Meet Our Award Winning Team
Shelagh: Co Founder, McTimoney Chiropractor, Therapeutic Yoga & Nature-based Well-being Practitioner.
Shelagh discovered the transformative effects of McTimoney Chiropractic after injuring her back in a riding accident and so embarked on a journey to help others achieve the same results. The gentle, holistic nature of McTimoney had the greatest appeal and after 18 years of combined training and clinical practice, she is still so happy to share this wonderful method and is inspired daily by the changes it can bring.
She has practiced yoga for 25 years but in 2010, first found the style that ignited her exploration of yoga as a mind/body philosophy and opened her mind to the wealth of benefits of this ancient practice for our physical & mental well-being. She completed a 3 year, 500hr teaching diploma with the British Wheel of Yoga and has been teaching since early 2017.
Combining McTimoney Chiropractic and Therapeutic Yoga allows her to share her skills and empathy to help you cultivate a sense of confidence in your physical abilities and a calm mind. Her integrated approach acknowledges interconnection of mind and body as well as recognition that connection to nature and the health of our planet is intrinsically linked to our own well-being. She has long relied on McTimoney Chiropractic, a regular yoga practice and mindful time in nature to regulate her own physical and mental health, so feels privileged to share these with others.
In her spare time, you can find her exploring nature and hiking with her beloved dog, Moss (who you’ll see around at Nurture). She loves gardening, wild swimming and experimenting with artistic creations!
Sophie : Co-Founder, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, Indian head & Facial Practitioner
Sophie fell in love with the practice of Yoga during one of her travelling adventures to India. Fuelled by a love and passion for movement, she went on to qualify as a Yoga teacher in 2017 and since then has been teaching full-time.
In each of her classes, workshops and retreat she facilitates she embeds folk stories, poetry, songs, music and a whole lot of magic into each session. Sophie’s greatest inspiration in life is nature “nature and people are simply part of one another” so you can expect practices inspired by the seasons and all of nature’s teachings.
Reiki has been embedded into Sophies life for over 10 years; Sophie’s mum is a Reiki master and Sophie followed in her footsteps, as she is now a Reiki Master herself. Reiki has fuelled her to follow a life that is dedicated to the wellness of herself and others. Sophie offers weekly Reiki treatments and appointments but also in-depth Reiki trainings held at Nurture.
You can also find Sophie offering weekly Aromatherapy massages, Indian head massages, facials and Ayurvedic facial appointments.
In her spare time you can expect to find Sophie hiking or running in the woods, dancing, gardening at her allotment or just generally basking in the glory of nature.
Ann: Counselling and Nature Therapy
Ann offers nature-based therapy in the form of counselling, walks, talks and workshops. She has enjoyed working and playing alongside plants since childhood and founded Thyme for Nature to promote green therapy in the community.
As a therapist Ann has a broad, creative toolkit to complement her client work and balances formal counselling with elements drawn from the natural world. Sessions can be held indoors, outdoors or can even be a blend of the two.
Ann is a qualified BACP registered Counsellor, studied herbology and gardening at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and is a Therapeutic Horticultural Practitioner.
Thyme for Nature offers group workshops: nature journaling and growing, blending and crafting with herbs to name a few. All use a cocktail of mindfulness, foraging skills and nature therapy.
Ann relaxes outdoors either on the water, on the hills and moors or digging in her veg patch. She enjoys all flora and most fauna and loves sharing her enthusiasm with anyone who wants to join.
www.thymefornatue.com @yourthymefornature
Claire : Pregnancy Yoga, Baby Yoga & Massage
Claire has been teaching classes as part of her little business ‘Babease Holistic Solutions' for the past 6 years. She have a passion for supporting parents on their journey throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond as they become a family.
All of her classes are a lovely way to create a deep bond with your baby, both prenatally and postnatally. The classes are designed to help you unwind and to meet other babies and parents in a relaxed comfortable environment.
Claire also teaches hypnobirthing, birth trauma rewind and is a holistic sleep consultant. She work’s part time for the NHS as part of the Health visiting team, offering support to mums, children and their families. In her spare time she Iove’s to do yoga myself, bake, walk and most of all spend time with my family and baby granddaughter.
Claire will be teaching Pregnancy Yoga, Baby Massage and Parent & Baby Yoga sessions at Nurture.
Duey: Acupuncturist
Duey first encountered acupuncture in his early 20s when a friend suggested he try it for chronic allergies. The treatment hugely improved his conditions and he was amazed at how the sessions provided the added bonus of being very calming while boosting his energy levels.
After living abroad, Duey relocated to Yorkshire and retrained in acupuncture. He sees Chinese Medicine as an important and valuable tool which supports physical and emotional wellbeing. He has a passion for helping others and sharing the enormous benefits of this practice.
He graduated with a BSc (Hons) degree in Acupuncture after studying for 3 years at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York. He is a member of the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians, abiding by their strict code of conduct on ethics and safe practice. He is also trained in Meridian Wave Therapy - a technique developed to relieve stubborn pain and stiffness.
In his spare time, Duey loves cooking, being in nature, borrowing other people’s dogs to accompany him on walks, reading about history and practising Qi Gong and meditation.
Ebony: Holistic Massage, Reiki and Yin Yoga Teacher
Ebony spent 15 years working in addiction treatment services, supporting people with complex needs, mental health and trauma. During this time, Ebony developed her skills delivering psychological therapies including CBT, Motivational Interviewing and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Although Ebony loved working with people in a therapeutic way, she found that this work environment became emotionally stressful and challenging. In order to keep herself well, she began her own healing journey through yoga, dance and holistic therapy. Ebony began the move back to an old and deep ambition to work in holistically therapeutic way with people. In 2023 Ebony completed her training in Holistic Body Massage, Reiki, and Yin Yoga, and set up her business Nidra Therapies.
Ebony is a skilled therapist, who works in a trauma responsive way - providing a calm, safe and trusting environment for her clients. During Ebony’s treatments and classes, you can expect a focus on deep relaxation, healing and rest. Ebony believes that by slowing down, and allowing ourselves to drop into our bodies, we become aware of the physical and emotional sensations we experience, allowing us to release tension and emotions which are stored within the body, and brings us to a state of healing, peace and connection.
In her spare time, Ebony loves to spend time in nature – walking and wandering. She also loves spending time with her family, creating art, and visiting art galleries and makers fairs.
Elizabeth: Psychotherapist (CBT & EMDR)
Elizabeth has been practicing therapy for 15 years. She began learning about CBT during her psychology degree and became interested in it as a highly successful treatment. She went on to complete her CBT training and has since worked as a therapist in many different areas including; the NHS, an eating disorders team, Greater Manchester Police and in private practice.
Elizabeth is also qualified as a lecturer and was course lead on a CBT training programme at The University of Cumbria.
As a therapist, Elizabeth strikes a balance between delivering evidence-based interventions, whilst also providing warmth and empathy. She is passionate about psychotherapy and loves to learn about new research and perspectives, as well as to share ideas and witness the impact they can have. She carries this enthusiasm to her therapy and teaching practices.
Elizabeth’s qualifications include a Master’s in Advanced CBT, a PGCE in Mental Health, a PGCE in Higher Education and a Psychology degree. Elizabeth has also trained in EMDR and has been offering this treatment to clients for several years.
Jane Craggs: Yoga Therapy Course Tutor
.Jane has been teaching in and around Greater Manchester since the year 2000.
She opened Manchester's first Independent Yoga Studio in the Northern Quarter, and was deeply committed right from the start to making yoga accessible to all communities and populations.
She is a long term personal student of the Mohan family of Chennai and tries to pass on with authenticity all the teachings that have been entrusted to her.
Jane's experience from many years of teaching general classes, specialist populations and Yoga therapy one to ones is the foundation from which she built her teacher training expertise.
She was a board and faculty member of Yogacampus North for 10 years, supporting and mentoring many wonderful teachers. She continues to teach some modules on 200 hour TTC courses, however has now shifted her focus to Yoga Therapy CPD, helping existing teachers deepen their knowledge and ability to be more inclusive.
Jane teaches in a down to earth and humorous way and is keen on yoga myth busting ,offering logic and intelligence in her trainings.
She was previously a theatre designer and had a cabaret act in the early 90's, and now puts all that energy into her teaching!
She has spent a lot of time in India,visiting annually for 20 years including a 7 month sabbatical in 2009/10. She now hopes to start returning with her students to the Himalaya and Tamil Nadu.
Lauren: Hypnotherapist
Lauren has always been interested in the power of the mind and how it influences our thoughts and behaviours. She graduated university with a BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology and a MSc (Hons) degree in Forensic Psychology.
Since then, she has gained over 8 years experience working within mental health settings.
Lauren’s passion for helping people particularly with their mental health inspired her to train as a Hypnotherapist as she knew that Hypnotherapy had worked for her in the past and wanted to share this with others.
Lauren is a first-time mum and has decided to start offering her services at Nurture Saddleworth for a more independent career where she can work around her family whilst doing what she loves.
In her spare time Lauren enjoys yoga, spending time with family & friends and continuing to develop professionally by completing her counselling qualification.
Lindsay: Holistic Health Coach
Lindsay’s background is hugely varied – but now very valuable. While spending a huge chunk of her twenties studying Psychology and Counselling, she worked in childcare, as a chef, a personal trainer, nutritional advisor, bootcamp instructor, and a massage therapist. She also learned to fight a few personal battles with her own health along the way; which led her into Buddhism, mindfulness, spirituality, and meditation. The culmination of all that experience has turned her into a Holistic Health Coach!
In her spare time, she loves to create healthy recipes – one of her life goals is to take cookery courses in Italy and France.
When not working or in the kitchen, she can usually be found with her best pals on a long hike, followed by a Guinness!
Rebecca: Yoga Teacher & Sound Healer
Rebecca is a fully qualified, trauma sensitive, Holistic Therapist and Yoga Teacher with a passion for natural healing and sustained well-being for all. As well as Sound Healing, Rebecca also specialises in 1-1 tailored therapies and coaching to facilitate natural healing, with a focus on emotional health.
In her spare time Rebecca loves to practice yoga (particularly enjoying Sophie’s Wednesday classes), dance daily, connect with nature and cook up delicious whole food meals. She embodies slow living, prioritising rest and mindfulness.
Vicky: Therapeutic Massage Therapist
Vicky’s very first introduction to holistic therapies was when she was 19, via an old neighbour who had been taught Reflexology by Guru’s he had met while travelling.
She has spent close to 30 years on a holistic journey of her own ever since, firstly qualifying in Aromatherapy followed by Sports Massage and then Indian Head/Body Massage.
In addition to this, Vicky also undertook studies in Teaching and Counselling/CBT, having spent close to 20 years teaching Sports Massage and Aromatherapy within the community and colleges.
Having overcome many life challenges, Vicky is a firm believer in empathy, compassion and understanding for others’, as well as community and charity.
Vicky began working within the counselling and psychotherapy world around 20 years ago, working with Domestic Abuse groups, whilst also currently working with Young children as a school counsellor and with young adults for a local charity. She is also a bereavement volunteer for Cruse Bereavement Care, which is a fantastic organisation doing great work across the community.
In her spare time, Vicky likes nothing more than going for a long hike with a canine companion.
When she’s not out walking or doing yoga, she is currently attempting to learn French whilst also being an avid cook and cyclist
Vicky: Shiatsu & Qi Gong
Vicky first discovered Shiatsu in 2001 when she did an introductory course and was entranced from the start when she realised the power of this little known, unobtrusive form of touch. Despite having very young children she maintained her interest and subsequently qualified in 2009 with The Shiatsu College Manchester. Students were also encouraged to practice Qi Gong to develop their energy awareness and as a form of self-care and she has continued with her own Qi Gong practice and recently gained a qualification to teach classes.
She is especially drawn to the ideas of TCM that underpin both Shiatsu and Qi Gong. As a qualified, practicing Radiographer she also understands health as interpreted by Western Medicine. She combines her understanding of both models in her Shiatsu sessions and uses her intuition to provide a sensitive, bespoke treatment that supports general health and well-being.
Her main areas of interest are the major life transitions of adulthood and the challenges and delights of growing older.
As a lifelong learner she spends some of her spare time reading or listening to educational podcasts, but also enjoys a daily walk/hike and spends as much time as possible outdoors, connecting to nature and the elements.
