The World Yoga Festival – 29th to 31st July 2016
The inaugural World Yoga Festival was held at Beale Park in Reading at the end of July. I was delighted to be part of the event, offering reflexology, back neck and shoulder massage, craniosacral bodywork and healing. The energy of the festival was calm, relaxed and inspiring. The sun shone between the clouds and it … Read more
PACT Staff Day – 21st July 2016
I was delighted to be part of a recent staff day for PACT, a local charity based in Reading. Parents And Children Together – PACT – has been building and strengthening families since 1911. PACT helps hundreds of families every year through outstanding adoption and award-winning therapeutic support and inspirational community projects across London and … Read more
Endure 24, Ultra run event and Massagathon
An interesting email reached my inbox in mid June, containing a request for a massage therapist to work with the Misfits team at Endure 24. The award winning Mizuno event is like Glastonbury for runners, it’s a 24 hour running party in the woods. Free camping for runners, friends, family and support crews. Mizuno Endure24 … Read more
Healing Hands in Sarajveo, 2013
Returning to Sarajevo, Bosnia is always a treat. Despite the years or war and fighting, it always feels a very peaceful city. I like the simple approach to life, the value people place of being together, drinking coffee and striving for happiness. Of course there are well known branded shops in areas of the city … Read more
Macmillan Cancer Centre, UCLH NHS Trust, London 2014 to 2015
Promotion saw me move from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust to being Senior Complementary Therapist and Service Manager for the UCLH complementary therapy service at the Macmillan Cancer Center, UCLH NHS Trust in London. This was a short term contract covering a career break and gave my a great opportunity to both expand my … Read more
Dimbleby Cancer Care, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, 2013 to 2104
After working with the team at Sue Ryder and on the wards at West Berkshire Community Hospital, I knew I wanted to work full time in trauma care, on an NHS ward if I could. These positions are few and far between in the UK and are rarely paid. I applied immediately upon seeing the … Read more
The Christie NHS Trust Manchester, 2012 to 2013
When my journey began into the world of cancer care in 2011, I wanted to find robust post graduate training in complementary therapies to ensure safe practice. I was surprised to find no specialised training for paediatric oncology complementary therapies in the UK, but in my search came across a diploma course in ‘Adapting Complementary … Read more
Aromatherapist with Sue Ryder, 2013
My first clinical experience in offering complementary therapies within Cancer Care was as an Aromatherapist for Sue Ryder, in their Charles Clore Day Hospice. The Charles Clore Day Hospice is a day therapy unit based at the West Berkshire Community Hospital which specialises in caring for and supporting patients with life-threatening illnesses, and their families. … Read more
Healing Hands in Bosnia, 2011
The Sarajevo Tunnel was an underground tunnel constructed between March and June of 1993 during the Siege of Sarajevo in the midst of the Bosnian War and we heard many stories of people going back and forth, at great risk, to bring food and water back to their families in the city. To visit the … Read more
Restore and Revitalise Retreat at Puyssentut, France 2016
Puyssentut is a retreat in SW France for people with, or recovering from, cancer. It is a haven where you can relax and begin to let go of the stress of dealing with cancer and take time to reconnect to yourself and the simple pleasures of life, in a caring and nurturing environment. I was … Read more
Top 10 tips for Health and Wellbeing
Top Ten Tips for Good Health and Wellbeing 1. Do something creative Being creative can improve mood, and self-esteem, as well as improving mental agility 2. Learn new skills Achieving goals you’ve set for yourself can increase your confidence and help you to feel more optimistic about the future 3. Value yourself and others Spend … Read more