Wellness and Holistic Therapy

Hello and welcome to my web site!

On my WebPages you will find a description of the Western Massage treatments that I am qualified to perform and the Eastern techniques that I use, plus a brief outline of my Corporate and On-site training workshops that include Stress Management, Relaxation and Body Awareness Issues. I work within a number of small and medium sized businesses as their Wellness consultant and co-coordinator and I also run Wellness workshops for local government.

But firstly, let me introduce myself properly:

My name is Sue and as a Holistic Therapist, I think of you as a very special and unique individual, and as such, within each of your treatments I will incorporate a fusion of traditional Western procedures, Eastern methodology and intuitive expertise.

I will start with a careful review of your needs both physically and emotionally. That means that I look at the whole you and tailor my treatment to meet your individual requirements, which in turn results in your treatments being unique and very special. The techniques and tools that I use will vary each time I see you and that’s because your body will be different each time I see you.

The body has an innate ability to heal itself naturally and I aim to give you the techniques and advice to manage your health and wellness, while introducing holistic therapy to your regular health regime in order for you to gain an optimum sense of well-being.

Although holistic therapy complements conventional medicine it is fundamentally different.

The main premise of conventional medicine is that curing the disease will lead to good heath. This ignores the fundamental concept that pathology is individual to the sufferer, and that to use blanket medicine may cause and create more problems.

Regular holistic treatments can help to maintain and balance the effects of medicines and support the body's ability to keep its own healthy balance.

My approach to Holistic Health and Wellness is to strive to take my clients on a path towards good health, wellbeing and health maintenance.

I have accreditations in: Lymphatic Drainage, Hot stone Massage, Holistic Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Swedish Massage, No hands Swedish Massage and Indian Head Massage. I have traveled extensively and studied cultural techniques and approaches to good health and wellness from both Europe and the Far East. I have recently returned from a world educational trip that included spending time with the Maoris' learning their Manuka Massage, the Japanese learning their Fusion Massage - not to mention learning time in India, Austria and China.

If you would like a chance to try a Holistic Massage - then just give me a call.

What can Massage do both Physiologically and Psychologically?

Physiological benefits of Massage 

Muscular System
Massage has a positive effect on muscles; my techniques help to remove lactic acid and toxins that build up in over worked, stressed or over exercised muscles, thus reducing fatigue and stiffness.

Massage also improves circulation, which results in quicker delivery of nutrients and oxygen to muscles and faster removal of carbon dioxide enabling muscles to function at their optimum level. Manipulation of muscles leads to relaxation and lengthening of that muscle, improving flexibility and range of movement.

The soothing, stroking, effleurage techniques of massage help to reduce stiffness and immobility around joints whereas improved muscle flexibility and tone reduces any strain on the joints and bones and improves posture.

Circulatory and Lymphatic
Massage increases the rate of blood flow, which is rich in oxygen and other nutrients vital for growth and repair. The lymphatic system, unlike the blood system has no pump to help it move around the body therefore massage is important in supporting lymphatic functions such as removal of waste and boosting immunity.

Nervous System
Holistic Massage incorporates several different techniques, some of which are invigorating whilst others are more relaxing, some Western and some Eastern. The effect of massage on the nervous system will thus depend on techniques used and the desired goal. A more relaxing massage can help calm the nerves helping to release tension, stress and promote relaxation.

Digestive system
Massage encourages better digestion. It does so by improving the circulation thus speeding up delivery of nutrients, it also improves elimination by speeding up removal of waste and increasing the flow of blood to the liver. Also by improving muscle function it helps strengthen the muscles of the abdomen thus assisting peristalsis and preventing constipation.
Massage encourages waste removal at every level of body function. It thus encourages urine production of excretion which helps rid the body of toxins and excess liquids. Massage also helps the body breathe more easily and deeply. This enables better absorption of oxygen and more efficient removal of carbon dioxide.

The soothing effects of massage will generally make you feel better, enhancing the feel good factor. In the long term massage can help relieve stress, insomnia, and high blood pressure and increase energy levels and can also help improve your self-esteem and general feeling of well being.

Psychological benefits of Massage

Stress
One of the main benefits of massage is that it helps to balance the effects of stress in our lives and thus relieve the symptoms caused by stress such as tension headaches. It also reduces anxiety levels and restores a calm mind and feeling of well-being. Many companies are now realising the benefits of massage within the work environment.

Relaxation
Massage will relax the body thereby reducing tension and the effects of stress. Massage will also relax the mind thereby reducing anxiety and its effects.

Soothing
Scientific theories for why this works involve the release of endorphins in the brain, but the fact that this does work has been known for many centuries.

Insomnia
Insomnia, which is the inability to sleep during a period when sleep should normally occur, is thought to be due to a disruption of the body's circadian rhythm. Massage, which relaxes the body and mind, and also helps the body to reach homeostasis, can lead to a dramatic improvement in this condition.

Depression and anxiety
A number of clinical researches have shown that massage has a positive effect on brain activity in depressed teenagers. More specifically, it has been shown that massage decreases the EEG asymmetry in the brain which is correlated to depression and anxiety.