I am a Level 4 Sports Massage Therapist, an FHT Ambassador and I founded an award winning multidisciplinary health clinic in Devizes, Wiltshire. My massage career started 25 years ago when I trained for two years and gained my holistic massage qualifications. I was then classed as a mature student (22!) and was proud to collect the student of the year award. Almost straight away I rented a room in a spa and started to work for myself, alongside working in a local health farm. Then came my 2 gorgeous daughters and for 8 years I loved my job as a full time mum.
After getting back into my fitness of running and weights I decided I wanted to use my massage qualifications, so trained as a Level 3 Sports Massage Therapist…the hard way! And the way I would like all therapists to train. It was a 1 year course with 600 hours of case studies and exams plus we had to complete a season at a sports club. I chose Melksham rugby club and ended up staying for two seasons. It was the most scary and most incredible experience in one. Imagine having a couch set up in a kitchen and a line of 8-10 rugby players waiting their turn while asking ‘what are you doing?’ ‘Why are you doing that?’ I learnt quick!
I was now ready to really start up my career again, so rented a room in a Chiropractic clinic in Devizes, and here I stayed for 10 years building up a fantastic client base, really honing my skills and learning how to run a self employed business. And then it happened, a short chat with one of my clients who had premises to rent in Devizes, a quick visit on a cold December day and then a drive home where the business name came to my mind in an instant – Miles and Green, my parents surnames.
During the 5 years I owned Miles and Green – Sports Massage and Health Clinic, I was lucky enough to work with a brilliant team of practitioners who did Yoga, Meditation, Reflexology and Sports Massage. In 2017 we were thrilled to be the winners of the Best Complimentary Therapy Centre in Wiltshire. Made even more special because it was voted for by our clients, who had now become a much larger loyal client base. In 2020 I wanted to fill the gap in the market for therapy training, there are a lot of fast track and online massage courses who are qualifying students with minimum experience and confidence and this is resulting in some therapists giving up this great industry fairly quickly. Unfortunately the ‘learn quick, earn quick’ is far more appealing to some. I taught massage workshops and have written some courses that outline basic massage techniques that can be used on family and friends – these will be available online soon!
It’s now 2021 and the success of Miles and Green enabled me to take the next step. I have relocated my clinic and my wonderful clients have come too! My team have gone on to do great things so I have gone full circle and am now working by myself. The M&G Garden Clinic is a nod to the past and a hello to the future.
When I am not in my clinic, you will find me gardening, painting, walking my dog, or listening to music.
Thank you for reading
Karen