Huyton mum found herself at 50 and now helps change menopausal women's lives

Hitting 50 and feeling lost, Huyton mum Louise Welsh set off on a solo adventure to Thailand to find herself.

And she not only had the holiday of a lifetime but undertook training which has seen her become the only practitioner of Vietnamese head massage in the whole of the UK.

Now Louise is offering the unique therapy and helping to change the lives of menopausal women across Merseyside.

Louise says:

“Like so many women today, I was the one who couldn’t switch off.

“Menopause hit me massively.

“I couldn’t sleep and I was constantly waking up exhausted. I was snapping at people I loved because my nervous system was in overdrive, and my mind never stopped racing,” she says.

“Nowadays women have so many roles, from mum to housekeeper, to wife and boss – they never get the chance to relax; and the truth is, your body can’t rest when it doesn’t feel safe.”

She goes on:

“When I hit 50 I wanted more out of life, I felt I’d lost half of who I am.

“So I went away to try and find myself – and found more than I ever expected.

“I found something I’m passionate about and which has given me purpose again. It’s been life changing for me and it’s life-changing for the many menopausal women who come to see me.

“Some say they feel relaxed for the first time since being a mum, others say they have had the best sleep of their lives – I’ve even had women snoring while I do the massage!

“It’s because they go from feeling they’re in survival mode to finally feeling safe. And that’s what I want every woman to experience.”

Single mum Louise, who has two grown up children, has had a collection of jobs throughout her adult life including being a barber, and working in a stockbroker’s and an estate agent’s.

But it’s as a beauty and holistic therapist where she found her place.

Working for herself and in salons and spas, she became passionate about helping people – women especially – to relax, creating her own style of aromatherapy treatments like facials and more to help clients truly unwind.

Over the last couple of years, Louise says, her work and her ambition have evolved as she developed an ‘obsession’ with nervous system regulation, scalp therapy, craniosacral therapy, and creating rituals that ‘make women feel held, calm, and able to let go’.

Much of it stems from how she felt when she hit that special milestone.

“It was my first holiday on my own and Thailand was amazing. And it was like everything came together like a jigsaw.

“I never set out to train in head massage there, but I saw the Sandaya Phuket Academy and decided to study there.

“I have now adapted what I learned with movements of my own,” adds Louise, who runs her purposely-created Sacred Haven Head Spa from Sanctus Gym in St Helens, “with head and scalp rituals and what I call ‘sacred resets’.”

Unlike Japanese head massage which is quick and scalp-focused, the movements of Vietnamese head and scalp massage are slow and deliberate.

Louise continued:

“It’s not just about the external too, but about mind, body and soul connection,”

“I am mindful of the scents in the rooms, how it feels – every product is warmed – and I put a heated eye mask on clients so other senses are heightened too.

“Every thing and every movement has meaning and is intentional. It affects people physically, it affects them emotionally, and it affects their nervous system, allowing it to slow down. Vietnamese head massage is also known as sleep massage because it promotes an intense, deep state of relaxation.

“There are healing benefits and that’s why it’s become huge for people in their 40s and 50s, and older.

“In menopause and perimenopause, women suffer from sleeplessness, worry, stress and anxiety; they have all these feelings they want to switch off from. And with my rituals, they are finally able to do that.”

Louise, who now teaches her methods and will be lecturing at North West Training College in Birkenhead after summer, says;

“Going to Thailand and learning what I have was life changing for me – I had a sacred tattoo on my hand by a former monk who blessed me and wished me luck on my new venture.

“Now I want it to be life changing for others. At 50 I found a new lease of life and purpose, and it’s amazing to get the positive messages from women that I do, and the satisfaction I feel is huge.”