AN IMPROVED sense of well-being is a major benefit of being given a massge by Hilary Bellhouse of Fragrant Therapy. Using pure essential oils she soothes away tension leaving clients feeling rejuvenated, refreshed and ready for anything.
Ms Bellhouse runs her company from her delightful, country cottage in the tranquillity of Minchinhampton, a picturesque Gloucestershire market town. Here she welcomes clients with a range of needs - from stress to chronic back pain.
" I love to create a gentle environment for people," says Ms Bellhouse. "My treatment room is a soft blend of blues and hazy whites. It's a place where people can let go and sink into deep relaxation which helps to release endorphins and promote a feel-good factor. The oils I use have their own distinctive smells which practitioners of aromatherapy believe have a therapeutic property."
The benefits of massage are not only felt by visitors to Minchinhampton but also to companies who provide areas for Ms Bellhouse to offer staff therapeutic massage in their breaks. Two days a week she sets up her treament room at The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Gloucester, and Moog Controls, an engineering company based in Tewkesbury. Both companies appreciate that employees who feel looked after will perform better than those who feel neglected so they invite Ms Bellhouse to smooth out the muscualr kinks that can bedevil those who work for long periods on computers.
"I give them a chill zone to go to," says Ms Bellhouse. "They just come to mee for half-an-hour but it's a real stress buster. Mostly I work on necks and shoulders. During a busy week it gets rid of any tension that's built up."
Ms Bellhouse also works for Inclusion Care, an expanding company based in Worcestershire which currently runs three care homes for people with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour.
