I am so happy to share that I have been invited back to Belfast to run further trainings and talks in November 2018 for teachers, LSA’s , therapists and other professionals who work with special/ additional needs and abilities as well as those working or living with mental health issues, challenges and addictions. Families and carers of those with additional or special abilities/needs are warmly welcome also. Details and dates to follow as soon as I have confirmed them ………
Courses: *Level One Massage for Special Needs two day course
* Level Two Advanced Functional Massage one day course
It is truly such an honour to be invited back again as a guest speaker on the panel at the Indian Head Massage Community Seminar, to be hosted at the Purple Turtle Academy in Brighton on Saturday 19th October 2019 from 9.45 am until 4.45 pm. I feel overjoyed and absolutely honoured to be invited back again. These events are always so valuable and informative with like-minded people who are passionate about what they do. It is always such a joy to work alongside Mary Atkinson and Amy Taylor.For more details or to book a place, please click here.
I am absolutely full of joy and energy and feel so immensely privileged to have been invited to run training days for Special Yoga Limited, a truly wonderful and inspirational organisation who take their work with special children worldwide.
Jyoti Jo Manuel, the founder, trained with me earlier this year and I shall be training under her to further my own work with special children in October by her kind invitation. Our approach and support of these incredibly special children is so similar and so complimentary.
I shall be running the training day from the Heart Centre in Bournemouth, Dorset on Friday 31st August 2018 – with a later day in the planning stages for London due to high demand! For more information or to book your ticket, please visit the Special Yoga website.
I shall also be giving a talk and trainings on 1st-3rd February 2019 in Wiltshire as part of a four consecutive weekend retreat programme organised by Special Yoga for their Special Yoga level 2 train the teacher programme – more details to follow…
On 2-3 May 2019 I shall be training members of the Special Yoga Team in Reiki Level One which will be such a joy. As a beautiful and deeply beneficial therapy that can be administered hands-on or hands-off, this is so non-invasive but powerfully calming, stimulating all our coping and happy hormones. It is completely safe and immensely nurturing.
On 6 September 2019 I shall be once again offering a CPD training day in Indian head massage for children with autism and other special needs/abilities.
Do check out the valuable and incredible work they do at SpecialYoga.org.uk.
“I love Giuliana and her amazing work. So happy to have her beautiful teachings and presence again. For yoga therapists, teachers and alternative therapists working with autistic kids, this day will give you some really useful tools and info.” – Jo Manuel, Founder.
*Update: An inspiring, valuable and tremendous day of teaching, learning and sharing was had by all! For more information about the day, please visit the Indian Head Massage Community’s website.
I was so thrilled, proud and truly honoured to be asked again by Mary Atkinson and Amy Taylor of the prestigious Indian Head Massage Community UK to give a presentation and workshop on 30th June 2018 at their conference and CPD event.
The day was to “welcome top guest speakers from the industry to offer insights, inspiration and information to promote the best practice for Indian Head Massage therapists. The idea was to share knowledge of taking nurturing massage to areas previously not considered; to think outside the box and to learn and grow alongside each other, sharing knowledge, proven experience and ideas.”
I was just so gorgeously delighted to be a part of something so special and planned a heartfelt, passionate, moving talk that will get people thinking (I hope!), followed by a very interactive, exciting workshop. It was such a privilege to be included. Thank you Mary and all the team!
On 15th – 17th September 2017 I was invited by Dr Martin Williams ( such a massive honour ! ) to Fife in Scotland where I gave a talk and ran a workshop as part of the launch of an Emotionally Intelligent schools leadership programme . Dr Williams spoke so engagingly about the huge importance, impact and value of emotional intelligence and how “EQ” is as important, if not more so , than IQ : something that has also been so close to my own heart and experience and something I’ve long wished to see within schools and the workplace.
The head teacher of Lochgelly School, Carolann Penrose, had worked closely with Dr Williams for the outcomes aimed at for the weekend and I was just so thrilled to be part of it. It just lights me up to meet doctors, teachers and other professionals who all deeply care for the child, the ” wet cement ” that we are all shaping and to know that there are really forward thinking schools out there who understand that an emotionally intelligent school will be a more productive and inclusive school – which will ultimately produce better results . This message then filters into the workplace where employers now are increasingly looking for EQ as well as IQ….
By also encouraging self care and self nurture, we all do a far better job of providing the very best , professional, quality care for the children and young adults we are growing. With all the pressures teachers are now under, this couldn’t be more important because if teachers are able to nurture themselves, they’re then able to nurture those in their care. When we are aware of and growing our own EQ, we can then help the children grow their’s .
This launch weekend was just totally inspiring and motivational. It was so gorgeous to feel myself growing even more on a personal and professional level as I listened to Dr Williams’ extensive knowledge and experience – and also the heads,deputies, teachers and other staff who were all so passionate about what they do. I was so moved to be able to share this special time and to bring my own work to the table too, that I did actually cry when I left Edinburgh airport …! I felt part of something so valuable, important and trail blazing. I’m confident that this is just the beginning……
Out of all the ( many ! ) photographs I took throughout my trip, my very favourite is the one of the knitted bicycle cover because to me it summed up the weekend …. all of our colours, all of our gifts, all of our abilities – however different or special , all of our voices are so important for transporting us into a rich, full, inclusive and emotionally intelligent future .
I now have the heartwarming pleasure of training up teachers, LSA’s , TA’s and staff within schools all over the UK, whether they travel to my therapy centre or I travel to train. Most of those training with me now come on fully or part funded placements from their schools which is a huge testament to this work .
However schools and academies do not always have the budget or the time to spare staff for full trainings.
Yet with an increasing number of children and young adults being diagnosed as on the autism spectrum , along with ADHD ,dyslexia and learning differences, workshops or one day talks/trainings would be invaluable.
I have walked this path as the mother of an autistic child surviving mainstream , as well as a therapist and author , so I have a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to bring into the school environment. With a long and proven record of working within schools and specialist academies , this is a huge passion of mine ! A day spent sharing techniques and a whole ” toolbox” of methods to promote calmer, more relaxed , more focused and productive classroom environments , will pay dividends into the longterm as well as the short term.
So many children go through so much before they even get through the school gates in the morning and go through experiences that many adults would be signed off sick for. There are many who go through emotional trauma and difficult times, so for these children, along with those who have different abilities, some simple massage techniques can be what gets them through the school gates and actually helps keep them in school that day.
From my own experience and from what those I have trained in schools tell me , classrooms are certainly much calmer environments and more productive ones too after massages have taken place.
I have also been into schools to give assemblies and workshops also and this I really love because it involves all the kids. Its great for them to feel part of everything, feel their voices are being heard too and to play an active part in their own health and wellbeing. Once I ran an assembly in a packed gym and afterwards the queue was so long around the building with kids wanting to see me afterwards that I ended up staying for the entire lunch hour ! I was so happy !! I’m often told they wish I was their biology teacher as they are learning so much whilst having fun in an informal way. I have loved this work so much ,that it is something I would certainly like to offer more of for 2017.
Please email me if you feel your school or academy could benefit from this ,wherever you are located.
Talk and trainings in Belfast 27th-28th April 2017 9.30 am – 5pm both days. CMA approved and certified course. I’m so happy to be coming over to Ireland to spread this wonderful work and share with everyone!
It would be fantastic if you could bring along a copy of my book “Indian Head Massage for Special Needs ” available from my publisher Jessica Kingsley/Singing Dragon or direct from Amazon. I love everyone to scribble all over the pages like a gorgeous well used recipe book because I am always bursting with so much information as we work together.
£300 per person
Early booking essential.
Payments can be spread and there is an Early Bird Offer available if the first £100 is paid by 31st January:
I recently had the massive joy of being asked to speak at The Association of Indian Head Massage’s (AIHM) annual conference and CPD day on Saturday 17th September, organised by the wonderful Mary Atkinson. Mary spoke , along with the lovely Bridget , about her massage work within palliative care and hospices , a talk which made me well up several times at the hugeness of heart and courage involved for all concerned , Amy Taylor spoke eloquently and passionately about her massage work with pregnant ladies and I was invited to speak about my work with children and young adults with autism and other different abilities. I loved every minute and absolutely couldn’t stop talking … I wanted to share so much !! I wanted to give the incredible, courageous, gifted children I work with a voice and let people know just how able and talented they are , as well as raise awareness about using therapeutic touch to help them bloom.I was buzzing for days afterwards … and still am as I write this ! I absolutely love my job !!
The outcome for the day was to ensure that Indian Head Massage sessions met the individual needs of each and every client and above all listening to them and combining touch with that space to hear and feel how someone really is . After a working lunch where I actually had a queue of people wanting hugs as well as questions answered ( I loved it and actually wanted to take everyone home with me ! ) , Mary, Amy and I ran workshops where we shared some of our techniques with the attendees.
Mary has written her own blog on the events of the day; if you would like to find out more, please click here to read it.I also wrote my own posts on Twitter and on my Therapies for Special Needs and Indian Head Massage for Special Needs Facebook pages.
In response to overwhelming demand following the publication of my book, for those who cannot travel to me to train, I am very happy to travel to offer talks and one day workshops. Please email at info@therapiesforspecialneeds.co.uk for further details. I can come to schools or private venues wherever there are a number of you. This includes abroad, particularly in response to all the emails I have received from America and specifically in connection with autism.
I am also happy to travel to offer two day fully certified and CMA approved practical diploma courses in indian head massage for special needs based on all the techniques in my book. This is where groups or schools are involved . Again, please do email me at info@therapiesforspecialneeds.
Dates for courses held on Exmoor in my training and therapy chalet are listed on the website but early booking is essential as more school funded placements are now being booked well in advance . I look forward to meeting you all and sharing with you !
