I remember the first child demo at a Gillespie Approach Training in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in November 2006 was an eleven-month-old girl with hydrocephalus. The doctors insisted on shunt surgery, but the parents resisted and wanted to try all of the natural routes first.
I remember just holding the occiput with a student holding the sacrum. We were just being mindful and present for her. The baby went into a tremendous arch like I had never seen before. I remained calm, but as I looked around the room, every student was aghast, jaws hanging to the floor.
I explained to the parents that the arching may be contributing to the hydrocephalus, and they took their daughter for more Gillespie Approach visits to some new graduates after the seminar. The child responded quite well, the surgeon said the hydrocephalus was gone, and the shunt was avoided. The impressed parents eventually took the training for their family.
The Gillespie Approach can be most effective if birth trauma creates pressure and blockage in the cerebral aqueduct (aqueduct of Sylvius) area. This canal, connecting the third and fourth ventricles, is about the size of the lead in a pencil. The Gillespie Approach is definitely worth a try before the surgery is done.
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Foundation Trainings
Gillespie Approach Foundation Training is designed for students to work with children and adults.
2026 Dates:
- January 22–24 | Melbourne, FL
- March 19–21 | Greenville, SC
- May 14–16 | Westfield, IN
- June 25–27 | Bozeman, MT
- August 6–8 | Boise, ID
- October 1–3 | Olathe, KS
- November 9–11 | Newtown Square, PA
- November 12–14 | Newtown Square, PA
Infant Trainings
Gillespie Approach Infant Training is designed for students to work with infants.
2026 Dates:
- January 25–27 | Melbourne, FL
- March 22–24 | Greenville, SC
- May 17–19 | Westfield, IN
- June 28–30 | Bozeman, MT
- August 9–11 | Boise, ID
- October 4–6 | Olathe, KS
- November 15–17 | Newtown Square, PA
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