the Institute for Healing Studies. In his private healing practice, Jim combines subtle energy therapy with cranio-sacral work and therapeutic massage.

His background in meditation and spiritual practice and his love for experiential learning have made him keenly attentive to the developmental and initiatory dimensions of bodywork and energy healing. His teaching style is warm, personal and fun, reflecting his passion for inspiring participants to find their unique qualities and callings, as well as for teaching solid principles and practices of energy healing.

Cranial sacral is a light touch technique, which addresses the cranial sacral system. In addition to its remarkable effectiveness in relieving a wide range of conditions, many massage therapists appreciate the relief from repetitive strain afforded by this gentle style of therapy. It can be blended with regular massage to deepen the effects. 

This specialty certificate program is a combination of three courses that combines the practices of cranial sacral work and energy work.

Energy-Active Craniosacral Work I
Joining the principles and practices of and craniosacral work and energywork is an ideal way to integrate the structure of your body with the energy that enlivens it. This cross-disciplinary course gives students tools and a context for working in a deeply therapeutic way with others, attending to the physical and energetic needs of their client, while developing personally in their calling as a healing facilitator.

Main Elements of Course I:
*THE CRANIOSACRAL SYSTEM, its structure, function and needs, as well as strategies for releasing its restrictions in the form of effective treatments
*FOUNDATIONS OF SUBTLE ENERGY THERAPY; partner treatment forms that activate and balance the human energy system
*PERSONAL INTERNAL PRACTICES involving your own subtle energy system. Here, you become your own laboratory for learning how energy and consciousness work.

Recommended Reading:
Energy Healing: A Pathway to Inner Growth by Jim Gilkeson


Energy-Active Craniosacral Work II
In Course II, we will build on our discoveries in Course I. Students will have a thorough review of the main elements of Course I and continue to learn to work with the structures and energies of the head, hard palate and face. We will devote at least half of this course to strategies for unwinding the body and the location and release of energy cysts. Our personal energywork exploration will provide a means of deepening all facets of this approach which blends work with both the structure of your body with the energy that enlivens it. If enough students enroll, we will work in multi-handed teams. i.e. more than one therapist on a client.

Main Elements of Course II:
*REVIEW OF THE CRANIOSACRAL AND ENERGETIC TREATMENT FORMS LEARNED IN COURSE I
*SPHENOBASILAR RESTRICTION PATTERNS
*WORKING WITH THE FACIAL ANATOMY, INCLUDING THE HARD PALATE
*THE NATURE OF ENERGETIC RELEASE
*UNWINDING THE BODY
*EMOTIONAL AND ENERGETIC RELEASE
*WHOLE-BODY CONSIDERATIONS

Prerequisites:
Energy-Active Craniosacral Work: Course I

Recommended Reading:
Energy Healing: A Pathway to Inner Growth by Jim Gilkeson

Energy-Active Craniosacral Work III
Resistance, Release and Renewal

This course in Energy-Active Bodywork will give participants an opportunity to take what they have learned in courses I and II and “put it all together.” We will focus in particular on the phenomenon of release in the arena of therapeutic bodywork. Participants will learn to work with principles and non-forcing approaches that apply broadly in many bodywork modalities. We will draw on principles at work in subtle energy therapy, energy-active craniosacral work and Zero Balancing ®.

Recommended Reading: A Pilgrim in Your Body: Energy Healing and Spiritual Process
Prerequisite: Energy-Active Craniosacral Work II, or permission of the instructor