Frodsham Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

Over the last few of months, we have been talking to some of these local businesses and organisations for our 'Up Close in Frodsham' series.

This week, we chatted to Emi Howe, owner of Helsby Holistics.

Helsby Holistics, which is situated upstairs at The Old Bank Tea Rooms in Helsby, offers tailored treatments that help to tackle the symptoms of a range of conditions, from regular aches and pains to auto-immune disorders and cancer.

"I had no idea I was going to become a body therapist," Emi tells me. "I studied Sociology and my first job was as a wannabe journalist on a mainstream magazine in London."

However, after treating herself to a hot and cold stone massage one birthday, Emi was "hooked!"

"I asked my therapist, "how do I learn this? I want to help people feel like this!"

"She reeled off loads of qualifications and I saw pound signs and thought, "na, never going to happen!"

"And yet, here I am - I've given over 10,000 treatments so far in my career!

"I have one of the best jobs in the world. I love helping people feel better and seeing the immediate, tangible results of my work.

"I'm super passionate about body confidence and self love. No one should feel self-conscious about having a treatment with me.

"I've spent years researching this area and campaigning. This year I have created an online course and written a book about valuing real bodies. I'm very proud of all I've achieved and happy to talk to anyone about it."

Hot stone massage

"There are many different reasons clients come to see me," Emi says. "If it's pain, then I will use a targeted approach to help relieve it.

"It always amazes me how long people will put up with pain in their bodies when there's a lot we therapists can do to help.

"A good therapist will have robust knowledge of the way the body works, underpinning their therapies."

One way of tackling pain is through hot stone massage: "I use a method called LaStone Therapy," Emi says.

"It was the first stone massage to come to the UK from the US and I am a third generation therapist, meaning my teacher was taught by stone therapy creator Mary Nelson in Arizona.

"The use of (mostly) hot and a few cool stones creates a dynamic effect of challenging our bodies to respond.

"It's almost like a re-boot!

"The warm stones engage the circulatory system and the cool ones create a flush effect. This means that as the blood rushes to the spot, it clears away any toxins, lactic acid or dead blood from the site.

"It's great around the shoulders where a lot of that stuff lingers! It also engages our immune system on a small scale, strengthening it.

"It's so relaxing but it's not for everyone! So you can have just warm stones if you prefer."

People might also go to Emi if they are struggling emotionally, perhaps from grief or anxiety. In these cases, Emi will take time to assess the client's situation, before deciding on the best treatment options going forward.

Reiki and Hydrotherm

This tailored approach is also very important when working with clients suffering from conditions such as cancer.

"As many people know, I had cancer back in 2012," Emi says. "Since returning to work, I have qualified in Adapting Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care, from The Christie Hospital.

"Coupled with my experience, it brings many clients to me who are either in the same position or are experiencing other auto-immune disorders."

There are lots of different factors to consider when deciding on the best treatment for cancer patients, so Emi tries to combine different approaches, whether they be Reiki, massage, reflexology or Hydrotherm, to make them as effective as possible.

"A voucher for a treatment is a really great gift idea for someone with a cancer diagnosis or undergoing treatment. I know it's hard to know what to get someone, but this might help show you're thinking of them.

"I use a detailed consultation to assess my clients and based on that, I will often combine, for example, a bit of scalp work and focus on the shoulders, with some energy Reiki to finish."

Reiki, with its emphasis on 'energy healing' is perhaps the most mysterious of the treatments offered at Helsby Holistics.

"I have no idea how it works, it's magic!" Emi says. "At the outset I was sceptical about it because honestly, how do you explain it?

"It's the Earth's - or The Universe's - natural healing source. But I know what that can sound like!

"All I know is, I've been doing it now for eighteen years and it works every time.

"The most tangible thing about it is the effect it has on people: on the expression on their face, on the way they hold themselves afterwards, on their disbelief!

"A similar subject that fascinates me is biodynamics, where farmers and gardeners are harnessing the earth's energy for better crop results. It's pretty compelling stuff."

Another treatment which proves to be very popular amongst Emi's clients is Hydrotherm, which employs water-filled cushions to create a relaxing, full-body experience.

"Having a Hydrotherm massage is like having a massage in a bath!" Emi explains. "You lie on a bed of warm water which suspends the body, allowing it to fully relax, no support needed.

"This also means you can have a full body treatment facing upwards. This is great for pregnancy or anyone who, like me has had surgery on the front of their body.

"You can opt to have a treatment without Hydrotherm but not many people do! I also love that it combines another element of temperature to the treatment."

Shirodhara

Always interested in discovering new treatments, Emi now wants to learn how to practice shirodhara.

Originating from the Sanskrit words shiro ('head') and dhara ('flow'), shirodhara is an ancient Indian treatment which involves pouring a liquid – usually oil – onto someone's forehead.

This, combined with a body or head massage, is thought to help reduce stress and improve sleep quality.

"It's gorgeous!" Emi says. "I'd love to do the course, but I suspect it might be a bit messy!"

Helsby Holistics Christmas Vouchers are available on-line or at The Old Bank Tea Rooms in Helsby - grab a cuppa, cake and some Christmas cheer while you're there!

You can find out more about Emi's body confidence campaigning at Bod Equality. Her book will be available early next year, so keep an eye out for it!

Helsby Holistics is located at 213 Chester Road, Helsby. A full list of the treatments that Emi offers is available on the Helsby Holistics website.