About me

I am a holistic massage therapist. My massage style is very slow and present, often feeling satisfyingly deep without involving firm or painful pressure. Listening, compassionate touch is the cornerstone of all my bodywork.

I am particularly interested the emotional, spiritual and meditative aspects of massage, and in the role of massage and myofascial release in mental and emotional health.

I qualified in massage with Jing Advanced Massage Training and in myofascial release with Pain Care Clinic. I have also completed courses in Pregnancy Massage and Handsfree Massage with KnotStressed and workshops in Table Thai Massage and Myofascial Release for Scar Tissue with Jing Advanced Massage Training. I am insured by Balens.

About the space

The room: My treatment room is small and cosy, with an armchair for you to sit in while we have our consultation, and a heated massage couch for the treatment. There are upstairs and downstairs toilets available. I will leave the room so you can get undressed in privacy. There are plenty of warm towels, pillows and blankets available. I will provide water for you.

Noise: The treatment room sits in the same section of the building as a co-working space, so you can sometimes hear people passing by or voices outside the room. If you prefer a quieter time, consider booking at the weekend or after 5.30pm. I can play gentle music, natural sounds or no sound, depending on your preference.

Light: I dim the room for my treatments, however there is a skylight. If the light disturbs you while lying on your back, I can offer you an eye pillow to cover your eyes.

Stairs: The treatment room is up one set of stairs. There is a stairlift available, and there are toilets on the same level.

Dogs: Dogs are allowed in the co-working space, but not into the treatment room.

About my practice

Accessibility

Stairs: My massage space is reached by a set of stairs, however a stairlift is available. There is a question on the consultation form where you can let me know if you need the stairlift, so I can assist you.

Sensory needs: If you have sensory needs, I’m keen to help you meet them during your treatment. This can mean using headphones or particular background sounds (for example, white noise, music with lyrics, music without lyrics…), avoiding certain textures, sounds or smells, bringing fidgets or other supportive objects and so on. There is space in the consultation form to let me know about this ahead of time if you’d like to.

Chronic health condition flare ups: if you experience a flare-up of a chronic condition meaning it is not possible or not supportive to attend your appointment, I will not charge you for the cancellation and you can reschedule for when you’re feeling better. You might find my Last Minute Mailing List helpful – I email max. once per week with any remaining appointments, so you can book on your body’s schedule.

Allergies: I always ask about allergies ahead of time to ensure I can use products which are safe for you. I avoid eating common allergens such as nuts in the space, however the space is used by several practitioners and so unfortunately I cannot guarantee it is allergen-free.

Other needs: I include a question on the consultation form giving you space to let me know if there are any ways I can make the appointment more accessible for you, so do please let me know if there is anything that will make you more comfortable. I am very aware that the burden of explaining your needs shouldn’t necessarily fall on you, so I’m working on making my practice more accessible for everyone.

Sustainability

The main environmental impacts of massage therapy are in heating the space, and washing the sheets. I try to reduce these by using a heated pad on the massage table (“heat the person, not the space”), and by using sheets the right size for massage rather than standard bedsheets to reduce laundry volumes.

If you come regularly, a good sustainable option is to bring your own sheets, meaning they won’t need to be washed in between each and every treatment. If you’d like to do this, email bookings@joannecraven.co.uk so I can let you know what to bring. I offer a small discount, to compensate for laundry costs.

I use Songbird Massage Wax, produced in the UK and available in cardboard containers. It uses 100% natural ingredients, organic and UK-grown wherever feasible. The standard blend includes beeswax, but I always have a vegan alternative available. I also use oil for some treatments, which comes from a variety of suppliers.

Massage and emotional trauma

There’s a lot of interest in trauma and the body at the moment (which is wonderful). However, in relation to bodywork, the word “trauma-informed” is used a lot and quite loosely. I would describe my practice as not (yet) trauma-informed but “trauma-aware”. This means that:

• I have read extensively around emotional trauma and its impact on the body. You can use concepts like “trigger”, “dissociation”, “fight/flight/fawn/freeze” and “flashback” with me and I will understand what you are talking about.
• I actively try to ensure that my treatments are as trauma-safe as possible. For example, I make sure to explicitly agree what the treatment will include before you get on the table, and I ask everyone before they come if there are any triggering sensations I can avoid.
• If you become triggered during a treatment, you can tell me and I will support you to use your grounding tools.
• If you are interested in massage as a body-centred complement to your talk therapy or other healing processes, I’m happy to discuss that.

However:

• I am not trauma-trained.
• I’m not able to offer trauma-informed massage treatments specifically aimed at processing trauma.

If you’re looking for body-based therapies for healing trauma, make sure to look for a practitioner with specific trauma qualifications (e.g. Somatic Experiencing, Trauma Informed Yoga). You can find useful information on trauma-informed practice from Edinburgh-based trauma practitioner Cori from KOA.

Energy work

As I’m working, I feel a variety of non-physical sensations including energy flowing or pooling, perceptions of colours, characters and landscapes, and emotional sensations. These blend with other sensations – the texture and warmth of the tissue, breathing, and movement – to form an overall picture which guides my work.

I am not a trained energy worker, and I never try to force change onto a person’s energy “landscape”. I do try to offer it as much love and space as I’m able, to give it freedom to change if it wants to.

I don’t have a strong opinion on whether I’m sensing a real “energy” separate to the physical world, or whether these sensations are my brain translating physical sensations. To me, it doesn’t feel an important distinction – this is, and always has been, an important part of how I sense the world, and it often seems to guide me well in my massage work.

Generally, I don’t share these sensations with clients after their treatment, as I’m aware they’re very much my perceptions rather than a truth about someone. However, if you’re curious what I experienced during your treatment, you’re very welcome to ask!