Clinic Co-Founder and Director

Integrative Osteopath & Naturopath

I'm an integrative osteopath and naturopath who brings 20 years of experience to helping women enjoy better health, happiness and vitality, while feeling safe and at ease in their bodies. I love the breadth and variety of my practice, welcoming whatever issues patients bring; from physical pain, tension and digestive issues, to headaches, stress, the desire to simply feel better in their bodies, and everything in between. Each treatment is nurturing, personalised and creates immediate changes. My approach is down-to-earth, warm, and empathetic. Some people come to me with straightforward issues that only need a few sessions, while others find that longer term treatment helps to fully resolve chronic or complex health issues. Many of my patients find that, even once presenting issues are resolved, a fortnightly or monthly session becomes an enjoyable part of their self-care, and a transformative journey of personal discovery.

An Integrative Approach

My whole-person approach blends a range of modalities into a seamless and responsive treatment. My foundations are in osteopathy (structural, cranial, and visceral), naturopathy (nutrition, lifestyle medicine) and psychology (degree level). I also draw on post-graduate training and study in somatic therapy, sensory processing, polyvagal theory, NLP, health coaching, trauma and various forms of healing. While each treatment is unique and tailored to your needs, a typical session may include any of the following:

• Targeted massage and fascial release around the spine, neck, head, feet, and other zones known that deeply influence the nervous system

• Mobilisation and Harmonic technique to encourage better alignment, fluidity of movement, and proprioception (body awareness)

• Cranial & Somatic techniques incorporating somato-emotional release, guided imagery, breathwork, body mapping, and sensation tracking. These techniques communicate with the autonomic nervous system to help release deeply stored emotions, past history, and trauma in a safe, gradual, and supported way

• Visceral techniques gentle work on the chest, diaphragm, and abdomen - areas often holding stress and emotion - to support both physical and emotional release 

• Occasional gentle joint manipulations for cases where precise adjustment may release built-up restriction. This is always discussed with you first, and is a small part of my work

• Discussion of lifestyle factors and self-care such as stress reduction, sleep, movement, breathwork, and nutrition, so you leave with practical tools to nurture your health and well-being after the session

A Safe, Sensory-Informed Environment

To help my patients' nervous systems ease into a parasympathetic state - the “rest and restore” mode - I create a safe, sensory-informed space (cosy blankets, gentle lighting, soothing aromatherapy, calming background music, etc). These inputs help the nervous system feel safe, soothed and calm, making it easier for the changes we’re encouraging to be integrated.

Women’s Health & Wellbeing 

The body is a living map of our life’s story - biography becomes biology. My specialisation in women’s health honours the unique language of women’s bodies, acknowledging the real-world pressures that modern women face, and the broad spectrum of challenges we encounter across a lifespan. As a mum of two wonderful boys, I also fully understand the spectrum of challenges that come with the journey of motherhood.

I often witness how stress, stored emotions, and unresolved trauma manifest as physical symptoms. This awareness deeply informs my approach, and for many patients, it becomes one of the most transformative aspects of our work together. Reproductive and stress hormones profoundly shape our experiences, and womens bodies and brains respond differently to stress than men’s. For example, female hormones prime the brain to more readily suppress needs and feelings, making it easier to prioritise others and keep going. Over time, this can lead to overwhelm, depletion, and, as Gabor Maté puts it, a point where eventually “the body says no.”  Women can also experience a lack of essential 'inner nutrition' - meaningful connection to others, self-esteem, fun, pleasure and purpose - which are common sources of hidden stress. Addressing these deeper needs is as crucial as correcting nutritional deficiencies.

My approach views each woman holistically, helping her gain deeper self-awareness. Through our work together, my patients acquire practical tools and resources that help them to take control back of their health and lives. Many discover a new sense of groundedness and resilience as they learn to prioritise their own needs and respond to life’s demands from a more resourced, empowered place. They reclaim their bodies as safe harbours, places of refuge from life’s challenges, where they can also experience peace and bliss. In a world that often pulls us away from our bodies with constant demands and distractions, reconnecting with this inner sanctuary can be truly transformative.

The Body-Mind Connection

The body continuously "talks" to our brain through the nervous system, shaping how we experience ourselves and the world around us. At the same time, our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs have an immediate effect on our physiology, changing many aspects of how our body works, and even influencing our gene expression. This two-way connection between the mind and body is powerful, offering huge potential for healing and change. Thanks to research in the sciences of neuroplasticity, psychoneuroimmunology, epigenetics and quantum physics, we now understand how these processes work, and how we can use them to create real transformation. 

Nervous System Regulation - the Heart of Healing

At the heart of my approach is the regulation of the nervous system, which activates the body’s innate ability to heal, repair, and resolve many physical and emotional issues all by istelf. The human brain is hybrid: our brain's amazing cortex, the outermost layer, gives us our uniquely human qualities of analytical thought, creativity and our sense of self, while the regions of the brain that 'run' the body moment-to-moment are millions of years old by design, not within our conscious control, and communicate more in sensory and symbolic language than words. As Dr Joe Dispenza describes it, "the body is a map of the unconscious mind". An integrative hands-on approach means that each part of the nervous system can be heard and talked to in its own language, opening up new and profound possibilities for healing.

Background & Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Osteopathic Medicine, BCOM, 2005 

BA (Hons) Psychology, University of Sheffield, 2000

Sutherland Cranial Osteopathy pathway, 2005-2008

Diploma in Osteopathy BCOM, 2005

Diploma in Naturopathy, BCOM, 2005

Diploma in Clinical Massage, BCNO, 2002

Diploma in NLP, Health Coaching, ITS with Ian McDermott, 2006

My postgraduate studies and CPD include somatic therapy, trauma work, limbic system retraining, mind-body techniques (such as visualisation and breathwork), breathing pattern disorders, and various healing modalities (reiki, shamanic and quantum). I have completed in-person CPD with leaders in the field including Jean-Pierre Barral, Leon Chaitow,  Laurie Hartman, Katherine Ukleje, Gabrielle Roth, Bessel Van der Kolk and Steven Porges.

 In addition to my clinical work, I have lectured and tutored in Osteopathy to undergraduate students at BCOM, and have run postgraduate training courses and one-to-one mentoring for other therapists. I have also worked as a conference producer and copy writer for the Health Service Journal and Nursing Times. I facilitate women’s circles and teach Somatic Bellydance, both of which offer powerful tools for reconnecting with the body, releasing stress, and cultivating a deeper sense of self-awareness and empowerment.

After many years of working in clinics in London, Brussels and Brighton, my husband Simon and I created the Tree of Life Centre in 2012. I also practice from a beautiful treatment space in Worthing, The Women's Space. I alway welcome people getting in touch for guidance or signposting - to contact me direcly, please email gaynor@tolcentre.com