Essential Vitality’s team currently consists of fully qualified Massage therapists, Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessors and Practitioners in Mindfulness, Yoga and more!
All our Essential Vitality Massage Practitioners have attained high standards of training and qualifications. We are trained and insured in Seated Acupressure Massage – recognised as the original and official ‘On-Site Chair Massage’ qualification. Our DSE Assessors have the appropriate training and, where required, are trained to conduct DSE Assessments virtually, as well as face-to-face.
Essential Vitality aims to provide the highest standards of service and customer care, both in person and with our virtual well-being services.
‘Caring’ is one of Essential Vitality’s core values. We care about your employees and we want each person to gain from our professional expertise. Our Well-being services are a culmination of our years of training, experience and advising on health and wellbeing topics to support your staff and their well-being.
Paola Saunders
Hello, I am Paola Saunders and I established Essential Vitality’s Corporate On-Site Massage service in 2007, to bring the benefits of massage into the workplace to support people’s well-being.
I have 30-years experience in the Health and Beauty industry with a background in Beauty Therapy, Aromatherapy and Massage. Prior to setting up Essential Vitality, I held management positions in a number of prestigious health clubs.
I believe Essential Vitality’s success is due to our high standards of professionalism, qualifications, customer care and communication. The positive impact our massages bring and the positive feedback we receive as a result is a constant reminder of why we love what we do!
Meet Essential Vitality’s fantastic team…
Anne-Marie Manners
Anne-Marie began working life as an administrative and social research assistant in the Civil Service, before succumbing to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In the process of recovery, Anne-Marie developed an interest in Complementary Health, particularly in relation to pain management and stress relief. It was this interest that led Anne-Marie to train in massage, and to focus on treatments suitable for use in the workplace. Having seen and experienced the effect of workplace stress, Anne-Marie decided she wanted to become a part of the solution, helping those in working environments to relax, maintain their health and be at their best.
Anne-Marie is trained Indian Head Massage (ITEC) and Hand Reflexology (the London School of Reflexology) as well as in Seated Acupressure Massage with the Academy of Onsite Massage. Since joining the Essential Vitality team in 2018, as a freelance therapist, Anne-Marie finds it very rewarding to see the positive effect of massage on people’s well-being – both immediately and over time. What she likes most is that how the Seated Acupressure routine, works on the mind and body together, to bring relief from strains and stresses and overall, helping people to feel good!
Taking inspiration from Paola, Anne-Marie also qualified as a DSE Assessor. This is such a practical qualification and valuable addition to our on-site massage services, focussing on prevention of pain and injury and reducing the risks from incorrect working posture.
In her spare time, Anne-Marie likes to get out and about in the natural world, whether that be walking in local woodland or tending to her own garden. She also enjoys helping her daughter with arts, crafts and science activities.
Carol Brown
Carol trained in aromatherapy body massage 25 years ago after suffering from frequent migraines and discovering the amazing healing power of massage and how it helped with her pain.
After travelling and living abroad she is now back doing what she loves with massage and more recently added facials to to her repertoire.
After training in Seated Acupressure Onsite Massage, she is delighted to be part of the Essential Vitality team, and enjoys bringing massage into the workplace where everyone has access to its incredible benefits.
Helen Hopkin
Helen qualified with a Diploma in On-Site Massage with the Academy of On-Site Massage in 2004, with on-going follow up courses in No-Hands Massage and Advanced Seated Acupressure. She enjoys providing Corporate On-Site Acupressure Massage and Indian Head Massage to Companies in the North West.
Helen’s background is in Exercise and Sports Coaching and she is a Professional Clinical Aromatherapist (qualified 1998). She also has qualifications in Swedish Massage, Sports Massage, Indian Head Massage and Hot Stone Massage. In 2012 Helen qualified in Professional Clinical Reflexology, with qualifications in Nerve Reflexology and many other Reflexology specialisms. Helen offers these therapies to individuals.
Having always had a keen interest Yoga, in 2022 Helen gained a teaching qualification in Yoga.
Helen covers contracts for Essential Vitality in and around Manchester.
David Godon
David’s journey into Seated Acupressure and wellbeing stems from his interests and practice of Tai Chi. More for its health benefits than for the fighting side to this martial arts. David first trained in seated acupressure at The Shiatsu College before going on to further study at The Academy of Onsite Massage. He graduated as a practitioner from the academy in 2017.
Another form of bodywork that David also practices is Shiatsu and has been a practitioner since 2012. What David brings from Tai Chi training into both Seated Acupressure and shiatsu is the awareness and understanding of how energy (Qi) flows around the body. And that from time too time energy (Qi) can become blocked or stagnant forming tension or stiffness within the body, specially in today’s modern society with the usage of computers and phones.
David is both a registered member of On Site Massage Association (OSMA) and The Shiatsu Society. We’re delighted to have David join the team!
Dee Colbourne
Dee has been in the health and fitness industry for over 20 years. She has a background in modelling, dance and gymnastics. She spent many years teaching dance, body conditioning yoga and Pilates.
She trained in Chair Massage in 2018 and then chose to further her skills with the Academy of On-Site Massage for the official Seated Acupressure Massage training. She qualified as a Seated Acupressure Massage Practitioner in 2019. She enjoys the results the massage can bring to alleviate muscular aches and tension caused by poor posture and stress in our everyday lives.
Her massage skills also include Myofascial Trigger Point work, deep tissue and sports massage.
Dee’s hobbies include Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga, sketching in pencil and charcoal and listening to a broad spectrum of music.
Dee joined the team as we started back following the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s a pleasure to have her join Essential Vitality.
Sarah Butler
Sarah started out in the fitness world as a Fitness Instructor nearly 25 years ago, and after a career in the corporate world she decided to return to her first love: a fascination of the human body and how to keep fit and healthy.
After having her two daughters, Sarah was looking for a flexible working pattern to combine family life and a career. She trained initially in Therapeutic massage, and soon added her skills to include Seated Acupressure Massage, training with the Academy of On-Site Massage.
Sarah enjoys providing massage in the corporate world, enabling people who are in stressful and fast moving environments to benefit from the massage, who would struggle to find time to fit in a massage outside of their working hours.
Sarah is committed to continuous professional development to enhancing the range and quality of treatments she offers. We’re pleased that Sarah has joined Essential Vitality to cover contracts around Berkshire.
