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ABOUT ME

A bit of info about me…

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I have worked in a variety of healthcare settings over the last 20 years, initially practicing as a reflexologist within a busy Holistic Health Centre. Working at the clinic provided me with extensive experience across a range of concerns, including: anxiety, stress, pain, fatigue, women’s health issues, and cancer. Co-treating with other complementary therapists, consolidated my view that holistic health care is vital in achieving and maintaining a state of wellbeing. I also believe that it can be a huge support to conventional medicine - confirmed for me by working as a therapist at a Macmillan wellbeing centre, for a number of years.

 

I’d initially dismissed yoga for myself, thinking that it was only for super fit, bendy people! An accident in my early twenties had left me with chronic pain and restricted mobility, and friends that practiced yoga could contort their bodies into all sorts of amazing shapes! It was during my pregnancy that I realised yoga really is something that is accessible to everyone, whatever your ability, body shape, size, level of flexibility, emotional state or life experience. The understanding that yoga is so much more than postures pushed me to explore yoga therapeutically. 

During this time, as a mother meeting other parents, I became increasingly aware of the number of children suffering from stress, anxiety and trauma and the struggles these families often had accessing the help they needed. I personally found yoga therapy so helpful for both me and my son in terms of navigating our way through difficult times, I decided to train so that I could offer others that support. I am now a Yoga Therapist for Children and Young People, which I love, and have also trained in Integrative Somatic Techniques to further support those I work with. 

This was also a massive turning point for me in terms of my own sense of health, wellbeing and regulation.

 

I now offer support to parents and carers of the young people that I work with as well as individuals experiencing mental and physical health difficulties, stress, anxiety, trauma, burnout and fatigue. Chronic pain is another big part of my work and I offer support through yoga therapy and mindfulness, integrative techniques for nervous system regulation, breath work and clinical reflexology.

 

A common theme for many of the people that I work with now is overwhelm, for all sorts of reasons. I have lived experience of this and have truly benefited myself from the mind-body and body based therapies that I offer.

 

As well as working privately, I am a Director of the Manchester Wellbeing Rooms CIC, offering treatments, workshops and health programmes to the local community.  My Co-directors are an Acupuncturist and a Nutritional Therapist and our aim is to make affordable, quality therapies accessible to all. We have just moved to a new premises where we have been joined by four other therapists, so we're excited that the offering is now expanding! See here for more information on the Wellbeing Rooms.

 

I am also a Yoga4health teacher offering social prescribing programmes through the Yoga in Healthcare Alliance and I run educational and self care retreats for reflexologists, as Co-founder of Equilibrio.

 

Outside of work my big passions are singing, family, friends, camping and sunshine - maybe not living in the best place for that last one! 

 


Qualifications

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  • Yoga Therapist for Children and Young People (350hrs) - Creative Calm (Lucy Arnsby-Wilson, Janine Hurley) BPS and IYN approved.

  • Yoga4health Teacher - Yoga in Healthcare Alliance

  • Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate - Embody Lab

  • Yoga Therapy and Mindfulness for Chronic Pain - Minded Institute

  • Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga - Embody Lab

  • Yoga for Stress, Burnout and Fatigue - Yoga Campus (Charlotte Watts and Leah Barnett)

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  • Full member of the Association of Reflexologists (MAR) - qualified in 2005 with the Oxford School of Reflexology. ‘The Association's aim is to maintain a high standard of care and members abide by the Association's code of practice and ethics. Members of the Association have met the strictest standards for Reflexology practice and are committed to continually developing their skills and knowledge.’

  • Member of the ART register of Advanced Reflexologists.

  • Approved RLD practitioner - Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage - (Sally Kay) Undertaken at The Christie NHS Trust.

  • Approved VRT practitioner - Vertical Reflex Therapy - (Lynne Booth)

  • Approved FRT practitioner - Functional Reflex Therapy (Lorraine Senior)

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CPD Yoga

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  • Transforming Trauma through Yoga - Creative Calm (Lucy Arnsby-Wilson)  

  • Yoga and Mindfulness for Autism and ADHD - Special Yoga

  • Yotism Foundation Training (Nicole Zimber, Veronika Pena de la Jara)​​​

  • Soothing the Anxious Child - Special Yoga & BreathBodyMind

  • Special Yoga for Dyslexia - Special Yoga

  • Special Yoga for Down syndrome -Special Yoga

  • Yoga Skills for working with Anxiety - Minded institute

  • Yoga therapy Observation with Jyoti Hughes - Minded Institute

  • Eating Struggles Webinar - Special Yoga

  • Chair Yoga - Special Yoga

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CPD - Reflexology

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  • Clinical Reflexology - Undertaken at The Christie NHS Trust.

  • Palliative and Supportive Care - Cotswold Care Hospice

  • Working with People with Cancer - Penny Brohn Centre

  • Pain Management - Dr Carol Samuel

  • The Treatment of Pain - Mauricio Kruchik

  • VRT Pain and Mobilisation - Lynne Booth

  • Foot Mobilisation - International Academy of Reflexology & Meridian Therapy

  • Baby Reflex - Dominique Burford

  • Women's Health - Hagar Basis

  • Reflexology in Pregnancy - Mauricio Kruchik

  • Caring for Pregnant Clients - Denise Tiran

  • Enhancing Fertility and Maternity Reflexology - David Wayte

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I am fully insured and hold an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring service)

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I am also trained in Mental Health First Aid, with MHFA England.

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​Conferences attended

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  • Attendee at the Reflexology Conference 2018

  • Trauma Super Conference 2020 - Online

  • Fatigue Super Conference 2020 - Online

  • RESET 2020  Calm connections - Online

  • Teen Yoga Virtual Summit 2021

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Equilibrio Retreats - Co-Founder and Facilitator 

  • Mental Wellbeing ​

  • The Treatment of Pain

  • Women’s Health

  • Pain and Mobilisation

  • Ayurvedic Techniques

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Links

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https://www.yogainhealthcarealliance.com

https://www.reflexologylymphdrainage.co.uk

https://boothvrt.com

https://www.aor.org.uk

https://www.specialyoga.co.uk

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