Hello! I’m Joan Carpenter

I have been involved in massage since 1989. This has included working in women’s health centres; home visits; baby massage including demonstrations; reflexology; working in a district hospital massage clinic; practicing from rooms in various centres while working alongside a range of practitioners and modalities. Now I work from a clinic room at my home.

Biodynamic Cranial Touch and Myofascial Release

In 2007 I began my journey with Biodynamic Cranial Touch and Myofascial Release. This suited me well as I had never enjoyed receiving nor giving really deep massage. As my experience grew I marveled time and time again at how the body released so well without me levering muscles apart!

Listening Hands Therapy

In 2010 I began training with Giorgia Milne and Biodynamic Cranial Touch. This transformed my practice into what I call today ‘Listening Hands Therapy’. This art of effective touch is more about being with the body as it ‘lets go’ by itself than by us making it ‘do’ something we think it should. It has been a fascinating journey and my love for people has led me the whole way. In my treatment work, the miracle of the human body and how it heals, keeps me passionate about what I do.

Body Felt Awareness and Listening Heart Connection

In the last ten years I have run numerous workshops including Body Felt Awareness Workshops, Intimacy for Couples and Massage for Couples. Most recently I have facilitated a day for couples, called Listening Heart Connection, where I use my experience and massage knowledge to create a day for couples to have ‘light intimacy’ = “in-to-me-you-see”.

Listening Hands Therapy

In 2015, I taught Certificate 4 in Massage at a Natural Therapies College. This showed me how wonderful it can be to share knowledge with students in an educational environment. There were parts that really frustrated me so I decided to teach my own work instead, which I feel so passionate about and want to share with many. This I call Listening Hands Therapy.

Wise Woman Within You

Another passion and focus of my work is women’s support which started with Nursing Mothers Association 26 years ago. This continued into parenting groups then women’s circles, and today has evolved into Wise Woman Within You, which supports women as they journey inward to find answers and transformation. We often include walking in nature and being beneath the trees for visualisations and meditations working with the Five Elements and Five Archetypes of Elemental Woman.

Wise Woman Within You has been greatly influenced by my training and guidance from my mentor and business coach, Prasanna Diana Manuela, and her Elemental Woman practices. It has been a fascinating journey and my love for people has led me the whole way.

Body-led work

In my private treatment work, it is the miracle of the human body and how it heals which keeps me passionate. I look forward to each session with my clients, whom I feel honoured to work with. In working with 100’s to 1000’s of people I am often still amazed at the wonder of how the body itself, when supported, will balance, align and heal.

These body-led sessions are uniquely individual to each client—guided by what they need at the time. The journey often leads to a place of harmony, health and well being.

I refer to the sessions as ‘body-led’ because it is the client’s body which leads the way for the release, an ‘unwinding’ of tension, discomfort, trauma and pain. As the therapist, I am present to this release and support and encourage it in a nurturing, safe and serene environment. This witnessing of another person’s journey of healing, observing their vulnerability, hearing their insights, sensing their pain, and applauding their growth, is what I love to do.

Modalities

The modalities that I use are:

• Biodynamic Cranial Touch
• Myofascial Release
• Remedial Massage

All of these techniques are deeply effective yet gentle and firm. They are suitable for all ages. For Biodynamic Cranial Touch and Myofascial Release the client may be clothed.

Benefits

The benefits can be transforming and include:

• Pain relief
• Body feeling aligned and balanced
• Feeling centered and grounded
• Tension eased or completely released
• Feeling deeply relaxed
• Having increased vitality
• Being free from headaches
• Movement without restriction
• Feeling calmer within, and
• More able to cope.

Relax and unwind—this is the basis of my work with you.

My qualifications

• Diploma of Remedial Massage
• Diploma of Craniosacral Therapy
• Craniosacral Therapy/Myofascial Release, Levels 1- 7
• Biodynamic Craniosacral Touch
• Senior First Aid
• Currently studying a Diploma of Counselling.

The ‘University of Life’

I have been well educated in the University of Life. I have traveled to 30 countries and had massage in most of them, participated in many workshops for personal and spiritual growth, raised six children, and been a volunteer on numerous committees. Giving from my heart all the way.