My friends, family and clients know me as a Birmingham based Complementary Therapist and Yoga instructor. But fourteen years ago I was a self-employed builder working 13 hours and laying up to 1000 bricks a day. If someone had said to me then that in the future I would be treating people with therapies such as aromatherapy and reflexology, or even teaching yoga, you can imagine my reply!

It's been quite a journey from who I was then to who I am now.

In 1989 I was diagnosed with a form of cancer known as Non-Hodgkins Disease, a devastating illness. Yet strangely, this life threatening illness was to be my turning point and my saving grace.

I had surgery to remove the tumours. Then followed scans and hospital tests, followed by ever more tests. My treatment ended with twenty sessions of radiotherapy. It was without a doubt the most terrifying and devastating point in my life.

I experienced every symptom of anxiety - palpitations, shaking, chest pain, back pain, tachycardia - to name but a few, and for this I was given a relaxation tape which I used in the hospital after radiotherapy. I would lie down and listen to the sound of a woman's voice and I confess it soothed my weary mind.

Two things will always remain with me from that time, two things that shaped the way I help treat people today.

The first was a very kind nurse who would sit and talk to me. From this I realised that the right word, spoken at the right time is one of the most powerful forms of healing anyone can receive.

The second was given to me by my wonderful daughter, Jade. She was then three years old, and she would crawl into my bed and snuggle up close to me, holding my hand as if in reassurance, until we both fell asleep. I then came to realise the phenomenal healing power of a simple, caring touch.

Shortly after finishing my treatments, I joined a yoga class. I paid my money and, head down, entered a class full of women. I lay on the floor embarrassed, hoping no one had seen me. But soon that feeling of awkwardness came to pass and now I realise that it should never have even occurred. Yoga is now the foundation of my life, a level from which I can give from, a voice from which I can talk to people.

Several years ago my Yoga teacher asked me if I wanted to train as a teacher, and I have never looked back. I feel blessed to be able to pass on the wisdom of 6,000 years of teaching.

Shortly after my illness, I started exploring other natural therapies. I studied Touch for Health, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Massage, nutrition and herbs, anything that would be beneficial to improving my wellbeing. And what started out as a journey to preserve my own life, health and happiness, soon blossomed into something far greater and I knew beyond doubt that my life needed to be dedicated to helping other people.

So now I combine the knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years of natural therapies and techniques, and I use these together with the healing power of the encouraging word and the healing touch, offering a whole, holistic approach. I strive to help others, to make their lives better, and in turn encourage them to make the way easier for others.