I’ve been in practice for over 30 years. By focusing on massage, meditation/mindfulness/stress management, and physical fitness (stretching, balance, weight training, pilates etc) I have had the pleasure of seeing my clients transform their bodies and their minds. Yes, this means better ongoing health. But it also promotes a deeper relationship and understanding of their body.
THE BEGINNING
As a 20 year old I discovered the benefits for myself of meditation, good nutrition, self awareness, yoga and gym exercises. This ignited a passionate interest in self-care strategies for wellbeing of the body and the mind and a career in the health and fitness industry.
STUDY
I completed my remedial massage therapist training in 1986. I soon recognised exercise was important for a pain-free, strong, flexible body and had many massage client’s who didn’t like going to gyms. They needed to have other options, so in the early 90’s, I trained to become a registered group fitness trainer and have taught many classes throughout Newcastle. My favorites being training older women in strength training, and mat Pilates class.
At the same time I was enrolled in a Psychology degree at Newcastle University which was very statistics and research heavy. I came to see I was more interested in counselling, and the body mind connection, and completed a 4 year training in Hakomi Pyschotherapy, a Mindfulness-Centered body based Somatic Psychotherapy (see hakomi.com.au). I had already been attending 10 day Vipassana Buddhist Meditation retreats which I found to be a comprehensive process of training the mind and gaining insight into how the mind works. I continue to do regular meditation and meditation retreats and in 2022, I completed a Diploma in Mindfulness and Compassion Teacher Training.
YEARS ON …
I have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities of the body mind and the way both impact each other, and what it takes to be a healthy, happy, balanced person.
I bring these insights into my work as a massage therapist, fitness professional and meditation facilitator, working within a holistic framework that brings awareness to a person‘s postural (body) and thinking (mind) habits. The resulting ‘body and mind awareness’ helps clients have a greater understanding of themselves and why they do the things they do. It helps with self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-compassion. As people age I have found this helps people to be more at peace with their ageing body and any chronic pain and disease that develops. We can all live a full and interesting life in spite of the pain and discomfort.
I HAVE WORKED IN PRIVATE AND GROUP PRACTICE SETTING SINCE 1986 PROVIDING:
- Massage treatments
- Exercise advice
- Exercise classes (face to face and on Zoom)
- Stress management/self-awareness/relaxation/meditation techniques
- Mindfulness and Self Compassion techniques
- Or a combination of all, tailored to the clients presenting goals, symptoms and concerns.