My earliest memory of massage was from watching my Grandma work on my Dad’s sore shoulders after his long shifts driving buses. I was intrigued, but too young to understand what it was all about. Several years later while watching a massage demo at a university open day, something clicked, and I knew I had to be using those skills to help people.
Whilst studying for my Business degree, I also attended an evening college and started gaining massage qualifications. I couldn’t learn fast enough. Though I initially chose to use my business degree for work, I knew something was missing and soon returned to massage therapy as my profession, working in luxury health spas in England, then later in New Zealand and Australia.
Port Macquarie became my home, and as I reflect on 27 years massaging, I feel just as enthusiastic and focussed as I did in the beginnning. My local clients say they get the best of both worlds when they see me, because I’m also a registered counsellor. They get an exceptional massage and an empathetic ear if they want to talk about some things. If they prefer to switch off, they’re safe knowing that I’m completely focussed on delivering the highest quality massage for them.
These days, I find it vital to have a day or two each week doing massage, even though counselling is my main profession. It helps give me a balance. After all these years, my massage therapy is as much part of me as anything else in my life. It’s a privilege to be able to help people out of pain and back to health, whether physical, mental or emotional.