A new home

I remember when I first qualified as a Sexological Bodyworker thinking: “Well, obviously this kind of work should be available to clients alongside other more conventional therapies.”

I reached out to local wellbeing centres at the time to see whether they’d be interested in me offering sessions there. A couple got back to me showing some curiosity, but it never led to anything. And so, I set up a workspace at home and steadily built my practice in my own way.

There were many benefits to this. I got to decide when I worked, how the space was set up, and what happened behind closed doors (of course, figuring this part out collaboratively with my clients!). And I still had plenty of therapists referring and signposting their clients to me.

But then I had a baby and moved into a house that needed lots of work doing on it (because why choose the easy option 🤦🏻‍♀️!), and working from home was no longer feasible. 

I love doing in-person work though, and so I’ve been working across lots of different spaces — from rent-by-the-hour therapy rooms to Airbnbs — so that I could continue this.

What I noticed, though, is that whilst the work stayed the same, my clients missed coming into the “bubble” that I had created at home.

The physical environment itself was part of what they enjoyed and what helped them to regulate. It felt like “a sanctuary away from the outside world”.

It’s hard to replicate that when you’re popping into someone else’s space for a few hours.

And so, for a while now, I’ve been on the lookout for a new home for my work.

When I came to The Wellspring and Yew, I was struck first of all by its setting. It’s in the Cheshire countryside and surrounded by fields! Once inside, I felt peaceful and grounded.

I spent a lot of time mulling this over and considering how aligned my work felt with their vision. And the more I thought about it, the more excited I became.

Because this isn’t simply a practical solution to the fact that I can't work from home right now.

It’s actually something I’ve wanted for a long time.

A space where people can come to explore their bodies, relationships, sexuality, identity, boundaries, and capacity. And there’s something particularly meaningful to me about doing that work within a space that also houses more conventional therapeutic practices.

The modalities I work with are still relatively unfamiliar to many people. They can sometimes feel like they exist on the fringes of the wellbeing world, when I believe they have an important place within it.

Our bodies, sexuality, relationships, and identities aren't somehow separate from the rest of our lives. They are essential parts of how we experience being human.

So I’m really delighted to say I’ll be offering my in-person work on Thursdays from The Wellspring and Yew.

I’ll still be offering kink sessions too — this isn’t me stepping away from that work by any means - that work will just be happening elsewhere. But the new space I have here gives me somewhere particularly beautiful and well-suited to the other strands of my practice: Sexological Bodywork, queer-affirming bodywork, and embodied coaching for individuals and duos.

And perhaps most importantly, it gives my clients somewhere that can become their bubble again.

A place to slow down.

To step out of the demands of everyday life.

To pay attention to what’s happening in their bodies.

To explore things that might be difficult to explore elsewhere.

And to be met with curiosity and acceptance rather than judgement.

It feels like a full-circle moment for me. Five years ago, I was emailing wellbeing centres asking whether there might be a place for this kind of work alongside other forms of therapy. Now I'm sitting in a beautiful space, feeling at home surrounded by other therapists, and I’m really rather thrilled about it 💜