With Karen joining us this month it felt like a good time to reflect on the range of therapies we now have on offer at WNT. It is our 10th anniversary this October – wowee 😊😊 – and over the decade we have had an alphabetic spectrum of treatments and classes from Acupuncture to Yoga with everything from Feldenkrais to Sports massage in between.

So what do we have on offer now?

Well, starting with massage where WNT began, we have a great range to choose from

Sports and remedial massage with Tessa – Advanced booking required to see popular Tessa with her highly adept intensive treatments. She works with all sorts of athletes and desk-bound bodies to help free up stubborn tensions and encourage freer, more efficient movement. Tessa really is a master of her trade working with a range of deep tissue and trigger point techniques and using acupuncture needles in some sessions.

Relaxing deep tissue massage with Erika – Erika has been in the massage business for over 20 years and her lovely strong hands work intuitively around the body, their experience meaning your body has easy confidence to relax and feel some relief. You can read Erika’s blogs and see how thoughtful, interesting and considered they are and her massage treatments are in the same vein, very nourishing.

Tuina massage with Mihaly / Mike – Mihaly (also known as Mike) is a more recent addition to our team and we are so glad he joined! Mihaly has a lovely, peaceful, warm presence and his Tuina massage is very careful and intuitive. Tuina takes placed fully clothed and works along the meridians like acupuncture (which Mihaly also practises). This is a great treatment with Mihaly since he is a natural therapist and can help you work with acute and broader issues alike, often helping with lifestyle support.

Philippa  also practises tuina massage and tends to incorporate it into an acupuncture treatment when she feels it would benefit rather than offer it as a stand-alone treatment.

And now we have another experienced pair of hands in Karen with Shiatsu. Similarly to tuina, Shiatsu works with meridians to open up stuck energy and uses stretching and pressure on points to help release and find relaxation and ease. Karen has been working in South London over the past 2 decades and her experience and skilful practice is a welcome addition to our team.

And then we have a wealth of Acupuncture on offer too, which you can read more about in our blog, Acupuncture at WNT - three different approaches, who should I see?

In brief, we have Philippa with a traditional TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) background and almost three decades of experience working in a broad range of professional settings, both privately and with the NHS. Philippa works a lot with women’s health, including menstrual issues, fertility through to post-natal recovery and menopause. Philippa’s treatments tend to be primarily pure acupuncture though she often incorporates some tui na massage into the treatment.

Mihaly is also TCM trained and his treatments tend to be more of a blend of acupuncture with tui na massage and incorporates his background in martial arts into his approach. Mihaly’s interest is in the mind-body connection and developing this this both informs and is an outcome of his practice.

Tessa uses acupuncture needles in a different way, her training is in Medical Acupuncture or Dry Needling which can be useful in treating musculoskeletal issues and helping to release stubborn tensions. Tessa uses these as an addendum to her sports massage treatments, incorporating them when she feels they’d be beneficial and the client is keen.

And then we have some other treatments which are currently all offered by lovely Laura on a Saturday:

Reflexology is Laura’s main practice, her warm and welcoming presence is popular with clients who report feeling the benefits of her kindness and empathy as well as her knowledgeable treatments. This foot treatment has an uncanny way of working on the whole body and can be profoundly relaxing and restorative as well as effective on specific aches, pains, digestive and menstrual challenges.

Reiki is another of Laura’s offerings and clients find this energetic work helpful in encouraging the body’s own healing capacity, a nourishing hands-off treatment that helps support the body emotionally and spiritually.

And last but by no means least, Laura’s other skill is in sound bath healing and she offers one on one sessions at WNT – amazing sensation having bowls placed on the body and ‘played’ so you feel the vibrations and benefit from the deeply resonating sounds. This is a pretty special thing to have on offer and worth checking out if you have never experienced it.

Welcome to the WNT team! 
What are you looking forward to about joining us?

 I enjoy being a Shiatsu and QiGong practitioner, and having practiced for many years now feel the need to be more part of a team of practitioners.
That’s why I was excited to find West Norwood Therapies and am looking forward to being a part of your friendly tribe.


You are a long established Shiatsu practitioner, what is one of your favourite things about treating people with Shiatsu?

My favourite thing, is when a person experiences a strong mind body connection and is visibly calmed and changed by it. Shiatsu combines deep pressure on meridians and points in someone ( as in acupuncture) with touch and gentle stretching which connects to their fascia and is deeply releasing.
Shiatsu & Inner Qigong are particularly effective ways to feel more connected and navigate the challenges of life, in addition to being a powerful way to address musculo-skeletal aches and pains; myofascial release of held tension and stress; improved sleep and digestion and growing an increased sense of inner calm and wellbeing.

Inner QiGong, is based on the five element, and meridian philosophy of Chinese medicine. 
It’s a simple practice which embodies the states of each element and energy, giving people a way to raise what they need through regular practice. If a client is interest I will offer them some QIGong as a way to continue working on their energetic state. If you’d like to know more, please take a look: https://seed.org/inner-qigong-tasters/

I believe people know what they need and how to move towards it once they come home to themselves. My role is to provide clear and safe connection to enable them to do this.


Facial rejuvenation sounds blissful! What do you enjoy about using that with people?

A facial treatment offers the chance to release and reset from all the held tension in the face, head, neck and shoulders. 
Using shiatsu with light oils and scents of clients' choice, hot stones and towel the treatment offers a deep relaxation. The client remains clothed, the massage with oils is for the shoulders and face. I also treat the hands and feet as part of the session to make it a full mind body experience. Guaranteed to  leave you feeling lighter and brighter.


Anything else you'd like to let people know?

An interest in a meditative approach to life started at fifteen, when I was introduced to Aikido, by a forward thinking English teacher. Aikido is a martial art based on a philosophy which focuses on harmonizing with your opponent to bring peaceful resolutions to situations involving conflict.

 It fuelled my belief that a strong mind-body connection is essential to health. Since then, meditation and experimentation have underpinned my life as a creative, in film-making and in practicing body work. Recently I completed an integrative course in coaching with WiseGoose, and feel this skill helps me  to listen to what’s going on for the client and adds to the holding of them.