SANDPOINT — Ilani Kopiecki understands that sometimes a subtle touch works better than brute force.

In fact, that’s one of the guiding ideas behind her recently opened treatment office in the Sandpoint Business and Events Center.

In addition to deep tissue massage therapy, Kopiecki offers a light-touch treatment appropriate for infants and the elderly called craniosacral therapy. Designed to support overall health, craniosacral therapy helps release tensions that inhibit the function of the tissues and fluids of the central nervous system, Kopiecki said.

“A lot of people mistake the treatment for energy work, and it’s not,” she said. “This is a treatment based on real osteopathic science.”

The treatment was pioneered in the 1970s by osteopathic physician John Upledger, who founded the Upledger Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla. While craniosacral therapy has garnered some critics, it’s also attracted enthusiastic supporters — like Joy Stevens, one of Kopiecki’s clients.

“I absolutely rely on it,” she said. “It puts my mind, body and soul in alignment.”

Kopiecki recommends that interested individuals do their research and give the procedure a try.

“My clients have never reported any negative effects from cranial sacral therapy. It’s always been positive,” she said. “As Dr. Upledger says, ‘Don’t knock it until you try it.’”  

Her new office in the Sandpoint Business and Events Center allows Kopiecki to furnish two separate treatment rooms, one designed for adults and the other for children. Kids are now able to play with toys or listen to stories in a relaxed environment while Kopiecki works.

Formerly a California school teacher, Kopiecki began to suffer from frequent sickness due to stress on the job. Her positive experiences with craniosacral and massage therapies motivated her to earn certifications in the treatments. For her, helping people secure a better quality of life is the force that sustains her practice.

“You have to be passionate about what you do, and I am,” Kopiecki said. “I love watching people get their lives back.