Brennan is an OSTCAN certified Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, M.OMSc (Master in Practice of Osteopathic Manipulative Sciences) who has advanced Upledger CranioSacral Therapy (CST) training and has been a practicing manual therapist for nearly 20 years.
Brennan is a graduate of the 4 year Masters in Osteopathic Manipulative Sciences program from the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy (CAO), where he recently had the pleasure of working as an intern instructor for a year. Prior to Osteopathy, he started as a registered massage therapist in 2006 then began his Upledger CST training in 2009. He then continued his CST education to include Somato Emotional Release, Advanced CST, and numerous other specialized trainings.
Brennan knows firsthand the tremendous capacity of Osteopathy and CranioSacral Therapy to facilitate self-healing within the body as these modalities played leading roles in helping him recover after numerous sports injuries, concussions and accidents. He uses his manual therapy skills to address the causes of bodily dysfunction in order to restore patients’ mobility, vitality and health. Brennan takes a whole-person approach to facilitating healing with patients - showing up and being present to support them through their unique challenges on their individual path back to wellness.
When away from the clinic, Brennan also enjoys unwinding in nature, reading a good book, cooking, working on his own personal and spiritual development, and having fun with friends and loved ones. He is also trying to get over a love affair with hockey one day at a time.
My Credentials
Osteopathy Canada (OSTCAN)
All OSTCAN members must complete 4200 hours of education, and a minimum of 1000 hours of supervised clinical practice and training. As a national council, OSTCAN ensures that patients are guaranteed a standard of practice regardless of the province in which they seek care.
Canadian Academy of Osteopathy
The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy provides a 4 year, full-time osteopathic program with the highest standards of education and supervised clinical standards in Canada. Brennan had the privilege of being an intern instructor for a year at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy’s West campus.
Upledger Institute
With nearly 20 years of hands-on clinical experience, Brennan has completed the core CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release curriculum as well as numerous Advanced and Upper Level courses.
CranioSacral Therapy & SomatoEmotional Release
What is SomatoEmotional Release?
SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a method of facilitating tissue release where trapped emotions may be preventing the body from fully healing. SERs can arise organically during treatment or be solicited via imagery or dialogue. The practitioner holds non-judgmental space and offers unconditional support. With gentle physical engagement of restricted tissues, the patient focuses on their own sensations and internal landscape, a level of supported connection that frequently enables self-healing on multiple levels.
What is CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light-touch manual modality pioneered in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Dr. John E. Upledger, D.O., through research at Michigan State University. Through gentle engagement of the craniosacral system, the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid around the central nervous system, the therapist helps the body release deeply held tensions to alleviate dysfunction and facilitate health. Advanced applications affect joints, connective tissues, viscera, the peripheral nervous system and the immune system. Patients frequently feel an increased sense of calm after treatment.
What can CST help with?
Advanced CST applications can address dysfunction in the neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, excretory and immunological systems. CST may help with trauma and pain conditions such as headaches, migraines, concussions, TMJD, anxiety, joint pain (including back and neck), and birth trauma, as well as conditions of unknown etiology such as multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia. Applied on a case-by-case basis; not a cure-all.
How is cranial osteopathy different from CST cranial treatment?
The difference comes down to the practitioner’s intent based on palpation and assessment. From a classical osteopathy perspective, manual cranial treatment alleviates cranial restrictions affecting nerves, arteries, veins and lymphatics. It can assess and treat various tissue layers including cranial bones with specificity, sometimes using more force (though still gentle). CST is a gentle modality affecting specific structures deep in the body to enhance overall health; while it often involves the cranial bones, the intent is generally to restore health of the central nervous system by improving cerebrospinal fluid flow and the function of the fascia and meninges.