About Sarah Storey
Massage Therapist
Trained and qualified at the Jing Institute in Brighton in Advanced Clinical Massage (Level 5 ACMT)
Sarah also holds:
Level 5 Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology
Teaching Diploma in Adult Learning (Level 5) – qualified to teach massage and beauty therapies as well as the management of a beauty therapy business
VTCT Assessor Awards – qualified to assess competency levels of beauty and massage therapists at Level 2 and 3
Pilates Instructor
Sarah completed her teacher training programme at the esteemed Pilates Institute in London to attain:
Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Mat Pilates
She attends regular professional development workshops at the Institute to ensure that her teaching techniques remain up to date, effective and motivational.
Sarah is also the Health and Wellbeing Expert for BBC Radio Nottingham.
Sarah works closely with physiotherapists and osteopaths to create a multi-therapy approach that enables her clients to reach optimum health.
“I trained to become a Pilates instructor, initially for a year, but the learning is continual, with ongoing training to keep up to speed with the latest protocols. Adding this string to my bow was the best thing I did.”
Sarah Storey’s story…
Sarah’s interest in natural skincare and wellbeing was sparked during her childhood. Growing up in a family with a passion for natural health and beauty products, Sarah had first-hand experience of the amazing effects that herbs, essential oils, flowers and foods can have on the complexion. Hours spent with a ‘bohemian’ grandmother mixing home-made face packs and concocting healing remedies for her childhood eczema formed the cornerstone of Sarah’s career path.
“We experimented with absolutely anything and everything. Mashed bananas and yogurt slapped onto our faces, oatmeal paste added to the bath to soothe my itchy skin, rose petals infused in water to remove oily sun lotions … my grandmother’s natural approach to skin care was both inspirational and influential.”
Sarah’s mother played an equally significant role in shaping her daughter’s beliefs. Another strong advocate of the power of Mother Nature, treating ailments with herbal remedies rather than orthodox medicine, she instilled in her daughter the importance of looking after her skin. This proved invaluable as Sarah took up dance at the age of eight and went on to train for many years, taking part in countless shows.
“I knew that however exhausted I felt after a show, removing the thick stage make-up properly was an absolute must for my skin. I definitely have my mother to thank for this instinct. ”
In addition to coping with the physical demands of being a dancer, Sarah was always conscious that she needed to eat healthily – to fuel her body and nourish her skin from within.
“I definitely knew about looking good from the inside out from an early age. It sounds clichéd but you really are what you eat. When my diet goes off the rails, I can immediately see it in my skin.”
As Sarah started her career with a practical apprenticeship as a hairdresser, it didn’t take long to recognise that she wasn’t where she wanted to be. “My true calling was skincare. Even after taking a break to have my children, I knew that as soon as I went back to work, I would be retraining in beauty therapy.” After completing the first part of her studies, she was fortunate enough to land a placement at Ragdale Hall, the state-of-the-art Leicestershire spa. Sarah was able to train under a range of talented therapists, acquiring new skills and deepening her knowledge.
“Those two years at Ragdale were absolutely pivotal to my practice. I worked with so many highly skilled practitioners, trained in a diverse range of therapies, but it was the concepts from the Far East that really captured my attention.”
And so a long-standing passion for treatments hailing from Asia was born. Learning to stimulate and restore the vital energy (the ‘Qi’) in the body through the techniques of Shiatsu and Balinese massage, studying the art of meditation, familiarising herself with the rituals surrounding the cherished Japanese tradition of bathing were some of the key influences that underpinned the approach that Sarah has nurtured and refined over the years.
“When I started working with Dermalogica, and using the principles of identifying imbalances in the skin and body by using the Chinese face map, I felt an immediate kinship to their ethos.”
After a long period of teaching at Further Education colleges, Sarah made the exciting decision to set up her own wellbeing business. Having spent many years in corporate surroundings, she had a vision of creating a treatment room that would offer clients an escape from technology and other reminders of their busy, stressful lives.
“It was easy to bring my vision to life. My therapy room is a haven for my clients – quite simply, it’s the combination of my healing hands, luxurious treatments and the wonderful natural products that bring about calmness and balance in the body.”
As Sarah’s client base grew, she was surprised by the number who were coming to her to treat the physical disharmonies brought about by stress-related conditions such as fibromyalgia, ME and adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).
“While I understood the pain and discomfort these people were dealing with – I had struggled with back pain from my years of dancing – I wanted to do more for them; I started to crave a deeper understanding of the techniques to get rid of long-term pain and discomfort.”
The light bulb moment came shortly after Sarah was involved in a car accident. Turning to a physical therapist who was trained in Stott Pilates to regain movement in her neck, she realised that optimum wellbeing in the body could be accessed via a combination of Pilates and massage.
“I trained to become a Pilates instructor, initially for a year, but the learning is continual, with ongoing training to keep up to speed with the latest protocols. Adding this string to my bow was the best thing I did.”
Sarah is now able to offer clients one-to-one Pilates sessions as part of her remedial massage treatment. The overall effects include muscle lengthening, reduction of tension and tightness to gain maximum composure, and a general feeling of well-being via improved breathing and circulation.
These wonderful protocols help with rehabilitation after injury, managing postural imbalances, and regaining control over stress too.
“Now I have all I need to help my clients feel good from the inside out.”
Private Pilates Sessions
Designed for clients who require more individual attention. Sarah’s one-to-one training offers a high level of focus on specific conditions, enabling her clients to master the movements and develop greater precision, while maintaining optimum alignment and balance.
An initial postural analysis will be carried out to assess static and dynamic alignment, and to detect muscular imbalances.
Retreat Days
Take a couple of hours out of your hectic schedule to recharge, renew and relax at one of Sarah’s bespoke Retreat Days.
Retreat Days include Pilates practice, a short meditation and a light meal using fresh, seasonal organic ingredients. These Retreat Days run seasonally –sign up for Sarah’s newsletter to receive information about upcoming sessions.
Dermalogica shop
A wide range of the Dermalogica products are available for sale. Click here to visit the online shop.
