Testimonials
what my clients say
"Melanie’s presence is gentle, but solid and strong at the same time. She’s open and non-judgemental and works creatively which I really like. Shiatsu has…made me think and feel quite differently…and enabled me to get in touch with more creative bits of myself. Melanie has allowed me to feel safe enough to be open and honest and I felt very supported by her.”
J.R.
“The help you have given me is enormous and works on at least four levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. I am truly coming into my own; becoming more of who I am and feel happier and more nourished in places that I thought would always be sad and empty. I am managing to believe in my own beauty, and that is a transformation so great I would not have believed it possible. I am, and will always be, hugely grateful to you.”
Mark Maddrell
"Melanie brings a feminine depth and respect to the healing work which provides a reliable and firm holding and invitation. For me our work generates a sense of belonging within, with life and in the world. Melanie is a hand and ladder for the most difficult places that are hard to be with alone, not to support escape or avoidance, but rather to meet and be with you just as you are, which inevitably creates a shift. There is space for creativity, celebration and fun as much as the difficult stuff. I would recommend Melanie to anyone who wants to be met with integrity and subtlety and to work with someone who clearly knows the territory. I am very grateful to have her as a companion along the way."
Anon
"Thank you so much Melanie for the beautifully held session today. I felt incredible choice and permission to go as deep as I actually needed which I haven't experienced with a practitioner before. Deeply and genuinely grateful."
Allie W,
Holistic Declutterer
"[Over the course of the sessions] I learnt a lot of things... and made big changes in my relationship with myself. I feel a lot of trust in your presence. With you I feel able to speak and move from the way I really experience the world... I have never felt able to trust someone to work in this way, but ... trust has been possible for me because of the way you work. With your help I held conversations with parts of my body or bodymind, and allowed them to speak and release in their own ways. Your practice of echoing back certain phrases and moments of speech is really powerful [and] your insights are really precious to me. My expectations about what I need to do to deal with trauma have changed – I can just do it as myself, bit by bit, with support."
Christina Petrie,
writer and freelance book editor
"You have helped me more than anyone else in my adult life... At each session there is the discussion side first and then the bodywork and it always feels like I’ve had two sessions in one – emotional and physical healing. You seem to intuitively know the right thing to do ... and this has inspired me to follow my instincts [more]... You’re such a genuinely caring, understanding person. I feel lucky to have had this experience with you and I’m eternally grateful. Thank you!"
Andrew Savage
"Initially I came for shiatsu for back problems having tried [several other treatments] in the past… Shiatsu more than helped my back problems, but it also provides me with a sense of wellbeing, incredible relaxation and a sense of being at peace and able to take on the world."
Samantha
“I was suffering from severe fatigue, as well as a deep emotional trauma which was having a direct impact on my health. The medical profession ... offered little advice ... other than to rest. I was literally bed bound for 4 months and felt very fearful that I might continue in such a state. When I first started Shiatsu I was very weak ... but after my first session I felt very relaxed, and for the first time in months had a genuine instinct that things would begin to get better. Melanie was excellent at judging the type of treatment I needed from week to week. As the treatment continued my body began to fall into balance. I do feel much better now and feel it's of great importance to continue with Shiatsu on a regular basis ... Melanie was a great, great support through some very dark times, and obviously has an indescribable talent when it comes to healing.”
Emily
"Your strong but gentle hands have worked wonders...! Thanks to you I am now almost free of pain and feeling much more optimistic than I was when I first came to you..."
Ashira McCloud
"Melanie's approach of 'we're exploring this together' feels like she is my companion on a mysterious journey. Through her acknowledgement and acceptance I've been able to open doors within me that I've been in fear of for years. Now I know more of myself than before [and] am more able to accept and even love the woman that I am."
Terry Bruce,
Yoga Teacher