Spinal Energetics: The Complete Guide to Dr Sarah Jane Perri’s Method, What a Session Involves and the Evidence

Spinal Energetics is a body-based, energy-oriented practice created by Melbourne chiropractor Dr Sarah Jane Perri. Practitioners use light touch or no touch around the spine and body, and clients often shake, move or cry. The founder says it helps the nervous system regulate.

Body and energy · Helps with: stress, tension, emotional release, body awareness, feeling stuck

Last updated: 23 October 2026

Reading time: about 25 minutes

How we wrote this guide
We used Spinal Energetics’ official pages for the method, prices and safety rules. For outside views we used a 2025 Women’s Health feature, a 2023 Pedestrian.TV piece and podcast interviews. We searched Europe PMC, OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies. Research on related practices comes from systematic reviews and the American Heart Association. Prices are as listed in October 2026. We checked every link and DOI.

Quick answer: what is Spinal Energetics and does it work?

• It was developed by Dr Sarah Jane Perri, a chiropractor and holistic counsellor in Melbourne. Her organisation describes it as a “somatic and nervous system-based modality” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-a).
• A session is clothed and usually about an hour. The practitioner uses light touch, observation and “energetic engagement”. You may move, shake, breathe differently, feel heat or cry (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-d).
• Its mechanism is the organisation’s own theory. It says tension, emotion and “stories” are stored in the body and can be released.
• The organisation says research “is continuing to evolve” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-a; Metwally, 2025).
• Costs are mainly in Australian dollars. A first one-to-one session at headquarters is listed at 220, with no currency shown (probably AUD, about US$155). Practitioner training is AUD 5,800 to 6,500 (about US$4,070 to US$4,565).

Contents

1. What is Spinal Energetics?
2. Origins and the founder
3. The core ideas
4. What a session involves
5. Training and who the practitioners are
6. How it relates to chiropractic, osteopathy, craniosacral and energy healing
7. What the evidence says
8. Costs
9. Finding a practitioner
10. How to prepare for a first session
11. Books
12. Watch, listen and follow
13. Frequently asked questions
14. Key takeaways
15. Explore more on Self Help Supermarket
16. Sources

What Is Spinal Energetics?

Spinal Energetics, branded Spinal Energetics™ by its owners, is a practice that works “with the spine, nervous system and subtle physiological patterns” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-a). Its official description says it “uses low force and often non-contact techniques” and that clients may show “spontaneous movement, shifts in posture, or changes in breathing and vocalisation”.

Three things are worth keeping apart:

• What happens. Clients lie on a table while a practitioner passes hands over the body or presses it lightly. Clients move, shake, make sounds and often cry (Barraclough, 2025).
• What the organisation says it does. It says the method works with the spine, nervous system and “energetic field” to reduce tension and help the system reorganise.

The organisation says it has more than 900 practitioners and is practised in more than 30 countries (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-j; Spinal Energetics, n.d.-b).

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Origins and the Founder

Who founded it

Spinal Energetics was developed by Dr Sarah Jane Perri, usually called Dr Sarah Jane, who is based in Melbourne, Australia. Her site describes her as a chiropractor, holistic counsellor and teacher (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-c). Women’s Health reported she founded the method during the Covid-19 pandemic (Barraclough, 2025). The training page says it began after “immense grief and ambiguous loss” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-l).

Her credentials, as she states them

Her founder page lists a psychology and philosophy degree from Deakin University, chiropractic degrees with distinction, a yoga teacher training, a counselling certificate, a graduate certificate in humanistic Buddhism, and certificates in esoteric acupuncture and dry needling. Two master’s degrees (Chinese medicine; Buddhist studies) are “in progress” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-c).

Where the ideas come from

The official description says the method is “influenced by” Network Spinal, Spinal Flow, Innerdance, Alpha Alignment, craniosacral therapy, somatic psychotherapy and pranayama (yogic breathing), while keeping “a distinct clinical foundation” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-a). Her own article adds chiropractic and osteopathic ideas, trauma neuroscience, and yogic and Tantric models of the subtle body (Perri, 2026).

How it spread

Short videos of clients writhing and crying while a practitioner waves hands over them made it famous. Women’s Health said the “Learn Spinal Energetics” tag had 2.4 billion TikTok views (Barraclough, 2025). Her debut book appeared in mid-2026.

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The Core Ideas

This section describes the method in the organisation’s own words.

The spine as the centre. The founder says the spine “holds both the imprint of our accumulated experience and the latent capacity for its own reorganisation and healing” (Perri, 2026).

Stored tension and emotion. The Level One course teaches “how tension, emotion and stories are stored in the body” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-f).

Layers and spines. Training covers physical, emotional, mental and spiritual layers, and “mapping the major and minor spines”. Level Two adds “expanded energetic layers” and work with “past and future” energy (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-f; Spinal Energetics, n.d.-h). These are the method’s own concepts, not anatomical structures.

Nervous system regulation. The organisation draws on polyvagal theory, breath and stress physiology and trauma-informed approaches (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-a). Polyvagal theory is a popular framework whose details are still being researched, and relaxation itself is helpful.

The energy field. Practitioners say they sense and work with an “energetic field”, on or off the body. In its online-session FAQ, the organisation explains that it does “not use quantum physics or another scientific theory to claim that remote energetic interaction has been proven” (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-e).

A body reading. In the Women’s Health piece the founder reportedly said a “watery” sound meant “repressed tears” and linked the pancreas to self-worth (Barraclough, 2025). Treat such readings as interpretation, not diagnosis.

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What a Session Involves

The official description

At the organisation’s headquarters in Richmond, a Melbourne suburb, sessions are “conducted fully clothed, either on a treatment table or seated”. Practitioners use “a combination of light touch, observation and energetic engagement to interact with the nervous system and spinal wave dynamics”. Possible experiences listed include spontaneous movement, changes in breath or posture, emotional release, heat or tingling, deep relaxation and increased body awareness (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-d).

The FAQ recommends at least three sessions to begin and says not everyone moves. A client form and informed consent are required (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-e).

What reporters describe

Two outside accounts show what a session can feel like.

• Women’s Health UK (2025). The session lasted about an hour. The founder pressed on her chest and ribs, interpreted what she felt, and pulled each arm, which felt like an electric shock. She cried, trembled and had a headache for about 24 hours. Two weeks later she felt “more at peace” but said the session “hadn’t ‘cured’ me” (Barraclough, 2025).
• Pedestrian.TV (2023). The writer described the founder scanning her body “in a Reiki-esque way” and tugging an arm. She felt lighter afterwards.

Both are first-person and positive. They show what clients report, not what the method does physiologically.

Individual, group and online sessions

• One-to-one in person. The core format. A UK directory says touch is light and there is no manipulation (Find a Therapy, n.d.).
• Group sessions. Offered at headquarters, but only after a one-to-one session (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-e).
• Online. The practitioner works through “focused attention, observation, verbal guidance, breath, movement” while you stay at home. Recorded sessions with the founder are also sold (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-i).

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Training and Who the Practitioners Are

Spinal Energetics practitioners are certified by the organisation, not licensed by a government.

Sources: (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-f; n.d.-g; n.d.-h; n.d.-l).

Level One teaches the nervous system and fascia, “energetic anatomy”, scope and ethics, an assessment, and “safe, regulated spontaneous movement”. Applicants need a relevant background and at least one prior session. Examples given include doctors, therapists, massage therapists, yoga teachers, chiropractors and breathwork facilitators (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-e). So a practitioner may be a doctor or may have no regulated health qualification.

Level One does not authorise teaching or running groups. Graduates may apply to the International Institute for Complementary Therapists, which the organisation says it is registered with (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-e). A certificate in a private method is not a clinical licence.

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How It Relates to Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Craniosacral and Energy Healing

Chiropractic. Chiropractic centres on the spine and often uses manipulation. Spinal Energetics calls itself a low-force approach, though its founder is a chiropractor. Spinal manipulation for low back pain, by contrast, shows modest benefit in trials (Paige et al., 2017; Rubinstein et al., 2019).

Osteopathy. Osteopathy uses manual techniques on muscles and joints. A 2014 review found moderate-quality evidence of benefit for low back pain (Franke et al., 2014). Spinal Energetics shares the focus on the spine, not the method.

Craniosacral therapy. Named as an influence. It uses very light touch on the skull and spine. Reviews disagree: a 2019 meta-analysis found benefit for chronic pain (Haller et al., 2019; Ceballos-Laita et al., 2024).

Energy healing and Reiki. The closest relatives are practices where a practitioner works near the body and says they affect an energy field. Our own related guides cover spiritual healing, chakra healing, sound healing, the Emotion Code, EFT tapping and Havening. A Cochrane review has looked at Reiki for depression and anxiety (Joyce & Herbison, 2015). The NCCIH summarises current research on Reiki (NCCIH, n.d.-a).

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What the Evidence Says

Research on related practices

Why people may feel better

A session offers things that help many people: lying still, slow breathing, being touched gently or attended to, and permission to feel. Those can lower tension for a while. Crying or shaking is a common part of the experience, and clients often describe it as a release.

The bottom line

It may suit someone who wants quiet, attention and a body-awareness experience, approached as an experience rather than a medical treatment.

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Costs

Amounts are as listed by the organisation in October 2026. We converted Australian dollars at AUD 1 = US$0.70, the 23 October 2026 rate (Frankfurter, 2026). Rates and prices change.

Practitioners elsewhere set their own fees, and online sessions work worldwide, so shop around. Ask about typical session numbers and earnings before paying for training.

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Finding a Practitioner

The organisation runs a searchable directory of “over 900 practitioners globally”, filterable by in-person or online, level and language (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-j). It lists the organisation’s own graduates. Find a Therapy also lists it in the UK.

Check these before booking:

• Their core qualification. In Australia use the AHPRA register, and in the UK the General Chiropractic Council or General Osteopathic Council. The NHS notes that chiropractors and osteopaths must be registered by law, while other complementary therapists need not be (NHS, n.d.-b). In the US, check your state licensing board.
• Level of training. Level One or Two, and how long ago.
• Other methods. Ask whether they also use manipulation, especially of the neck.
• Screening. A good practitioner checks the exclusions above and refers you on when needed. Ask about insurance too.
• Claims. Walk away from promises to cure disease or pressure to book many sessions.

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How to Prepare for a First Session

We are not teaching the technique. The organisation reserves it for trained practitioners, so a written guide could not teach it safely or legitimately. Its US$37 Self Practice programme is the official at-home option, which we have not evaluated. These steps, which are our own, help you prepare, choose well and look after yourself afterwards.

Time. About 15 minutes of preparation, then the session, usually about an hour.

1. Decide what you want. Write one line, for example “to feel calmer” or “to try something new”. Avoid “to cure my back pain”.
2. Choose and vet the practitioner. Use the checklist above, then ask by message whether the session includes any neck manipulation and what happens if you want to stop.
3. Prepare practically. Wear loose, comfortable clothes. Avoid alcohol, drugs and plant medicines beforehand. Keep the hours after the session free, and arrange a lift if you may feel unsteady.
4. Tell them everything relevant. Mention injuries, surgery, medicines, pregnancy and mental-health history on the consent form, and say what you don’t want, such as touch on certain areas.
5. Know you are in charge. You can ask to pause, slow down or stop. You don’t have to move, cry or feel anything. Not everyone does.
6. Look after yourself afterwards. Drink water, rest and expect that you may feel tired or tearful. If distress or physical symptoms persist, contact your doctor or therapist.

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Books

• Your Spine Holds the Answer: The Story You’ve Been Carrying by Sarah Jane Perri (Dean Publishing, 2026; ISBN 9781764372329). The founder’s debut book, which says it covers “the emotional roots of pain” and the “language of the body” (Author to You, n.d.). It is priced at US$26.99 at Kinokuniya USA (Kinokuniya USA, n.d.). Listings differ on the publication date (28 June or 28 July 2026) and length (240 or 300 pages) (Amazon, n.d.; Simon & Schuster Australia, n.d.). We have not read it, and it is not a peer-reviewed source.

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Watch, Listen and Follow

Videos

• Heal Trauma Without Reliving It: The Power of Spinal Energetics with Dr. Sarah Jane – Nat Kringoudis. An interview.

▶ Heal Trauma Without Reliving It: The Power of Spinal Energetics with Dr. Sarah Jane – Nat Kringoudis. An interview with the founder.

• Unlocking the Body’s Wisdom: Exploring Spinal Energetics with Dr. Sarah Jane – Saturn Returns with Caggie. A second founder interview.

▶ Unlocking the Body’s Wisdom: Exploring Spinal Energetics with Dr. Sarah Jane – Saturn Returns with Caggie. A second founder interview.

• Dr. Sarah Jane Perri on Spinal Energetics, its healing approaches and leveraging AI – AIBC World.

Podcasts

• Energy Healing: Placebo or Potent, What Is It and Why Should I Care? – Healthy, Wealthy & Wise with Adam Metwally. An 86-minute conversation about energy healing. (Metwally, 2025).
• The Science of Energetic Healing: Meet Dr. Sarah Jane Perri – Medium at Large. The description says she goes “behind the science of energetic healing”. (Medium at Large, n.d.).

Accounts and sites to follow

• Official site: spinalenergetics.com, with articles, courses and the directory.
• YouTube: Spinal Energetics.
• Instagram: @spinalenergetics.
• TikTok: @spinalenergetics.
• Free webinar: Discover Spinal Energetics.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Energetics

What is Spinal Energetics?

A body-based practice in which practitioners use light or no touch near the spine and body, and clients may move, shake or cry. The organisation says it works with the nervous system and energy field.

Who founded it?

Dr Sarah Jane Perri of Melbourne, a chiropractor and holistic counsellor (Spinal Energetics, n.d.-c).

Is it chiropractic?

No. It borrows from chiropractic and the founder is a chiropractor, but the organisation describes it as low-force and often non-contact, not manipulation. Ask any practitioner who is also a chiropractor what they use.

Does Spinal Energetics work?

Clients often report relief and a sense of release.

Can it cause a stroke?

The documented concern is a rare artery tear linked statistically with neck manipulation, which the American Heart Association calls “probably low” risk (Biller et al., 2014).

How much does it cost?

A first session at the Melbourne headquarters is listed at 220, currency unstated, probably AUD (about US$155). Practitioner training costs AUD 5,800 to 6,500 (about US$4,070 to US$4,565).

Can I learn it myself?

Not the practitioner method. That is taught only in paid courses.

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Key Takeaways

• Spinal Energetics was created by Melbourne chiropractor Dr Sarah Jane Perri. She developed it from chiropractic, somatic and yogic traditions.
• The organisation lists real exclusions. Severe PTSD, psychosis, epilepsy, heart conditions and recent surgery are among them.
• Neck manipulation is a separate risk. Ask whether it is part of any treatment, and know the stroke warning signs.
• Training is a significant investment. Check each practitioner’s core professional licence.
• Many people use it for relaxation and release. Keep seeing your doctor or therapist.

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Explore More on Self Help Supermarket

• Spiritual healing
• Chakra healing
• Sound healing
• The Emotion Code
• EFT tapping: the complete guide
• Havening
• Stress management
• Anxiety
• Mental health: WHO fact sheet (external)
• Browse all techniques

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Sources

1. Amazon. (n.d.). Your spine holds the answer: The story you’ve been carrying [Book listing]. https://www.amazon.com/Your-Spine-Holds-Answer-Carrying/dp/1764372328
2. Astin, J. A., Harkness, E., & Ernst, E. (2000). The efficacy of “distant healing”: A systematic review of randomized trials. Annals of Internal Medicine, 132(11), 903–910. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-132-11-200006060-00009
3. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. (n.d.). Registers of practitioners. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/registration/registers-of-practitioners.aspx
4. Author to You. (n.d.). Dr Sarah Jane: Your spine holds the answer. https://www.authortoyou.com/collections/dr-sarah-jane
5. Barraclough, A. (2025, March 28). ‘I tried Spinal Energetics and released years of repressed emotion – here’s what it involved’. Women’s Health UK. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/health/mental-health/a62784349/spinal-energetics/
6. Biller, J., Sacco, R. L., Albuquerque, F. C., Demaerschalk, B. M., Fayad, P., Long, P. H., Noorollah, L. D., Panagos, P. D., Schievink, W. I., Schwartz, N. E., Shuaib, A., Thaler, D. E., & Tirschwell, D. L. (2014). Cervical arterial dissections and association with cervical manipulative therapy: A statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke, 45(10), 3155–3174. https://doi.org/10.1161/STR.0000000000000016
7. Ceballos-Laita, L., Ernst, E., Carrasco-Uribarren, A., Cabanillas-Barea, S., Esteban-Pérez, J., & Jiménez-Del-Barrio, S. (2024). Is craniosacral therapy effective? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare, 12(6), 679. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12060679
8. Find a Therapy. (n.d.). Spinal energetics: Complementary body-based wellbeing approach. https://www.findatherapy.org/spinal-energetics/
9. Franke, H., Franke, J.-D., & Fryer, G. (2014). Osteopathic manipulative treatment for nonspecific low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 15, 286. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-15-286
10. Frankfurter. (2026). Exchange rates for 23 October 2026, Australian dollar base. https://api.frankfurter.dev/v1/2026-10-23?base=AUD&symbols=USD,GBP,EUR
11. Haller, H., Lauche, R., Sundberg, T., Dobos, G., & Cramer, H. (2019). Craniosacral therapy for chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-019-3017-y
12. Joyce, J., & Herbison, G. P. (2015). Reiki for depression and anxiety. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4), CD006833. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd006833.pub2
13. Kinokuniya USA. (n.d.). Your spine holds the answer: The story you’ve been carrying [Book listing]. https://usa.kinokuniya.com/products/9781764372329
14. Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing: Effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023
15. Medium at Large. (n.d.). The science of energetic healing: Meet Dr. Sarah Jane Perri [Podcast episode]. Omny. https://omny.fm/shows/medium-at-large/the-science-of-energetic-healing-meet-dr-sarah-jan
16. Metwally, A. (Host). (2025, March 25). Energy healing – Placebo or potent, what is it & why should I care? — Dr. Sarah Jane Perri [Audio podcast episode]. In Healthy, Wealthy & Wise. https://castro.fm/episode/SwZJN7
17. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.-a). Reiki. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/reiki
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19. NHS. (n.d.-a). Back pain. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/
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21. NHS. (n.d.-c). Stroke: Symptoms. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/symptoms/
22. Paige, N. M., Miake-Lye, I. M., Booth, M. S., Beroes, J. M., Mardian, A. S., Dougherty, P., Branson, R., Tang, B., Morton, S. C., & Shekelle, P. G. (2017). Association of spinal manipulative therapy with clinical benefit and harm for acute low back pain: Systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA, 317(14), 1451–1460. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.3086
23. Pedestrian.TV. (2023). Does energy healing actually work? We put it to the test. https://www.pedestrian.tv/health/energy-healing
24. Perri, S. J. (2026, May 28). What is Spinal Energetics? A bridge between science and soul. Spinal Energetics. https://spinalenergetics.com/insights/what-is-spinal-energetics-a-bridge-between-science-and-soul%2E
25. Rubinstein, S. M., de Zoete, A., van Middelkoop, M., Assendelft, W. J. J., de Boer, M. R., & van Tulder, M. W. (2019). Benefits and harms of spinal manipulative therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 364, l689. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l689
26. Simon & Schuster Australia. (n.d.). Your spine holds the answer [Book listing]. https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Your-Spine-Holds-the-Answer/Sarah-Jane-Perri/9781764372329
27. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-a). About Spinal Energetics. https://spinalenergetics.com/about
28. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-b). Discover Spinal Energetics: Free webinar with Dr Sarah Jane Perri. https://online.spinalenergetics.com/discover-se
29. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-c). Dr Sarah Jane Perri, founder of Spinal Energetics. https://spinalenergetics.com/dr-sarah-jane
30. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-d). Experience Spinal Energetics at our HQ clinic. https://spinalenergetics.com/experiences/experience-at-hq
31. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-e). Spinal Energetics FAQs. https://spinalenergetics.com/faqs
32. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-f). Level One in-person course. https://spinalenergetics.com/courses/level-one-in-person
33. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-g). Level One online course. https://spinalenergetics.com/courses/level-one-online
34. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-h). Level Two in-person course. https://spinalenergetics.com/courses/level-two-in-person
35. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-i). Online clinic with Dr Sarah Jane. https://spinalenergetics.com/experiences/online-clinic
36. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-j). Practitioner directory. https://spinalenergetics.com/experiences/practitionerdirectory
37. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-k). Spinal Energetics self practice. https://spinalenergetics.com/experiences/self-practice
38. Spinal Energetics. (n.d.-l). Spinal Energetics practitioner training. https://spinalenergetics.com/courses/training