“My interest in health was awakened by my own health crisis. This eventually led me to both shiatsu and qigong in the early 90’s after firstly spending time studying both food energetics and macrobiotics. Part of the journey also included dance and voice work before in an enlightening moment I realised that my innate talent lay in my hands and that shiatsu was to be my path.”
I have been studying and practicing shiatsu since 1994 with a deep fascination in how the sum of all our life experiences express itself in our physical body. I have experience in working with a wide spectrum of clients, having worked with the chronically ill, with pregnancy through to people in good health wanting to stay healthy. I also teach post-graduate shiatsu workshops in Australia and New Zealand.
“My interest in health was awakened by my own health crisis. This eventually led me to both shiatsu and qigong in the early 90’s after firstly spending time studying both food energetics and macrobiotics. Part of the journey also included dance and voice work before in an enlightening moment I realised that my innate talent lay in my hands and that shiatsu was to be my path.”
In addition to my formal studies, I have been fortunate enough to attend very regular workshops with some of the leading shiatsu teachers in the UK which has been profoundly helpful in ‘finding’ my style and way of working. From 1997 to 2000 I repeated the entire diploma with the British School of Shiatsu-Do as a teaching assistant which really helped consolidate my learning. Alongside my shiatsu training and practice I studied and practiced Qigong with one of the UK’s leading exponents – Zhixing Wang. I aspire to integrate qigong into my daily practice and in living a full life.
Perhaps the best teachers I have had, have been all my clients over my years in clinical practice who have shared so openly and honestly and demonstrated a willingness to explore the deeper meaning to how their life’s have led them to where they are at. They are the ones who have taught me, and continue to teach me what the the essence of a good therapist is. Ultimately my clients will always know infinitely better than myself what feels ‘right’. That idea I hold as a guiding principle in my work.
I have also spent time involved in cancer support, from running support groups to being a telephone help line worker for the Lymphoma Association in the UK. I moved to Australia in 2005 with my family to set up life and practice. I was part of the National Council of the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Australia from 2006-2013, and hold a passion and vision to raise the public profile of this amazing therapy as well as to build a strong and healthy shiatsu community that fosters the growth and development of its practitioners.
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Diploma of Shiatsu – British School of Shiatsu-Do, London (UK) – 1994-1998
Post Graduate Diploma – Mi Zai Shiatsu Institute, Asti (Italy) – 1998-2000
Diploma of Shiatsu & Oriental Therapies HLT50207 – East West College, Melbourne (Australia) – 2012
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment TAA40104 – 2011; upgraded to TAE40110 in 2015
OTHER DETAILS
Instructor on the Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies at East West College (2006-2016)
Guest Lecturer/Student Mentor on the Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies at The Collective Wellness Institute (2019-2020)
Instructor of Post-Graduate Shiatsu Workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and New Zealand
Member of the National Council of the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Australia, holding the positions of Ordinary Member (2006-2008), Membership Secretary (2008-2011) and Vice President (2011-2013)
Full Practicing Member of the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Australia
Part of the Mentoring Program with the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Australia
ZENergy Shiatsu 