Meet Kelly: Patient to Practitioner
Not everyone finds their calling in a straight line.
Kelly's path to the treatment room wound through a History degree, a career in oil and gas, a chapter on Etsy and a role on reception at a GP surgery. Her genuine love for wellness was what stayed constant through it all.
A self-confessed sucker for any treatment going. If there was something new to try, Kelly was first in line. Years of being pampered, of experiencing first hand what a good treatment could do for you.
From Patient to Practitioner
What makes Kelly's story particularly special to us is that she didn't arrive as a stranger. Kelly has been a patient at Step and Stone Health since we opened our doors. Immediately intrigued by what was on offer: reflexology, Indian head massage, facials, sports massages - she's tried most of what we offer and kept coming back.
It was those conversations with her practitioner, Kim, hearing her career journey that inspired Kelly to take the leap herself.
"It just made me think I needed to step up and do my thing.”
What First Drew Her to This World?
Kelly has always loved wellness from the receiving end. Massage, reiki, facials, anything that helped her decompress. But it was the personal benefit she got from Reiki specifically that pushed her from patient to practitioner.
The more she experienced it, the more she wanted to be able to offer that to someone else.
"I just loved it so much. I was like - right. We're gonna do it. I'm gonna go for it."
Getting to Know Kelly
Ask Kelly what she gets up to outside of clinic and the answer might surprise you.
Horror games. Horror movies. Horror books. It is, she says, essentially all she deals in. The more unsettling, the better.
She is also, in the same breath, someone who meditates daily, loves her own company and wants nothing more than to send people home feeling calm and looked after.
We think that balance is everything.
Why These Three Treatments
Kelly is now taking bookings for Reiki, Indian Head Massage and Korean Lymphatic Drainage Facials.
The reason she chose all three is straightforward: she loves them herself.
Indian Head Massage has always been one of her personal favourites to receive. "That will send me into a sleep, absolutely." The Korean Lymphatic Drainage Facial came from noticing the difference it made to her own skin and wanting to be able to offer that to others - particularly, she says, those who might really benefit from that gentle reset. And Reiki, as we already know, changed everything for Kelly. She continues to reiki herself every night before bed.
Nothing is rigid. Treatments can be adapted around pregnancy, mobility needs or even a preference for no physical touch at all.
Kelly will ask what brought you in and what you're hoping to feel and she'll work from there.
Practising What She Preaches
Kelly meditates. She does Reiki on herself every night. She is, by her own cheerful admission, her favourite person to spend time with and she makes sure to protect that time.
She's also a big believer that the world at large could do with slowing down. She's watched attitudes towards holistic therapy shift significantly over the years - Reiki finding its way into spas and corporate companies offering more self-care allowances as part of their benefits packages.
"I think people are realising that there are so many benefits to taking that moment and taking that little bit of time to yourself and looking after your own peace."
It's something she feels personally. The difference between a working culture that had no space for any of this and one that increasingly does.
What Actually Is Reiki?
It's the question she gets asked most and she'll be the first to admit it isn't always the easiest thing to explain.
Here's how Kelly puts it:
“Think of it as working with your body's energy. We map through the seven chakras, starting at the crown and moving down. I'm just holding the space for whatever needs to happen."
| “Your body essentially does the work
- I'm just there to guide it." |
Sessions can involve light touch, full contact or no physical touch at all. Kelly can work with her hands hovering just above you - which makes it particularly accessible for people who want deep relaxation but aren't comfortable with traditional massage.
What people experience varies completely. Some even fall into the deepest sleep they've had in months - and Kelly considers that her greatest achievement.
What Kelly will tell you, though, is that Reiki is just as relaxing to give as it is to receive.
| "It's a selfish career, honestly." |
While her patient is lying on the table drifting off, Kelly is standing in that same calm energy and feeling every bit of it herself. She gets the benefits of every single session she delivers.
What Makes Step & Stone Different
As Kelly is someone who has now experienced us from both sides - what does she think sets Step & Stone apart.
Her answer:
“The people. The atmosphere. The fact that you feel like you're in safe hands from the moment you walk in but it never feels cold or overly clinical. The range of treatments. The fact that everyone who works here actually knows their stuff and you can tell.”
She also talked about the balance Step & Stone strikes: professional enough to trust, human enough to love. Not too clinical, not too spa. A happy medium that's harder to find than you would think.
Coming from someone who has spent years on the receiving end of Step & Stone wellness treatments, we'll take that.
"You don't feel judged. It's non-judgmental. It's just a very nice place with very nice people."
Welcome to the Step and Stone Health team, Kelly. We're very glad you're here.
Kelly is now available for bookings at Step & Stone Health in Westhill Shopping Centre, Aberdeenshire specialising in Reiki, Indian Head Massage and Korean Lymphatic Drainage Facial (booking available soon).
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