Hi, I'm Ceri Turner.
This page tells you a bit about me, why I do what I do, how I approach it and what I enjoy most about it, why I decided to do it, how long I've been in practice, some practical things like where I trained and where I have worked, why I called my business 'Holistyx', different professional organisations I have been involved with, and then (if you get that far) my background before I started doing Holistic Therapies. Thanks for your interest.
I grew up in a family with a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Health was something that you looked after with how you spent your time and money - doing exercise, eating well, talking to someone, looking after yourself - not just something you fixed with drugs when it went wrong.
I was brought up to believe that talking about your thoughts and feelings, developing self-awareness, and looking after your mental and emotional health, is as important as looking after your body, your physical health. There were various complementary remedies in the cupboards to help with both. We are also a tactile family - giving a back rub or foot rub was as normal as having a hug.
As a teen, I was particularly interested in Massage, Aromatherapy, Healing, Nutrition, Herbs, and Bach Flower Remedies, and also explored Homeopathy, Crystals, Yoga, and Meditation.
I have worked from a few locations over the years. I was very part time for the first few years, alongside 2 other jobs. Initially renting a room when I had appointments from Isobel Hamid at her 'Healing Hands' Clinic on Owen Road in Skerton till 2011, and from 2010 - Nov 2012 also working 1 or more days a week from Concept Hair and Beauty Salon on China Street, Lancaster city centre.
What motivates you and keeps you enjoying your work?
I love it when someone walks in stressed and tense, shoulders tight, tired eyes, perhaps depressed, anxious or not sleeping well, perhaps in pain and with limited range of movement, and walks out with their face lit up with a relaxed smile, a looseness and freedom of movement, and feeling so much more balanced and at ease in mind and body. There's nothing like the satisfaction of seeing that wonderful deep sense of relaxation and wellbeing!
I believe that an attentive and responsive touch, with professional skills, listening ear, caring heart and intuition, can connect to people at a deeper level and enable a profound release of physical and mental tension, knots, stuck energy or emotion.
It really makes my day, when I get messages from clients saying that they have had improvements in their symptoms, the pain has not come back, they had a really good nights sleep, or simply that they feel the best they've felt in years.
What keeps me from getting stale, even when its another back, neck and shoulder massage (which is what I do more than anything else) is never sticking to a routine.
It keeps it fresh to always be adapting what I do to the individual client on that day, what is going on for them and in their body, and feeling for how they respond to different techniques or approaches. Also keeping learning - new knowledge, new skills.
I am happy to do one off treatments for pain relief, stress, or just enjoyment, but I most enjoy the relationship with regular clients, who realise what a big difference it can make to their health, wellbeing, and quality of life, to receive treatments regularly, whether on a schedule, or as and when they know they need it. Many of my clients give a lot of themselves, whether to their work, their families, or their friends and community. I enjoy giving them an opportunity to take time out and 'refill their cup'.
Since Covid, its also become important to me to provide a space with a high standard of protection from infection, so people can feel safe to relax.
Why did you become a Holistic Therapist?
I grew up in a family with a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Health was something that you looked after with how you spent your time and money - doing exercise, eating well, talking to someone, looking after yourself - not just something you fixed with drugs when it went wrong.I was brought up to believe that talking about your thoughts and feelings, developing self-awareness, and looking after your mental and emotional health, is as important as looking after your body, your physical health. There were various complementary remedies in the cupboards to help with both. We are also a tactile family - giving a back rub or foot rub was as normal as having a hug.
As a teen, I was particularly interested in Massage, Aromatherapy, Healing, Nutrition, Herbs, and Bach Flower Remedies, and also explored Homeopathy, Crystals, Yoga, and Meditation.
I knew I'd be a practitioner in the complementary health field one day. In the end, it took me till I was 34. I'll say a bit more about what I did before and how I got where I am now below.
How long have you been a therapist? Where did you train? Where are you based?
I started Holistyx on November 1st 2008 after training for the previous year in a full time course at Kendal College to gain VCTC Level 3 Diplomas in Holistic Therapies (including Swedish Massage, Aromatherapy Massage, and Reflexology), Indian Head Massage, Anatomy and Physiology, and Health, Safety, Security and Employment Standards.
In 2011 a mutual friend introduced me to Reverend Phil Hudd and his family, and in June I set up the first room entirely my own at the back of his home on East Road, complete with waiting area, parking space and a view of large trees in the garden. This move after those first few years of gaining experience really helped my business grow into a full time busy practice. I was there for a happy 8 years until 2019.
Here's one of the cards I received, this one extra special as it was hand made by my client.
Having enjoyed the addition of hot stones to massages I've received, and feeling it would be beneficial for some of my clients, especially those with Fibromyalgia who wanted more than a gentle massage but found deep tissue work painful, I added Stone Therapy: Hot and Cold Stone Massage in 2020 after training with Margaret Tuxford at Preston Therapy Centre.
I am a Holistic Therapist and this approach to health and wellbeing is central to my approach - I made up my business name to reflect this.
'Holistic' literally means 'of the whole' and it is a philosophy of treating the whole person, because all parts of us - physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, spiritually - are interconnected. To me it also implies that we are all individuals with different needs and preferences which should be respected and taken into account.
So, its important to me to get to know about each client, your health and wellbeing and lifestyle, and what you are hoping for from the specific session or from a series of treatments.
On a first visit (unless it is for Aromatherapy) the consultation tends to focus on the physical - a thorough check of medical history and of your current physical condition which may affect your chosen treatment. If you come again I may ask more about you and your lifestyle - for example about your family, what work or other activities you do, what you eat and drink, exercise, sleep patterns, stress levels. Then I can when appropriate, give relevant advice or suggestions about self care.
I joined the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) as soon as I qualified in 2008. In 2011, Isobel Hamid and I started FHT Lancaster Local Support group for practitioners in the fields of complementary health care, beauty and sports therapy. Initially Isobel took the lead role and organised the speakers with me in support, then in 2012 we swapped roles.
Anyone interested in health in wellbeing was welcome to attend LSG meetings with opportunities to hear talks, see demonstrations, network, and exchange information and ideas. We arranged 47 meetings over a period of 5 years.
Through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the closures of 2019 and 2020, I found the advice and support of the Association of Physical and Natural Therapists (APNT) much more timely, appropriate, balanced, and transparent; the staff much more responsive and helpful; and their representation of Industry interests much more in line with my own opinion than that of the FHT.
So, I allowed my FHT membership to lapse at the end of 2020 and joined the APNT in March 2021. However unfortunately the APNT was then dissolved at the end of August! However, I remained a member of the BCMA - the British Complementary Medicine Association, which is a member of the General Council for Soft Tissue Therapies (GCMT), and a founder member of the Integrated Healthcare Collaborative (IHC), bringing together Professional Associations and stakeholders within complementary, traditional and natural healthcare.
ESTA - the Ethical Small Traders Association - founded in 2010 - is a framework for mutual benefit and co-operation between local self-employed people and small businesses and organisations in the Lancaster area who are committed to personal development and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, local prosperity, and the common good of the wider community
I had enjoyed performing arts growing up - including being in a Youth Dance Company, and also doing some amateur drama and singing. In 1993, while still at uni, my partner Chris Wright brought me in to perform some funny, issue-based sketches at health conferences with him - something that combined my love of performing with my interest in education. Within a couple of years we were offered a commission by a Health Promotion Officer to create and perform in a drug education play to tour schools, and from there things really took off!
Unfortunately by 2004 I was burnt out. I still believed passionately in our work, but for various reasons it was not healthy for me any more - including being financially insecure. It was also difficult to combine with looking after our young son. I struggled for a good long while, just making myself keep going, before taking a good hard look at myself, quitting Up Front Theatre entirely and starting to look for other work.
In 2014 I added realised no-one in the area was offering Aromatherapy massage to pregnant women, so added Massage and Aromatherapy for Pregnancy, Labour and Post-Natal Care after training with Jo Kellet of fromtheseed, Brighton.
In 2018, I held a 10 year Holistyx anniversary celebration at my East Road therapy room. A really lovely occasion.
Here's one of the cards I received, this one extra special as it was hand made by my client.
Here's me (in the purple shirt), in the middle of some of my long term regular clients. As you can see I work with mostly women, but also with men, and with a range of ages, though more older than younger people:
I moved to my current premises at 604 Alston House, White Cross Business Park, on 3rd July 2019. See my Location page for details.
I had long regretted not being able to continue providing Reflexology when clients became pregnant. In 2021, this situation arose again with one of my regulars, and I thought "Not this time!" and signed up for training with Sally Earlam Reflexology in Maternity (Pregnancy and Post-Natal) Reflexology. As it was during the Covid pandemic, it was my first experience of training via video materials and tutorials over Zoom.
Why 'Holistyx'?
I am a Holistic Therapist and this approach to health and wellbeing is central to my approach - I made up my business name to reflect this.
'Holistic' literally means 'of the whole' and it is a philosophy of treating the whole person, because all parts of us - physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, spiritually - are interconnected. To me it also implies that we are all individuals with different needs and preferences which should be respected and taken into account.
So, its important to me to get to know about each client, your health and wellbeing and lifestyle, and what you are hoping for from the specific session or from a series of treatments.
On a first visit (unless it is for Aromatherapy) the consultation tends to focus on the physical - a thorough check of medical history and of your current physical condition which may affect your chosen treatment. If you come again I may ask more about you and your lifestyle - for example about your family, what work or other activities you do, what you eat and drink, exercise, sleep patterns, stress levels. Then I can when appropriate, give relevant advice or suggestions about self care.
What Professional Associations and Business Groups are you or have you been a member of?
After many years of membership and active participation in Professional Associations and other business groups, I am not currently a member of any.
I joined the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) as soon as I qualified in 2008. In 2011, Isobel Hamid and I started FHT Lancaster Local Support group for practitioners in the fields of complementary health care, beauty and sports therapy. Initially Isobel took the lead role and organised the speakers with me in support, then in 2012 we swapped roles.Anyone interested in health in wellbeing was welcome to attend LSG meetings with opportunities to hear talks, see demonstrations, network, and exchange information and ideas. We arranged 47 meetings over a period of 5 years.
By the end of 2015, Isobel Hamid and I stepped down from running the Federation of Holistic Therapists Lancaster Local Support Group, happily passing a thriving group over to new Co-ordinators.
Through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the closures of 2019 and 2020, I found the advice and support of the Association of Physical and Natural Therapists (APNT) much more timely, appropriate, balanced, and transparent; the staff much more responsive and helpful; and their representation of Industry interests much more in line with my own opinion than that of the FHT.
So, I allowed my FHT membership to lapse at the end of 2020 and joined the APNT in March 2021. However unfortunately the APNT was then dissolved at the end of August! However, I remained a member of the BCMA - the British Complementary Medicine Association, which is a member of the General Council for Soft Tissue Therapies (GCMT), and a founder member of the Integrated Healthcare Collaborative (IHC), bringing together Professional Associations and stakeholders within complementary, traditional and natural healthcare.However, after that first years membership to the BCMA finished in March 2022, I felt there had been no benefit to my membership, and decided to go forward without belonging to any Professional Association.
Soon after I joined in 2013, 3 of us started a sub-group for Health and Wellbeing practitioners, for mutual support and encouragement, development of ethical practice, and initiatives to promote Complementary Health and Wellbeing locally. By 2015 I undertook an ESTA audit, giving me the right to display the ESTA 'ethical trader' logo. I was an active participant for many years but with Covid, participation became more difficult and I decided to leave in 2023.
What did you do before this?
I grew up 'down South'. I came up to Lancaster to to attend Lancaster University in 1991. I graduated with a a BA Hons in Religious Studies (with units in Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology and Educational Studies) in 1995.
I had enjoyed performing arts growing up - including being in a Youth Dance Company, and also doing some amateur drama and singing. In 1993, while still at uni, my partner Chris Wright brought me in to perform some funny, issue-based sketches at health conferences with him - something that combined my love of performing with my interest in education. Within a couple of years we were offered a commission by a Health Promotion Officer to create and perform in a drug education play to tour schools, and from there things really took off!That lead to us working together for 11 years in Theatre in Education (T.I.E), first as 'Straight Up Theatre Company' then as 'Up Front Theatre'. Offering educational performances, workshops and training - mostly in High Schools and Youth and Community contexts - specialising in personal, social, health and political issues such as mental health; sex, sexual health and teenage pregnancy; drugs; and anti-discrimination / social inclusion work, e.g. challenging homophobia, racism, and sexism. Mostly in Lancashire but with annual trips further afield and even to Thailand for an International Health Conference on one memorable occasion!
Unfortunately by 2004 I was burnt out. I still believed passionately in our work, but for various reasons it was not healthy for me any more - including being financially insecure. It was also difficult to combine with looking after our young son. I struggled for a good long while, just making myself keep going, before taking a good hard look at myself, quitting Up Front Theatre entirely and starting to look for other work.
In 2005 I spent a few months working at "Health and Brew" market stall in Lancaster improving my knowledge of Nutrition, Aromatherapy, Homeopathy, Herbs, and Bach Flower Remedies. I then ended up working in a new shop on the side of the Market "Gillisons Fine Leather Goods". As I gradually felt less burnt out, I also did some occasional performance work for 'Up Front Theatre' without resuming a management role. These are the 2 jobs I had to support me when I retrained in Holistic Therapies in 2008 as I went into above - and for the first few years in business. I worked at Gillisons till 2011. Occasional theatre work lasted a bit longer, until I decided I needed to move on and put all my energy and attention into Holistic Therapies, this business, and my clients.
Did you read all that? Thanks so much for your interest!
You may want to check my prices, my location, what I've got in place for Covid-19 Infection Control, Or for other useful info such as my availability, schedule, how to book, payment details, whether a treatment could be covered by your health insurance etc, see my FAQ.
If you want to connect on social media, you can find me on Linked In and on Facebook as Holistyx.
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