Welcome to this information about me and my work!

I have worked in the caring professions for over thirty years. Twenty years ago I moved from the world of social and community work to complementary healthcare.

I now offer Craniosacral Therapy, Shiatsu, Reiki and Psychotherapy to those who work with me. Central to my work are two beliefs: there is intrinsic health and goodness at the core of every human being and there is unity between all that makes us human i.e. our mental, spiritual, emotional and physical aspects inter-relate and co-exist as one whole. These beliefs are integral to all of the therapies I offer.

Clients work with me for a huge variety of reasons, varying from backache, migraine, sprains and strains, menstrual and menopausal issues, to generally feeling unwell or 'out of balance'. Many come because they have 'tried everything else' and are desperate enough to try weird and wonderful sounding therapies. Parents bring babies because they had a difficult birth and older children because they have learning - concentration difficulties.

I aim to be inclusive and non-discriminatory in my work, valuing and welcoming difference and diversity

In 1992 I received a Diploma in Shiatsu from the British School of Shiatsu and have been practising ever since. While being drawn to the Five Elements approach, I complemented this with studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Mindfulness training. The practise of mindfulness continues to be central to my work.

In order to enhance the quality of contact with clients, I took the Usui Reiki path, becoming a practitioner in 1993. Given that touch with the hands happens in both Shiatsu and Craniosacral Therapy, clients who come for those therapies are also experiencing Reiki to some extent. I am a member of the Reiki association. www.reikiassociation.org.uk

The following year (1994) I completed practitioner training in Craniosacral Therapy with Franklyn Sills of the Karuna Institute. I continue studying with him at a postgraduate level. I am particularly drawn to the model of trauma resolution pioneered by the Institute in conjunction with Peter Levine. I frequently work with people whose chronic pain and distress is the result of trauma experienced for many reasons, varying from car crashes to emotional and physical abuse. I also practice craniosacral therapy at Dulwich Therapy Rooms.

I am a member of the Cranosacral Therapy Association and supervise Craniosacral Therapists on behalf of the Association. I particularly enjoy supervision because it draws on the work I did some years ago when I supervised social work students and because it gives me contact with craniosacral practitioners at an early and exciting stage of their development. www.craniosacral.co.uk

Finally, I am a graduate of the Karuna Institute's Core Process Psychotherapy Programme. I will be eligible to apply for UKCP registration in 2009. I did this training to enhance my ability to be more receptive to the whole of each person. Core Process Psychotherapy draws on both Buddhist and western psychology and acknowledges that emotional pain is often held in the body. I have a Psychotherapy Practice here at New Cross Natural Therapy Centre and The Family Natural Health Centre in Dulwich. www.karuna-institute.co.uk

What people have said:

"The thing that strikes me most about Áine's way of working is her unerring kindness. She is also very down to earth and intuitive - varying her approach to suit my needs on that particular day." Susie

"I'm grateful to Áine for her extraordinary work and I continue to gain a huge amount of pain relief from her shiatsu sessions." Joe

"Craniosacral Therapy served as a great support over a long period of enormous personal change. During times when I felt great pain and inner turmoil, the gentleness of the therapy helped me in a profound way." Anna

From Lisa Plessey. Midwife. London SE15:

What Craniosacral Therapy means to me:

How Craniosacral works for me:

Small miracles:

From Sophia:

"I was introduced to Shiatsu 7 years ago when a friend offered me a treatment as a gift prior to a long-haul flight. I never forgot how wonderfully relaxed, euphoric and re-energised I felt afterwards. A few months later I suffered from really bad bronchitis and decided to try Shiatsu to help me recover. It not only restored my health but in the coming months and years proved to be invaluable in healing other physical and emotional turbulences as well as maintaining my general health. When the practioner I was seeing moved away, she recommended Áine. It can sometimes be a delicate balance to switch between practioners as you are used to being treated in a certain way and have already placed great trust in that person, but Áine's very calm, gentle and professional approach quickly eased any concerns I might have had. I really like the fact that she can combine Shiatsu with Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Reiki and although you always feel deeply relaxed after a session, each treatment is always very different. She is able to tap into the way you have been feeling and guide you into your own healing reserves and I am very grateful for the lovely energy she has given me over the years. I have recently being cleared from a 3 year long illness (overactive thyroid), and feel I could not have done it without her and other alternative health practioners's support. It has indeed been a long-haul flight but with many more destinations to discover.."