Community | Back in Business: Holistic therapy in the community during Covid

Back in Business: Holistic therapy in the community during Covid

Julia O’Reilly is a Complimentary therapist based in Irlam, with 20 years experience in the trade, she provides several ‘holistic’ therapy services to the Salford community.

I reached out to Julia to ask her a few questions about the work she does in the Salford community, Julia usually offers her services from the Langworthy Cornerstone community centre but hasn’t been able to recently because of the pandemic.

So what is ‘Holistic Therapy?

“‘Holistic therapy’ is the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.

The types of therapy services I offer include: Massage, Indian Head Massage, Reiki, Reiki training, ear candling, Meditation and Mindfulness.”

How would you persuade someone to use your services?

“I would explain each therapy to them and inform them of the benefits. I also offer a free ‘Taster session’, this would be approximately 15 minutes and gives an introduction without too much commitment of time or funds. “

How important are therapy services such as yours to many people in the community?

“Holistic treatments are very important within communities, they give people more of a voice and the opportunity to manage their own health and well-being which is supporting empowerment.

People may be able to open up and discuss things they may not want to bother their GP with.”

How has your work been impacted by the pandemic?

“I have been unable to offer my full services, during the pandemic, which is particularly difficult when someone may need a course of regular treatment to gain or to maintain their health and well-being.”

However, I have overcome some of the problems by offering weekly relaxation sessions via zoom.”

How important is the Langworthy Cornerstone to the local community?

“Langworthy cornerstone is a real hub of the community. It has a welcoming atmosphere. It caters for everybody’s needs from babies to older people and everybody in between.”

I am very fortunate to be part of Langworthy Cornerstone. Knowing there is such a place in the community where you can attend without judgement is paramount to physical and mental health and well-being.”

Do you think that there is more need for holistic therapy after the mental health crisis that’s been highlighted by the pandemic?

Yes definitely, ‘holistic’ therapies offer a different approach and give people a choice. Holistic therapies can be tailored to the needs/wants of the individual.”