about

My name is Ana, my pronouns are she/her/they/them and I'm an Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist specialising in LGBTQ+ patients. 

 

My original background is in trauma and after leaving this career behind, I felt this deep urge to seek out softness.  Being soothed through safe touch sounded like the softness I needed but as a Queer person with my own experiences around trauma, my body and my identity, I couldn’t find the type of space or practice I was looking for. The “deeper is better” narrative seemed to be the massage world’s version of “no pain no gain” and was at odds with everything I knew about trauma informed work. My gut told me I had realised something important so I decided to train in massage myself and lean into my desire for softness and soothing.  Whilst studying to become a Massage Therapist under Michael Gibbons, my work started to take a unique shape.  

 

I began to recognise ways in which not only was massage therapy was inaccessible to the LGBTQ+ community, but how a lack of awareness around trauma and how it impacts the body was preventing the community from receiving safe and embodied experiences of touch.  In particular, for Transgender people living in a world which increasingly targeted their bodies and rights, I could see how using inclusive massage therapy could help them reclaim their body.  This direction felt good.  I never looked back and by the time I completed my case studies, I was practicing nearly exclusively on Transgender patients and leaning into the beginnings of a what became a brand new specialism. 

 

I graduated with a waiting list, a fully booked clinic and became the world’s first MT to specialise in Transgender people.  Years on, my clinic is wildly busy, with clients coming in from all over the country and more recently, internationally.  I’m now an Advanced Clinical MT, co-wrote on the worlds first qualification in LGBTQ+ specialist manual therapy and anatomy, and won Inclusive Massage Therapy Business of the Year.  As my clinic grew, I began to develop my own techniques; built around the needs of my Transgender clients.

 

 

Most exciting of all, the softness and soothing I saw was lacking, now exists and I’m proud of my work as a massage therapist and its impact in the LGBTQ+ community. 

 

My work is inclusive, trauma informed and seeks to create a safe environment for LGBTQ+ people to access massage therapy.  My patients; the majority of whom are Transgender or Queer, feel they can be themselves and share the story of their bodies honestly and safely.  Often, these are stories of trauma, dysphoria, hormone treatments and surgeries which are contributing to physical and emotional pains within the body either through a lack of access to healthcare, complications or simply mounting stress.  These issues also can interact with underlying chronic pain issues, creating unique health needs.  By helping them feel safe to be themselves within my clinic, massage therapy can be used to help reconnection with the body in a controlled and safe way, and reduce down pains and tensions. 

 

At the root of all my work is the belief that kind, compassionate and safe touch can help heal the physical and emotional pains of our community.  No gimmicks, no sales pitches, just affirming and safe touch.   

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Outside of my work, I volunteer within the LGBTQ+ community for various wellbeing projects and in my spare time, I enjoy writing, art and gardening.  I get asked my star sign a lot so for those people, I’m a Double Gemini.  I once read that Geminis are known for their curiosity, inventive ideas and enthusiasm.  I also once got told I was "the most Gemini Gemini who ever Geminied."  Go figure.

 

Ana x