My Manifesto - Why I do what I do.

I trained as a holistic therapist nearly 20 years ago and to be honest, it took me a good while to find the right groove to get where I am right now.   Swedish massage, which I trained in originally was hard on my body, particularly my wrists and back.  There was virtually no training for the communication aspect of working with clients.  The massage I now focus on was in its infancy at that time and I had no idea of its existence.  My industry foolishly places more structural, clinical styles of massage on a pedestal and I always felt inferior to the more sport/deep tissue therapists.  But, I was never the slightest bit interested in training in sports massage because it can be ruddy painful for both the therapist and client and I don't believe pain & discomfort belong in a therapy room.  

When I trained in NO HANDS massage 6 years ago, I learned how to protect my own body with excellent posture and movement and how to communicate with my clients giving them the opportunity to have a great massage.  I learned how to give deep,  powerful, but incredibly comfortable treatments, And most importantly, I learned I need to take care of myself during a session, not just my clients.  I learned self care, how to pace myself & boundaries.

These days I get plenty of massage (which bizarrely is quite rare for massage therapists) It would be wrong to expect my clients to embrace massage if I am not prepared to invest in a regular treatment myself.  And anyway, I love massage.  I know I am very privileged to say my job is a real passion for me.  In my clinic I focus on health and wellness, not beauty and not sports therapy.  I don't focus on muscle groups and knots.  I focus on my clients and their goals, not their conditions and illnesses.  People come for sessions with me for a variety of reasons.  They mainly come to let go of something.  They usually arrive for their first session in physical pain, or with stress or anxiety.  Maybe all three.  Many of my clients come to ease their chronic health conditions and find the sessions so effective they commit to coming monthly.  The sessions also give them tools they can use between sessions if they are having a bad time.

Massage or reflexology might be why they make their first appointment to see me, but to get a great session they need to feel comfortable and happy enough to have a conversation with me and know what their goal for the session is. I cannot take responsibility for what my client does (or doesn't) achieve. I get to do the treatment that they request, they get to do the letting go. They need to take a breath, slow down and find their space before they get on the table for their treatment and really own that goal. And it's quite something witnessing all those outcomes and achievements.

To find out more about sessions at the Therapy Room, you are always welcome to call me on 07527878657