Holistic Massage
For deep rest, relaxation and restoration
Each session with Sarah Jane is an opportunity to listen and slow down, to receive touch within trauma aware professional boundaries so you can find ways to ease and support your body, mind, emotional and spiritual self.
Safety & connection plus non intrusive touch creates whole body relaxation and deeper, easeful breathing which in turn nourishes your body and offers your nervous, lymphatic and endocrine systems a chance for repair.
Clients looking for a pause in their busy life, those needing time to integrate significant change or life transitions, those with anxiety, low mood, insomnia, disturbed menstrual cycles and/or chronic pain can experience relief from symptoms through holistic massage with Sarah Jane and benefit from her holistic approach.
What to Expect.
Time during our first meeting to explore your important information and work out together what you need.
Choice and clarity about each step of the process so you can relax and feel safe
Space to welcome your whole self and an invitation to put down all that you are holding, to let go into deep rest and relaxation for a short while.
Caring non-intrusive touch, using a range of massage techniques with light to medium pressure, combined with gentle compressions, joint mobilisation, rocking and stretching which allows the body to naturally unwind and restore balance.
A gentle and spontaneous path into natural breath, movement and wellbeing.
Gift Vouchers Available
-
A gift voucher for a holistic massage is a great way to say thank you, I love you, I care, Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas
You get the idea.
The value is up to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get a Massage?
I offer sessions from Days Mill in Nailsworth and Ownzone Stroud. Please indicate at time of booking your preferred venue.
How long will my massage take?
The standard Holistic Massage takes around 60 minutes. If its your first massage with me then we will use some of the time during your first session to go through any important information and informed consent.
Please arrive on time for your massage as I may have other clients afterwards so may not be able to extend the session if you are late.
90 minute Holistic Massage is available upon request.
How do I make a payment?
Payment can be via bank transfer prior to the session (details given on booking) or you can pay in cash when we meet.
Are the Sessions Confidential?
Anything that is shared within a consultation or massage session remains strictly confidential. There are some exceptions that I have outlined in a Confidentiality Statement which you will also be sent on booking.
What Makes your Massage Trauma Aware?
I bring an awareness of anatomy, the nervous and fascial systems, methods of relaxation, knowledge of how trauma is held in the body and how to optimise client’s safety and connection during a session. Any tension or resistance is approached slowly and with care. Client’s feedback on what feels comfortable, what is uncomfortable, and what works for them is very important and always listened to. I am here to listen, to validate, and to facilitate ease in the body where I can.
Follow this link for a more detailed exploration of what being trauma aware means. There’s also some more information about trauma aware holistic massage when you scroll down.
What Massage Qualifications do you have?
I have a recognised Level 3 Diploma qualification in full body holistic massage and Level 2 Infection Control for Complementary and Holistic Therapies from the Cotswold Academy. For more details of my credentials see About Sarah Jane.
Are you insured?
I have comprehensive liability insurance which covers professional activities with clients.
Will the massage be painful?
This is a sensitive yet powerful approach to massage therapy that offers support and relief through touch. There is nothing therapeutically necessary that should cause you to be uncomfortable or in pain. Pressure, temperature, and positioning can be easily adjusted to fit your needs. You may ask to stop any treatment at any time.
I use Swedish Massage techniques with light to medium pressure, with gentle compressions, joint mobilisation, slow rocking and stretching which allows the body to naturally unwind and restore balance.
Each client will have a different sensitivity to pressure and may find that some pressure is also a source of relief. Together we can discover the most beneficial for you.
I am committed to supporting your personal agency over your own body and trust your innate wisdom and healing potential within sessions.
What is your response to recent times?
Uncertainty in the wake of the global pandemic, the hardships faced by the global majority and the growing climate concern bring fear, loneliness, grief and loss for many, as well as new opportunities to connect and refocus on all beings, human and otherwise and the interconnectivity in our world. To offer support to anyone who wishes to integrate body, nervous system, minds and emotions feels like an essential response right now.
Holistic Massage is not a quick fix but it can help you to feel more resourced day to day and increase your general sense of wellbeing.
I offer a limited sliding scale to clients on a low income or experiencing wider inequalities or access to resources. Please indicate this at time of booking so we can work something out that feels fair for both of us.
I follow current government guidance in relation to Covid 19 and practice in the best interests of clients, community, society at large and the environment.
Trauma Aware Massage
Trauma aware Holistic Massage offers stress relief through consensual caring touch and co-regulation, it calms the nervous system and leaves clients with a deeper sense of connection and aliveness, waking up the body to the healing power of touch in a safe environment.
People often seek massage because they are ‘suffering some form of pain’ or they ‘experience anxiety’, they share with me the sense of ‘feeling disconnected from their body’ ‘being unable to relax’ or ‘having intrusive thoughts’. As well as being really valid reasons for seeking massage, these presenting issues can also be symptoms of trauma and require a response grounded in safety and connection.
Even if you don’t identify as having a trauma history, a massage therapist who is trauma aware can be beneficial. Perhaps you had a bad day, or you have a complicated relationship with your body or a part of your body, or you just want to be assured that you will be listened to. A trauma aware massage therapist can notice certain cues that require a considered response. All clients benefit from this approach by trusting that safety, connection, communication and transparency are an integral part.
In some holistic therapies, trauma remains in the background, unconsciously influencing thoughts, feelings and behaviours during sessions and outside, creating nervous systems that are constantly on the look our for danger or that have shut down. For some, receiving touch can be foreign, threatening, reminding of past trauma, or reminiscent of the care received from a parent*1, if you are one of these people, trauma informed massage therapy can offer the safety to enjoy the benefits of therapeutic touch, a place where you can pause and take a rest from the demands of living at this moment in time.
There will be a short assessment at the beginning of your session where you will be invited to tell me about your body, heart mind and soul life, the impact of stress on you right now and what you need from the session today. I pay particular attention to potential triggers for your nervous system, focusing on safety and connection throughout the session so that you can relax and express your preferences and needs. I will attune and respond to your nervous system and offer additional guidance around breathing, grounding or helping you to find the boundaries in your body to give you the best chance for relaxation.
I will always ask for your consent and explore your boundaries around receiving touch. There is no sexual or genital touch during any of my sessions, I am able to refer you to a reputable Sexological Body Worker if required.
On the Massage table:
During the session I will invite you to “undress to your comfort level”, this could mean disrobing to your underpants or leaving a few pieces of clothing on - in both cases you will be fully draped (i.e the body is securely covered with a sheet, and only when an area is being massaged is it uncovered). You can also remain fully clothed. There are lots of effective approaches that can be done fully clothed using compression and stretching. The most important thing is for you to feel safe and comfortable for the entire session.
There is nothing therapeutically necessary that should cause you to be uncomfortable or in pain. Pressure, temperature, and positioning can be easily adjusted to fit your needs. You can ask to stop any treatment at any time.
*1 Why Massage Therapy Needs to be Trauma Informed Mark Olson (2020)
*2 Definition of trauma from Matt Licata (2022)
Are massage services in the UK trauma informed? I’d love to hear your experience?