When I was in year 10, we did a multiple-choice quiz (on a CDROM) based on personality and skills to find out what career we would most likely be suited to. My results were accountant or fish farmer! As much as I love animals, fish were not my favourite pet, so I went down the accountant route.
Holistic therapist was not even mentioned, and I did not know what one was or what they did...until a few months later. As exams were looming, I started to present with the classic stress and anxiety symptoms (which later turned into depression too). My mum knew a lady who was a reflexologist so arranged an appointment for me. At the time I did not understand why touching my feet would help me.
My first appointment came round quickly, and the reflexologist was a lovely, kind lady who asked me some questions and we had a little chat and then I was asked to take my shoes and socks off and hop on the treatment couch.
She carried on discussing things with me whilst she was pressing my feet. I didn't particularly like my feet (I'll leave the meaning of that for another blog) and the thought of someone else touching them was weird, but I actually enjoyed the experience afterwards. It was as though my body was entering a calmness it hadn't felt in a long time.
I carried on having weekly sessions for about a month and felt calmer and at ease. My body had stopped being in constant fight or flight mode and I had looked forward to my sessions.
Fast forward going through exams...once I went to university and got a job in Leeds, I rarely came home and threw myself into my graduate role, totally forgetting about reflexology and holistic therapies.
It was much later when I I felt myself going back to how I was at school that I started to read books about this 'magical and mystical' therapy/treatment. I was fascinated and wanted to learn how to do it. It was as though divine intervention smacked me in the face when I saw there was a local course to learn level 2 (basic teaching) reflexology in the evenings. After work was perfect for me so I signed up straight away!
Whilst at college I also learnt massage and reiki. It was only out of curiosity and wanting to learn more that I enrolled in level 2, with no intention of doing level 3 (practitioner level) at the time. However, it felt like it was my calling. I was going to be that kind lady that people came to for help with stress, anxiety or mild depression. Empowering and supporting clients with knowledge I had picked up but also to help with their wellbeing.
It is an incredibly powerful treatment which provides clients with the time and space to truly unwind and offload. This then allows them to cope better with the changes they may be facing and to experience that same feeling of calmness as I did over 20 years ago.
When I see a client at the end of a treatment/session, visibly looking brighter and peaceful, I know I have made a difference and that is the greatest job satisfaction of all.
So, it might not be a conventional career, and people who knew me before I became a therapist are often very surprised at what I do now, but I do enjoy my work.
This then led me to studying hypnotherapy and even teaching practitioner level clinical hypnotherapy as the mind and body are connected and I continue to be fascinated with the human body/mind.
I'd like to thank every client I have worked with for choosing me as your reflexologist/therapist. Thank you.
Karen x
