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
Top 4 benefits of Yoga Nidra Meditation
Yoga Nidra Meditation is a very unique practice derived from the yogic tradition and is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax both body and mind. Here are my top 4 benefits that you experience with regular practice: 1. 1 hours practice of yoga nidra meditation is equivalent to 4 hours sleep 2. … Read more
What is Meditation?
The word meditation is derived from two Latin words: meditari (to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation ‘medha’ means wisdom. Meditation means awareness. Whatever you do with awareness is meditation. “Watching your breath” is meditation, listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities … Read more
Srebrenica, Bosnia 2011
I have done a lot of travelling in my time, but have never felt so vulnerable and wanting to leave a place as I did when I stepped off the bus in Srebrenica. Knowing what had happened there, the unspeakable atrocities, the violence and having treated refugees in Sarajevo all combined to making me feel … Read more
Bosnia, 2010
A therapist’s story I first heard of the charity Healing Hands Network several years ago, when a friend of mine went out to Sarajevo, Bosnia under their banner, to offer massage to those affected by the war in the 1990s. I was very touched by her experience and felt it was a good cause … Read more