Restore Flow

About me and My Practice (Restore Flow)

Hello and welcome to my page.  I am a holistic health professional with a passion to see people experience breakthroughs in their wellness journey.  My passion comes from knowing what it is like to be searching for help with a set of symptoms, needing solutions and support, but not knowing where to find it.  I practice two unique therapeutic disciplines which make my practice very specialised in some ways and generalised in others!  My specialisation is in womens’ wellbeing, assisting with the structural and traumatic difficulties of the abdomen, pelvis and spine in order to improve menstruation, hormonal balance and digestion. 

In my ConTact CARE practice I work with pretty much anyone experiencing pain OR who has a  particular health or fitness goal that is being blocked by a physical limitation. 

I have four years of clinic experience, and my qualifications are: 

Master of psychology – it doesn’t help me read your mind (a common concern!), but rather, enables me to consider things from multiple angles, really listen to my clients and work towards understanding the big picture.   

I am Certified in the Gentling Way – a multi-lineage, multi-modality therapy put together by an experienced, knowledgeable and remarkable practitioner named Heather Bruce.   

I am currently a student practitioner of ConTact CARE – Flinchlock release therapy - discovered and compiled by Dale Speedy (a kiwi from the Waikato). 

I combine my unusual repertoire of skills to create a treatment plan that is customised to your specific symptoms and situation.   

I am located in Snells Beach (7kms from Warkworth) but offer a mobile service to the Rodney district, North Shore and Auckland (travel fee applies…but it’s minor). 

How I Can Help 

Clients come to me with a variety of symptoms.  Commonly, I work with women experiencing period pain, PMS, pelvic pain or tension, often with digestive issues or back pain.  I use abdominal massage as well as a variety of massage-based techniques targeting tension, front and back.  I consider the body as a whole and therefore am as concerned with the context and cause of symptoms as much as the symptoms themselves.  With this approach I am able to improve blood flow and detoxification, release tension, improve the mobility of scars and adhesions, assist the uterus into alignment, release tension from the diaphragm, psoas and iliacus muscles.  The result is easier digestion, easier periods, reduced PMS, feeling lighter and more comfortable in your body, better mobility in your hips and spine, and often more calm and more centred. 

ConTact CARE, different to the Gentling Way, is based on the premise that in situations of an unexpected impact to the body kinetic energy becomes locked into areas of bone.  This energy becomes an area of contraction, rigidity and reduced circulation or feeling.  Such areas of pressure are called “Flinchlocks” because they arise from a situation in which we have flinched and the pressure or energy has become locked into bone.  This can set a person up for a vast array of symtoms, depending on the location and angle of impact.  Through this discipline, multiple conditions can be treated.  Most commonly, we providers of ConTact CARE work with head injuries, sports injuries, and chronic pain.  But, we can also assist with digestive issues, pelvic floor dysfunction, bladder problems, anxiety, depression and even skin conditions, to name a few. 

I always approach clients as being the experts of their body.  I understand that many factors cause our illnesses.  I aim to treat as much as I can to the extent that your issues are held within your tissues, as well as expecting that there may be emotional and spiritual changes that occur as your body experiences a shift. 

What are you waiting for? 

I welcome you to call or email me with any questions, to chat about how I might be able to help you, or simply head to my website – www.restoreflow.co – to make a booking (under the “appointments” tab).

Frequently asked questions:

How does abdominal and sacral massage help with period pain? 

Whilst there may be different underlying causes of period pain, one of the most basic mechanisms happening is that your womb is contracting with enough force as to cause pain.  It could then be asked, why is my womb having to exert this force in order to shed its lining?  This is where an osteopath might rightly quote the famous phrase, “structure governs function”.  Abdominal therapy is about assessing any structural imbalances that may be affecting the ability of your womb to bleed effortlessly, and gently (gently!) working to remove the blockage, improve mobility and circulation to both the womb and surrounding structures. 

What might be hindering my womb? 

She may be tipped forwards, backwards, or sideways.  She may be twisted.  An injury to your lumbar spine, sacrum or tailbone may be compromising your circulation, or movement throughout your pelvis, or your womb specifically.  You may have fibroids, you may have internal adhesions meaning that your organs cannot slide and glide passed one another.  You may have a C-section scar that is preventing movement in your uterus. 

How does it help reduce PMS? 

One facet of PMS is that your body is struggling to keep the right balance of hormones in order for you to function well whilst maintaining your fertility.  In certain concentrations different types of hormonal imbalances create different moods such as heightened awareness of anger, or heightened anxiety or sadness.  You may also have physical symptoms such as breast pain, digestive upset, headaches, or joint pain.  Some writers discuss the gift of menstruation is to become more in touch with the truth of our feelings.  However, PMS is a magnification of what should be an effortless process.  What prevents these hormones – these reproductive chemicals – from circulating in the correct concentrations?  Often there is a structural component.  Factors such as whether your womb and ovaries are centred in your pelvis yet able to move in response to your position, fullness of your bladder or bowel, or whether they are stuck to some other structure, where blood flow becomes compromised.  Once again, by gently palpating and massaging the lower abdomen (preferably not during your period) and lower back, we are able to improve the circulation of hormones and thus create a more healthy balance. 

How does abdominal massage help with digestion? 

In general, the act of mindfully, skilfully, gently massaging the abdominal cavity, we improve the flow of both blood and lymph.  This serves to help your body more efficiently remove toxins and oxygenate the blood.  More efficient blood flow means that muscles are lubricated and warm – including the muscles of the digestive track.   

More specifically, I am able to increase the mobility of internal adhesions, open the ileocecal valve (without pressing deeply), massage the psoas and iliacus muscles.  Each of these can have the effect of reducing discomfort and bloating. 

How does ConTact CARE work? 

ConTact CARE is based on the premise that in situations of an unexpected impact to the body kinetic energy becomes locked into areas of bone.  This energy becomes an area of contraction, rigidity and reduced circulation or feeling.  Such areas of pressure are called “Flinchlocks” because they arise from a situation in which we have flinched and the pressure or energy has become locked into bone.  This can set a person up for a vast array of symptoms, depending on where the location and angle of impact.   

Why not go to my physiotherapist or chiropractor for my injuries? 

I am not against chiropractic adjustment – I have benefitted greatly from chiropractic care.  However, what can be missing is the ability to specifically target pressure held in the bones.  For many people, these areas of pressure (there tend to be many of them) govern posture, alignment, even habits.  In chiropractic care or massage, we work around this pressure, but, unless it is removed systematically, through flinchlock release, the body is forced to maintain its current alignment, or posture.  Similarly, physiotherapy alone is often not enough to help the body overcome injuries, because it does not address the cause of the pain/tension/misalignment. 

What conditions can ConTact CARE address? 

Injuries with a known cause – sports, a fall, a car accident 

Injuries with an unknown cause – because there may be events we’ve forgotten about, or we have inherited pressure patterns from our parents. 

• Anxiety 
• Feeling stuck in life 
• Eating disorders 
• Digestive issues 
• Bladder problems 
• Skin problems 
• Prolapse  
• Back pain 
• Headaches 

Why don’t you do deep tissue massage? 

As with all modalities of healing, deep tissue massage has its place and particularly resonates with certain people.  However, it is my experience and also emphasised by my teachers, that when pressure is only as deep as what the tissue is exerting on itself, treatment is more effective.  Sometimes (not every time) deep pressure traumatises the tissues further – or the client, if it is a painful experience.  Slow, light touch with strength or firmness suggested, is calming, more effective for detox, and creates a sense of safety for the body to let go what it is carrying.  It also honours that letting go is a process.  You may feel that nothing is changing…but step off the table and you might notice a feeling of lightness and mobility that you wouldn’t have believed possible. 

What is the benefit of massaging my scar? 

Scars are usually not skin deep.  They extend down the layers of fascia, meaning that this creates a band of stiff tissue contracted in on itself.  The body is miraculous in that it can meld itself together this way.  However, these scars can have an effect on the rest of the body either through directly adhering to a structure that it is designed to slide passed, or via referred tension elsewhere, such as a C scar exacerbating neck pain, or creating a slumped posture. 

Do you do energy healing? 

Not currently.  Any energy shifts that occur during sessions with me happen via the shifts taking place in your physical body.   

Do you work with men? 

Yes I do

Can I book a relaxation or therapeutic massage? 

Yes you can.  My massage style is unique in that I incorporate the methods of the Gentling Way with an intuitive style that I have developed.  My main technique is one of slowly moving with your muscles, finding tracks of tension and applying only as much pressure as it doesn’t aggravate or re-traumatise the area.  I also use lymphatic massage, which by nature requires a light touch in order to target fluid retention.  The slow/dancelike pace is deeply relaxing for clients, whilst what I am doing is sneakily therapeutic!