find your balance with sound

I love working with tuning forks for therapy, as they are so accessible and immediate for a range of therapeutic uses. Tuning forks are particularly effective placed directly on certain points of the body, for instance on acupuncture and Marma points, or by working directly on and stimulating the Vagus nerve. The Vagus nerve is an important part of your autonomic nervous system which controls the things your body does without your conscious input, such as breathing, digesting food, and sweating. The vagus nerve is also part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your body after you've been in a stressful situation and plays a role in how we deal with trauma.

I’m offering two main treatments to start with - the Vagus Nerve Balancing uses music theory and listening to selective musical intervals to trigger the relaxation response, as well as using binaural beats to entrain and slow your brainwave pattern. I also place tuning forks on specific points on the head and neck to stimulate your Vagus nerve and balance the parasympathetic nervous system.

The Shoulder and Neck Massage is a blend of hands on traditional Indian head massage techniques with the additional use of tuning forks placed on the body, so that you get the benefits of an Indian head massage, along with the subtle vibrations of the forks gently stimulating various Marma points. The vibrations from the forks also release nitric oxide gas into the bloodstream which counteracts excess cortisol caused by stress.

Sound therapy sessions are held at snowdrop Argyll Ms Centre in Lochgilphead, and at h’Airds after the salon’s other appointments are finished for the day to ensure a safe, calm and quiet space. Sessions are very accessible, as you are seated throughout your treatment and nothing is required from you other than just closing your eyes! At the start of your session we’ll have a brief chat/consultation so that I can understand what you’d like from the session, and I can personalise the session to help with any particular challenges you may have. The tuning fork protocols that I work with may help:

  • Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

  • Calming anxiety

  • Better sleep

  • Motivation

  • Life direction

  • Creativity

  • Clarity of thought

  • Digestive balance

  • Grief

Individual treatments

  • Vagus Nerve Balancing

    45 minute session £40*

    Best for:

    Clarity of thought and focus

    Stimulating the Vagus Nerve

    Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System

    Creativity and Meditation

    Easily personalised to your needs

    Accessible Seated session

    * Concessions available through Snowdrop

  • Shoulder & Head Massage

    45 minute session £40*

    Best for:

    Triggering the Relaxation Response

    Alleviates Stress and Muscle Tension

    Promotes Blood Flow to the Scalp

    Headache and Migraine Relief

    Easily personalised to your needs

    Accessible Seated Session

    * Concessions available through Snowdrop

Snowdrop Argyll, MS Centre Mid Argyll, Lochgilphead

Fridays 1.30pm - 4.30pm Booking essential, thank you

h’Airds, Carradale, Kintyre

Wednesdays 2pm - 4pm, Saturdays 2pm - 4pm Booking essential, thank you

my story

In 2021 I suffered two strokes. Whilst I was in hospital, I recalled a lecture that I had attended 20 years earlier at the Cheltenham Science Festival whilst I was studying Music Production. The lecture was by neuroscientist, and cognitive psychologist Daniel Levitin who studied the effect that listening to music has on our brains. One of the things that stuck in my mind was that when we listen to new or unfamiliar music, our brains create new neural pathways, and I as had just suffered brain damage from the stroke, I decided that was what I needed to do! And so began my passion about how music and sound can have positive benefits to our physical, emotional, mental & our spiritual state, leading to my becoming a fully qualified Sound Therapist with the International Sound Healing Academy.

We all know of the positive effects that listening to music has on us. When we distill music & sound down to its essential elements it can become therapeutic, bringing about deep relaxation, stress reduction, clarity of thought, and is an effective enabler for self-healing. I hope to bring together my passion with sound and music, and my experience as a recording engineer, musician and DJ, together with music psychology, the science of sound, deep listening practice & Integral Sound Healing techniques to create my bespoke treatments for you.