“At the beginning of my journey into self-employment/social entrepreneurship I was lucky enough to get a place on the Social Footprints Programme, which helped Social Entrepreneurs develop their ideas and projects. I had just started to set up In Touch Massage & Holistic Therapies CIC. I was passionate about the ideas and ethos behind In Touch, but was a bit unsure of, and overwhelmed by everything that needed to be done. I was so lucky to be assigned Sally as my mentor.”
“She inspired me with the projects and businesses she had made happen, whilst making it all seem totally doable. The way Sally works is very flexible.
We would meet at times that worked for me, and we would Skype, speak on the phone and email in between these face to face meetings. I found Sally’s approach to mentoring to be refreshing, supportive and extremely successful. Sally’s business background together with her holistic approach to life gives her great knowledge and insight. The fact that Sally was involved in holistic therapies and well-being was very important to me, I knew she understood where I was coming from and where I wanted the business to go.”
“Sally was also very aware of the importance of taking care of yourself at the same time. This has stuck with me! We worked out how she could most help me and worked pragmatically through these tasks. She helped me focus my ideas, believe in myself and In Touch, and most importantly realise my dreams. Five years later and In Touch is flourishing, and recently I’ve moved on to my next adventure. I really believe my sessions with Sally have set me up for life. I feel confident, balanced and in control. Thanks Sally!”
The last year has seen me get engaged and move to London. Exciting times! It was sad to say goodbye to all my colleagues & clients and friendships and connections I’d forged during my 11 years in Leeds. However I was more than ready for my next adventure, and I’m comforted to know that In Touch is not only carrying on (It was always a fear, what would happen if and when I wanted to move on), but it’s flourishing and being run by a great team of therapists.
So, I’m starting my business from scratch, but after years of doing what I love, I know how I like to work, who I can help, that I love what I do and that I can really help people.
Ever since I qualified as a massage therapist in 2010, I was troubled by the idea that massage is seen as a luxury, only accessible to the wealthy members of our society, or as an occasional treat. It seemed obvious that holistic therapists could really help many members of our communities. Unfortunately, those often in most need of therapy were the very people who couldn’t access it, due to social and financial barriers. This was the driving force behind the social enterprise I set up – that everyone should be able to access massage and holistic therapist regardless of their situation. After a lot of hard work, we got it up and running. We reached out to the most vulnerable members of our society and time and time again, saw how the treatments we provided could help them.
Holistic therapies are now so intertwined into my life, that work often doesn’t even feel like work. Learning, treating clients, researching is all fascinating to me. I believe it’s important to look after yourself, so regularly receive treatments myself, which has changed my life, physically and emotionally.
I absolutely love the fact that even half an hour on the massage bed can make such a difference to someone. Having the power to reduce feelings of pain, reduce mental distress, calm people, empower people, help people sleep, reduce feelings of anxiety, improve well-being, and much much more, is such a wonderful thing. It keeps me doing what I do, especially through the difficult times; when you witness people’s emotional and physical pain, hear their upsetting stories, when you’re physically drained or when you’re not sure where the next work is coming from.
After years of working in a collective, I have learnt that although I may work alone a lot of the time, connecting is very important. Don’t shy away from other therapists and see them as your competition – working together is always better, supporting each other when you can. All holistic and massage therapists work differently, two massages will never be the same. So, if I’m not the most appropriate therapists for a client I will always refer to someone I know who can help them more.
I plan on speaking to as many people as possible about what I do and making as many connections as possible. I think this is the best way you can work, and it makes a better society. I’m going to carry on working with people from as many backgrounds as possible and work towards making holistic healthcare as accessible as possible. I’m very excited to be getting out there and meeting other bodyworkers and healers in the local community and meeting and treating those who need it.
Laura Kay
Massage Therapist
07900 805764
www.eastlondonmassage.com
info@eastlondonmassage.com
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