Qualifications

Scroll down to see my nutritional medicine and registration certificates.

Aromatherapy

After working with Holland & Barrett since leaving higher education and completing all the training they could organise for me, I became a 'natural health adviser' and store manager for the company. I qualified in my first therapy, aromatherapy body work, with the renowned Shirley Price in 1992.

I thoroughly enjoyed giving aromatherapy massage but returned to work for Holland & Barrett for a while. Later I returned to massage and wanted to offer more remedial approaches as many people were coming in with neck problems.

When I left work, I decided I wanted to train in nutritional medicine and remedial massage. The nutrition course would take several years and the massage about 18 months so I started both at the same time in 1998 on the basis I could practice as a massage therapist whilst studying.

Remedial Massage

I trained with the Northern Institute of Massage (then and now still regarded as the best massage training available short of becoming an osteopath) and qualified in 1999. I also updated my aromatherapy bodywork skills with Shirley Price and qualified in 2000.

At this point I was running my practice in a health club so I also trained in beauty techniques including waxing, manicure, pedicure, facials, even eyebrow shaping and eyelash tinting! I had a great time!

Nutritional Medicine

I started training in nutritional medicine with Prof Lawrence Plaskett in 1998 by distance learning and attendance at the University of Westminster in London. There was no degree course available at that time in this subject (and actually I still think the training I received is far superior to some of the degree courses now around).

I chose to train with Plaskett because he offered a rare approach: a way of applying naturopathic medical principles to nutrition. In other words, most nutritionists will assess whether someone is deficient in something or has an excess of something else, whereas this training gave me a whole medical framework and philosophy to build my practice around. Simply put, because of that I believe I get more people well, which, let's face it, is why we train.

I qualified with a Diploma in Alternative Nutrition in 2001 then gained the full practitioner qualification, with distinction, in Nutritional Medicine in 2002.

I continued my training and am also qualified in:

Iridology 2003

Complex Homeopathy (Homotoxicology) 2003

NAET Allergy Therapy 2005

CPD

The last few years have been spent in busy full time practice but I manage to keep my continuing professional development going by constant research, writing, reading and seminars.

I love my job and would never consider doing anything else. I no longer practice the massage, NAET or beauty techniques simply because I am too busy with nutritional medicine and writing, which is a good place to be!

I have been a full member of BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) since qualifying.