As it was

I spent more than 30 years helping people and businesses grow and thrive. To many people, I looked extremely successful. I had built a career I could be proud of. But underneath all of that, I wasn’t myself.

Health issues, perimenopause, adenomyosis and prolonged stress had changed the way I felt, both physically and emotionally. I gained weight that I couldn’t shift, however hard I tried. My energy disappeared and my mind felt constantly foggy. My body felt inflamed, heavy and unfamiliar, and the strategies that had always helped me push through life were no longer working.

After a hysterectomy, I reached rock bottom. I had spent years being there for everybody else and holding everything together, but somewhere along the way I had lost myself. I didn’t feel fulfilled. I was missing a sense of personal purpose and felt like a shadow of my former self.

More than anything, I missed the person I used to be.

Discovering lymphatics

Then I discovered the world of lymphatics and began focusing on my own lymphatic health.

The first change wasn’t a number on the scales or a dramatic before-and-after photograph. It was the way I felt.

My mind felt quieter. My body felt softer and lighter. I felt calmer, more energised and more like myself again.

I invested in weekly lymphatic massage for two months and, alongside making healthier lifestyle choices, began to see and feel significant changes within myself and my body. My energy and clarity returned, I lost stubborn weight and the tension, bloating and puffiness I had become so conscious of began to ease.

Something else changed too. I stopped feeling that I constantly needed to change the way I looked. I had previously invested in aesthetic treatments and, while I have nothing against them at all, I simply stopped wanting them. I felt happier looking more natural because I felt better in myself and the way I looked by focusing on my lymphatic wellbeing.

That experience sparked something much bigger.

I began immersing myself in the lymphatic and nervous system and became fascinated by the relationship between fluid, muscles, tissue, breathing, stress, hormones, touch and the way we experience our bodies. The more I learned, the clearer it became that this wasn't simply a treatment I wanted to receive.

It was something I wanted to devote myself to.

Founding Restora

In 2025, I made a decision. Like a book, life gives us moments when the page has to turn. For me, this was one of them.

I stepped away from the identity and career I had known for more than 30 years and immersed myself in training.

I completed intensive Level 3 massage training in London, including anatomy and physiology, before specialising in body and facial lymphatic drainage, sculpting and buccal massage. I sought out experts whose work I respected, completing accredited training with The Lymph Clinic in Cheshire and in the Body by Soph Method®.

I wanted to bring these powerful and distinctive approaches to the South Coast.

But qualifications were only the beginning. I practised extensively, continued learning and, most importantly, listened carefully to every person who trusted me with their body. I am also proud to be part of a wider community of lymphatic practitioners who share knowledge, support one another and are committed to continually learning and improving.

My own experiences as a client have shaped Restora just as much as my training.

I had experienced treatments that felt rushed, in noisy spaces where it was hard to relax. Sometimes I questioned whether the practitioner had received enough training. Sometimes it felt as though their mind was elsewhere and they were simply going through the same routine they performed on everybody. Products occasionally irritated my skin or left me breaking out.

And too often, nobody really asked about me: my health, what was happening in my life, what I wanted from the treatment or, perhaps most importantly, how I wanted to feel when I left.

How Restora is different

It is private, unhurried and personal. Arrive a little early, arrive a little late - there’s no rush here. I want you to feel that this is your time.

I listen and understand before I begin. Everyone is different, so I choose the techniques that are right for you, rather than believing that everything is right for everybody.

The products I use are just as considered. I always said I would never compromise on the products I use. I have personally chosen luxury products that I believe complement the treatments beautifully, feel wonderful on the skin and meet the standards I would expect if I were lying on the treatment bed myself.

And I don't believe a great treatment should feel dictated by the clock. Your appointment has a scheduled treatment time, but if I feel some extra minutes would help me complete what I'm working on properly, I'll take them where your schedule allows. I would rather finish your treatment thoughtfully than make you feel rushed out of the door.

That same honesty runs through everything I do. I will never perform a technique simply because it's available, and I will always tell you when something is outside my scope or when I believe another kind of support would be more appropriate.

Because I know what it feels like when your body no longer feels like your own. I know what it feels like to keep pushing through when what you really need is to stop and listen to it.

With Restora, we believe that when people feel better, they live better. Our aim is for you to leave Restora feeling heard, lighter, restored and more confident in your body.

Most of all, I want to help you feel like yourself again.

Training and professional membership

• VTCT Level 3 Diploma in Massage

• Certified Practitioner of The Lymph Clinic Method, Cheshire:

• FHT-accredited Lymphatic Body Massage trained

• FHT-accredited Facial Lymphatic Drainage, Sculpting and Buccal Massage

• Certified Body by Soph Method® Practitioner

• ABT-accredited Body by Soph Method® trained  

• ABT-accredited Lymphatic Drainage Massage Soph Beauty

• Member of and insured by the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT)