My journey with massage began at the end of 2015 in Edinburgh, when I enrolled—simply out of curiosity—in an Introduction to Massage course at the School of Holistic Therapy. To my surprise and delight, at the end of the course the principal tutor asked if I would consider continuing onto the Diploma in Holistic Therapeutic Massage. She said she appreciated the way I worked, and I felt incredibly encouraged.

The following eleven months were genuinely transformative. I loved the learning process and found myself counting down the days to each course weekend. I developed a strong foundation in pain-relieving massage approaches—including myofascial release, neuromuscular techniques, and stretching—alongside in-depth study of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Just as importantly, I learned a great deal about myself and about what it truly means to listen: not only to what the body is communicating physically, but also to the emotional state people may be carrying when they come for treatment.

After my final exams, Simonetta (the principal tutor) offered me a role as a Teaching Assistant at the school, and I’ve been working with her until December 2025. Teaching and assisting has been a gift: the more I learned, the more I realised how vast—and fascinating—the human body truly is. That hunger to understand more naturally led me to my next step: Advanced Myofascial Release, again at the same school.

I find fascia—the body’s connective tissue—endlessly interesting to work with. In my experience, fascia-focused work can be profoundly effective, not only physically but also emotionally. It’s the kind of work that feels both precise and compassionate, and it’s an area I’m excited to continue specialising in.

So far, I’ve learned to work with fascia through the guidance of some specialists who teach very different techniques (as well as through numerous online tutorials I’ve sought out to deepen my understanding). Alongside Simonetta Logan, another key teacher in my development has been Hugh Gilbert, who was a remarkable Scottish physiotherapist and the creator of Kinetic Chain Release (KCR).

Since my first KCR course, I’ve completed five additional courses with Hugh Gilbert: KCR Level 2, Women’s Health, Postural Energetics, and Connective Tissue Release (Levels 1 and 2). In March 2018, I became a proud, accredited KCR practitioner.

Everything I’ve learned so far helps me support clients not only during treatment, but also beyond the session—by offering practical guidance on how they can help themselves, build body awareness, and reduce the likelihood of recurring issues. For me, that’s a vital part of care: empowering people to feel more at home in their bodies.

My third myofascial training experience was with Ruth Duncan at In Touch Education, where I completed six courses: Structural Series 1, 2, and 3; Advanced Upper Body; Myofascial Cupping; and Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM). Together, these courses deepened my myofascial therapy skill set by strengthening my assessment and palpation accuracy, refining my ability to apply sustained, precise pressure for fascial release, and improving my clinical reasoning when selecting techniques for different presentations.

In my later professional development, I deepened my skills with more specialised bodywork methods originating from Polish and Russian schools.

In the early 2020s, I came across the Marie Margo School in Warsaw, where I trained in Aesthetic Face Therapy – a highly detailed and precise approach to working with the muscles and soft tissues of the chest, neck and face, including intra-oral techniques. During this time, I also had the opportunity to study vacuum therapy (cupping) with a Russian specialist, Evgeniya Mironova, which further expanded my understanding of how to release chronic tension and improve tissue quality.

Over time it became clear to me that I wanted to focus my practice on the upper body, with a particular emphasis on facial and jaw-related issues. There are still relatively few practitioners who work in-depth with the muscular and fascial tension around the face and temporomandibular joint (TMJ), even though these areas are closely linked to headaches, stress, posture and overall well being.

As a natural continuation of my education in Poland, I completed a course in aesthetic osteopathy at the Marie Margo School, integrating subtle osteopathic principles with therapeutic and aesthetic work on the face. I plan to keep expanding this specialisation through further training, so I can offer even more comprehensive support for clients dealing with jaw tension, facial asymmetries and stress-related patterns in the upper body.

In 2025, I completed full professional training in Face Split Massage (Splitmassage), a specialized, non-invasive manual facial rejuvenation technique designed by Larisa Vitvinova. This therapy aims to target deeper facial structures—not just the skin—to help reverse visible signs of aging. This advanced training significantly strengthened my hands-on skills and treatment precision, particularly in deep palpation, tissue grip, and controlled manual release techniques.

Through Face Split Massage, I developed more confident and accurate techniques for working with muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia, and subcutaneous fat pads—key areas involved in age-related changes such as nasolabial folds, jowls, under-eye bags, and hollowing in the cheeks. Because the method is typically performed “dry,” my training improved my ability to assess tissue quality in real time (tightness, edema, and deformation such as fibrosis/adhesions) and to apply targeted corrections safely and effectively.

The training also enhanced my diagnostic ability to assess changes in facial tissues across sessions—tracking shifts in tension patterns, circulation, swelling, and tissue mobility—so I can adjust each treatment plan based on the client’s evolving facial structure and response. In addition, gaining proficiency in the intraoral (buccal) component improved my capacity to release deep chewing muscles and their attachments, supporting lower-jaw relaxation and reduction of swelling, and contributing to the technique’s “natural facelift” effect.

Aga