TOTAL WELLBEING

Hello, my name is Sheila Ross Stocker and I am a Holistic Practitioner. I bring a wide range of skills and experience to help people to achieve better health and positive change. I focus on the whole person when I work, and we embark on a journey towards better health and wellbeing. My aim is to use my skills to help you get the best results. When we utilise the bodies own natural healing abilities and the positive potential of the mind, we can often achieve quicker and better results.

The name of Total Wellbeing was chosen to reflect my whole person approach to health and wellness, always working towards a better state of balance and therefore health.

MY JOURNEY

I have been involved in healing since 1996, when I found myself at a very low point in life, I had begun to get painful knees and had been put on anti-inflamatory drugs. I remember watching the kilroy talk show and an elderly lady's words just rang in my ears. She had suffered some traumatic event early in her life, and yet after decades of phychotherapy and counselling she was still in emotional pain. Every day she was suffering again and again from what had happened to her, and a whole host of therapists and 'experts' had been unable to ease her pain. In that in that moment I made a conscious decision to find my own alternative and natural ways of healing myself and becoming healthier. I remember thinking, there must be a better way to resolve the past and achieve a happier and healthier life!

At the time I knew nothing about complimentary medicine. I'm not sure if it was the following day, but it was soon afterwards that a prospectus fell through my letter box. It feel open to the complimentary therapy pages, and I sat on the bottom of my stairs reading it. I found Healing, Well I certainly felt like I needed healing, and despite my sceptecism I was willing to give anything a try just to feel a bit better!

Even though I had 3 young children under 5 whom I had never really left with anyone else I just knew I had to enrol for courses in Healing, Aromatherapy massage and Reflexology. I didn't know which to choose so I decided to to do all three. I had no desire to learn these as a career at this point but these formed the foundation for me to begin my own healing journey. I knew also that the mind and our thoughts have a powerful impact on health so I began to learn Hypnotherapy also.

I have found life itself to be my most important teacher by far, but my studies have included basic counselling, health and social care, health and social welfare as well as several other complimentary therapies. Each one I have been drawn to and learnt has been benificial to me

In spite of one of my early teachers telling me to concerntrate on one of two therapies and just do them, my intention wasn't to choose a career path but to understand and heal myself. That desire has been a driving force for me, and now I couldn't imagine working in any other field.

Oh and I completely forgot to mention about the problem with my knees! In fact I can't quite remember at which point they recovered, but they did improve, and caused me no further problems. I believe I had reached such a point where I just had to put myself first - there was no other option than to get well, for my sake and of course my childrens sake! I had to take action - to do something posetive. The therapies I recieved I believe not only relieved the stress, and gave me invaluable time out, but assisted my body to allow its natural healing potential to become activated. Yes they worked with my body to help me to turn my health around. My further studies have allowed me to learn how to release past traumas and best of all to correct many false beliefs and get our thinking right. My energy levels have improved dramatically, but most Importantly I could better able to cope with my life. I have a real passion for my work as a therapist, because I have felt first hand how therapies can and do tranform health, outlook and life.

MY WORK

I am now qualified practitioner of several holistic therapies. Some therapies use the bodies own energy system to improve health, such as Reflexology and TFT. These use the pressure points available on the body to help release blockages within the body energy field. TFT works with the body and mind, to help return the body to a more balanced state. (See more details below).

I use Reiki or Spiritual Healing to speed up the body's natural healing process, this helps us on all levels, mind body and spirit.

Other therapies also aid the body's natural healing abilities. Some reduce stress levels, allowing the mind to empty, drift or come back to present time for deep relaxation to take place. These therapies include Indian Head Massage, Holistic Massage, NO HANDS Massage (New), and Hot Stone Therapy.

The body can then focus on re-balancing, repairing and restoring a feeling of inner calm. Replacing busyness, and being constantly on the go. Often we are on edge, or ready to react to the next thing! We can live life so fast today, and if we are not careful, we can soon forget how to relax. We can become addicted to that adrenalin rush to keep us going, and as creatures of habit we can find it almost impossible to slow down. The body needs time to relax and restore itself, if we can only allow it to happen! We are all affected by the hustle and bustle around us also. It's like a continual treadmill if we don't stop to notice what we are actually doing. We have no time to just 'BE ' anymore, take that walk in the park, stop and listen to that bird sing, and reconnect with the essence of who you really are!

When we fail to notice our bodies need to rest and rejuvenate, our energy levels become depleted and if we don't get enough rest we can become exhausted, lethargic and suffer from stress related illness. Self awareness is essential to turning the whole thing around, as we can easily just continue on automatic, but are we happy to continue like this? Is this the life we want?

As a busy parent of four I personally know how stressful life can be at times. I have found all of these therapies invaluable in my own life, and still use them today. I enjoy seeing the positive results in the lives of my clients, and I enjoy making a real difference.

The use hypnotherapy and NLP (Neuro linguistic programming) which can help you to make positive changes at the very deepest levels of the mind. Also TFT (Thought Field Therapy) helps to release emotions and negative feelings, phobias and beliefs from within the body system and energy field.

I also like to be pampered sometimes, and I provide galvanic spa facials (these can help improve the look and appearance of the skin and make you look and feel great). I also love to use natural ingredients, so I use natural aromatherapy essential oils in massages and facials, for their therapeutic effect on our mind and body systems.

Bach flower Remedies can help give support and reassurance to us in times of transition or when we want to make changes. We can often feel scared to make changes and find it easier to stay in our comfort zone, even if its uncomfortable for us to do so. Bach Flower Remedies allows natures natural healing properties from plants to help our bodies and minds to heal. They can help our outlook, attitudes and behaviours improve, and change from negative to posetive. Bach flower remedies work on the individual person and can help improve emotional states, aid speedy recovery from shock or trauma, help with confidence, jealousy, stubornness, impatients. In fact with a whole range of issues that impact how we feel and therefore our overall health and wellbeing. The aim to bring us back into balance.

I really enjoy working within the community. I am a massage in schools instructor, bringing peer massage into schools to help reduce bullying, improve social behaviour and interaction and increase concentration. Children learn the experience positive nurturing touch. This aims to improve children's quality of life in school. Peer massage helps to reduce behavioural problems and improve social skills.

I hold a Diploma in Health and Social Welfare, and a Certificate in Health and Social Care, and have basic counselling skills. I have also studied anatomy and physiology and work with an awareness of how stress, our state of mind, outlook and lifestyle can vastly influence our health, wellbeing. Our quality of our life can be affected by our own negative beliefs about ourselves and our abilities. I am a qualified practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Holistic massage, No Hands Massage, Indian Head Massage, Stress Management, a Hypnotherapist and Thought field Therapist and NLP.

I like to help others to achieve their goals, whether they be for better health, increased confidence, a more positive outlook. Or to help to remove any blocks to moving towards success. When positive self talk and affirmations are just not enough to make the changes you want to happen. You may have beliefs working against you at the unconscious level, but with a little help you could achieve the results you are looking for.

I have provided support to the charity Home start (they provide support to families under stress with at least one child under 5). I work with the terminally ill and their carers.

I have a real passion for complimentary therapies, because of how they have helped me personally, and for the potential they have to help us all improve our lives.

When not working I enjoy art, nature, yoga, thia chi and meditation.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my website, please contact me if you would like any further information about me or my work. See more details about each therapy on the home page. I look forward to meeting you or hearing from you soon!"

Best wishes

Sheila