February 2025 Newsletter

Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! As we step into this promising New Year, I want to extend my gratitude to all of you for your unwavering commitment to the association and the profession. Your dedication continues to elevate and inspire.  

We are pleased to announce an updated constitution was adopted at our AGM.  This will be posted onto our website soon.  

We’d like to give thanks to our outgoing ExCo members Nadine Moses, Katinka Fourie, and Anne Haifer for their unwavering service and commitment to the association.  

Your newly elected ExCo members for the current year term are as follows:  

Dr Drupad Kara re-elected as chair for his second year in this role.  

Drupad is a dentist working in Mafikeng. And works part time as a craniosacral therapist and runs mindfulness programmes on occasion.  He has been actively involved in the craniosacral therapy association of SA for a few years now and looks forward to volunteering his second term as chairperson.  

Simone Draai re-elected as vice chair.

Simone Draai is a qualified Craniosacral Therapist since 2010 (SAICS) and has her private practice based in Salt Rock, Ballito. A born traveller and explorer she is, she came across CST as part of her own health journey and a combination of results and curiosity lead her down a path of study and practice.  She works with all age groups and a wide variety of health conditions. Simone has been on the ExCo since 2021 in the position as Vice-Chair and is looking forward to serving our community for another term.

Julia Novicki re-elected

Julia began her career as a dance teacher, she opened Alive Dance Studio 30 years ago with the passionate belief that dance is a birthright- a way to joy and health.

Julia’s dream was for movement/dance to become a mainstream activity for everyone. Julia studied movement therapy with Ann Fisk, the continued experience of how movement, in all its many forms, including stillness, invigorates, allows and encourages healing. Julia’s spiritual approach to movement and the human body deepened and opened the door to Cranial Sacral Therapy.  

Julia began studying Cranial Sacral Therapy with Al Pelowski in March 2000, completing the full practitioners’ course and qualifying in August 2001. Julia continued her education with postgraduate training. Over the past two decades she has done courses with John Dolton, Hugh Millne, Mathew Appelton, Mary Shorthouse, Jacob Nell, Simone Gosling, Kitya Nowicki and Ellen Groesser. She has been a member of the Cranial Sacral Therapy Association of South Africa since its inception, and has been a committee member of the association since 2022. One of her missions is to work towards CST being a part of mainstream health care and education.  

Julia has been practicing Craniosacral Therapy for 22 years and is presently practicing from Muizenberg, Cape Town. Intrinsic to movement is healing. Movement is intrinsic to life. Movement becomes you.  

Davita Dewrajram elected as our new treasurer

Davita is a dedicated Craniosacral Therapist, Entrpeneur, Internationally certified Transformational Mindset Coach and a Meditation and Breathwork Guide.  She achieved notable success in the Banking Industry as a financial professional before forging a path as a trailblazer in entrepreneurship.  A pillar in her community, Davita is deeply committed to creating a promising future through sustainable charity projects.

Realising a longing to live a life of purpose, she discovered her passion as a Craniosacral Therapist bearing testament to the profound healing, happiness and fulfilment this modality offers not only personally but to family and clients alike.  She looks forward to co-creating an Association for practitioners and students alike.

Ketan Hira

Ketan Hira is a dedicated Craniosacral Therapist with a practices in Johannesburg, (Randburg and Lenasia). With a background in accounting and operations, he had transitioned full-time into therapy, driven by a deep passion for holistic healing, well-being, and promoting a stress free violent free society.  

In addition to Craniosacral Therapy, Ketan has a strong interest in fitness, yoga, meditation, ayurveda and ancient breathwork techniques, which complement this therapeutic approach. As an active volunteer with The Art of Living—one oft he world’s largest NGOs— he has spent time in India refining skills in self- development and service.  

Committed to continuous learning and professional growth, Ketan looks forward to contributing to the Craniosacral Therapy community and engaging with fellow practitioners.  

Together we look forward to doing our part of voluntary service in maintaining and moving our association forward.

Annual membership fees

We introduce our updated membership fees due by 31 July 2025.  Please take not of the penalty charges.

The new fees will be as follows:

• Full members R600
• Student and friends members R360
• Associate member R600
• Institutional member R1000
• Registration fees R410
• Full advert R580
• Renewal advert R430
• Reinstatement fee 50% of outstanding fees plus the current fee.
• Penalty fee for late payments 50% of membership fees

Benefits:

1. Discount on postgrad training
2. Free listing on our website
3. Voting rights on the decisions of the association
4. Free in person connect and share session
5. We hope to include other benefits as we work on various possibilities during the year.

To register, please visit our website cranial.org.za or email us on hello@cranial.org.za.

Upcoming Events for 2025

ExcitingEvents to Look Forward to in 2025

1. We continue our monthly online support sessions every last Monday of the month. Dates and details in the flyer.
2. Look out for the dates of our in-person connect and share days
3. We are pleased to announce the postgrad for this year…  See Flyer

Your active involvement is the foundation of our success. Together, let us make 2025 a year of progress, innovation, and collaboration.    

Warm regards,
The Executive Committee
Craniosacral Therapy Association of South Africa