I have been a masseuse for 29 years. I love my work. I take my work and my clients very seriously, though laughter and humour are also a really key part of the work. Treatments are for the joy of them just as much as for personal growth, in fact for some clients this is the deep work, to allow themselves to feel joy within.
I don’t do beauty massage.
I don’t do sports massage or treatments that hurt as I believe bodies heal, repair and release when they are safe, nurtured and respected.
I don’t do passive massage (client says “just do what you think, you know best”).
I don’t heal people. I don’t fix anyone and I am not a psychotherapist or a counsellor or a healer... I believe that bodies heal themselves...given the right environment and space and time and TOUCH.
What I do is use the wonder of touch, the magical, deeply honest connection that happens when one person receives safe, honest and confident massage touch from a practitioner who respects their individuality. I combine the massage touch with the power of Transactional Analysis communication principles to create Massage + Therapy.
My aim is to empower each client to clearly express their needs.
That is what I do. I ask you to be honest. I ask you to say what you want and be true to yourself which is why I call it True Massage Therapy.
Practitioner Development
Because I have always believed that the mind and the body needed to be treated together in massage I have gone on many courses over the past 29 years, trained all over the country and invested thousands of pounds in my training and personal development.
I have often been disappointed in the massage training available.
However, in 2010 I began training intensively with the NO HANDS® Massage Company. NO HANDS® massage is a powerful yet gently effective massage treatment which uses the wider surfaces of the arms to deliver a bigger, more comprehensive massage treatment than just using the hands can offer (or so I feel after receiving and giving hundreds of treatments...) and their Mastery Training is the advanced development of bringing Transactional Analysis (TA) communication into the treatments. This might sound like a small thing but it's not, it is deeply honouring to both the client and practitioner, it is powerful and transformative and it can help change how you relate to yourself and to other people in your life.
It is no exageration to say that it changed me and the way I work, live and am in the world and I am profoundly grateful.
After intensive training I passed their Master Assessment in April 2015 - probably the most intensive massage examination in the world! This means that I am qualified as a Master Therapist able to offer the unique formulae of Massage & Therapy. I dedicated a minimum of 12 intensive days training per year over those 5 years to make sure that I treat clients with the utmost skill and safety and since then I continue to work with these skills in my practice.
For the past 11 years I have been on my own journey of dance. This is something very much for me, part of my self care, but has also affected the way I work and is deeply, but gently, embedded in the way I work.
In December 2024 completed 2 years of training as a Conscious Movement Dance Teacher within the BISO map and am a member of The International Conscious Movement Teachers Association ICMTA. I am running regular YOGA : DANCE : FOOD afternoon workshops in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire alongside experienced Yoga Teacher Katy Szarko click here to find out more.
Treatments with me are blend of all the things I have learnt over the years. I am trained in many types of massage, plus reflexology, EFT & kinesiology techniques and may use these in sessions as needed and/or teach you to use them for yourself between sessions.
I have also done a lot of work on and with myself including many years of traditional talking therapy plus reading, thinking, discussing and reflecting on my own journey in life alongside many bodywork treatments for myself. I have regular massages for me - vital to my life, my sense of self and my work. I am also an artist working with installation, dance, painting, markmaking and words. In my past I work I ran art events in Yorkshire for 14 years and as part of that work I've mentored many creatives.
I specialise in working with clients who want to feel more connected to themselves. My new offer Embodied Creativity Mentoring is a unique 3 month program bringing together all the things I love, have studied, practiced and worked with over the years. More info.
I am very influenced by Louise Hay who believes in the power of our thoughts and words to change the way each of us think, feel and engage with the world. I use her teachings in my work and in my daily life and in my True Massage Therapy sessions.
Bach Flower Remedies are an important part of my life and work as they support the body to come back into its own sense of balance. I may suggest remedies for you and I'll make them for you on the day so that you can take them away with you.
I use essential oils in many of my massages which I choose instinctively (I am not an aromatherapist) with clients inspirations and sense of their mood each session.
I hope that you enjoy reading through my website and take some time to read what clients say - because they are the ones who really know what it's all about.
Do contact me to book in for a free of charge 30min zoom or phone call to discuss how massage treatments / mentoring / dance could work for you.
Victoria x
