Claire Shepperd

I am a Soft Tissue Therapist with a BTEC Level-5 Diploma from the London School of Soft Tissue Therapy (previously the London School of Sports Massage).   

My aim as your Therapist is to assess your injury or area of discomfort whether it be due to lifestyle factors, a training injury, a fall, or a medical condition, and then to provide appropriate treatment and support to help you manage your pain and allow you to move more freely.  Where appropriate I will provide advice and suggest training or lifestyle changes that could help to speed up recovery and prevent reoccurrence. 

My interest in sport and fitness began at school and continued to develop through university and beyond. Having children brought with it a new level of understanding and respect for the human body and I soon took the opportunity to enter the health and wellness sector and, more specifically, train in Sports and Remedial Massage. This allows me to work closely with, and help, individuals while building on my interest in body mechanics and the function (or dysfunction!) of the musculoskeletal system.  

I am a fully insured member of the Institute of Sports and Remedial Massage (ISRM). 

Appointments are available in my air conditioned garden treatment room with onsite parking as follows:

• 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes in length

• Mondays 9.30am - 2.30pm

• Tuesdays 9.30am - 2.30pm

• Wednesdays 8.15am - 2.30pm

• Thursdays 9.30am - 3.45pm

• Fridays Available at a local Osteopathy Clinic - please ask me for details 

• I can occasionally accommodate an evening or weekend appointment - please contact me to discuss availability

For further information or to book please WhatsApp or call me on 07512 788 851 or contact me by email clairevshepperd@gmail.com 

Soft Tissue Therapy is a person-centred approach to the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of minor and persistent (often referred to as chronic) injuries or pain that have occurred through sport, other lifestyle factors or certain medical conditions. 

As Soft Tissue Therapists we are trained to assess injuries, manipulate and treat the soft tissues (connective tissues/fascia, muscles, tendons, and ligaments) using a variety of techniques and then offer rehabilitation advice and exercises to aid recovery and reduce the risk of reoccurrence.  

Whilst general massage, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage and sports massage strokes form part of what we do, we also use other hands-on techniques such as soft tissue release, myofascial release, muscle energy technique, neuromuscular technique and positional release.  I also offer taping using Kinesiology Tape. 

• 60 minute treatment - £65 (recommended for first appointments) 

• 45 minute treatment - £50

• 30 minute treatment -  £40

• 90 minute treatment - £97.50 

Payment by - Payment link sent to WhatsApp for direct payments by Bank Transfer, Debit Card, Google Pay or Apple Pay 

or Card  machine also available for Credit Cards (VISA, Mastercard, American Express) or Google Pay / Apple Pay 

First Contact 

When you first contact me I will ask you about your reason for seeking treatment and what you wish to achieve from it to check whether Soft Tissue Therapy and Sports Massage is appropriate. If it is, I will send you a consultation form for you to complete.  

Pre-treatment consultation

I will then call you if I have any questions about the completed form, take a more detailed medical and injury history if relevant, and ensure that there are no reasons why I should not be treating you (for example, it might be too soon after an injury has occurred or you may need to seek approval from your GP first if you are receiving treatment for certain medical conditions). 

General Sports Massage or Deep Tissue Massage

If you are coming to see me for a general Sports Massage or Deep Tissue Massage I will run through what the treatment will consist of and answer any questions you may have. I will then give you time to change and make yourself comfortable on the couch before carrying out the massage, focusing on any areas of tension. It is usual to remove outer clothing from the area to be treated but if you are not comfortable doing so please let me know since I can use other techniques to work through clothing.  Please wear appropriate and comfortable underwear.  If wearing a bra and seeking treatment for your back or shoulders please wear one with a back fastening which will allow me to undo it without your having to remove it. During the treatment the areas not being massaged will be covered by towels. 

If you would be more comfortable we can use a massage chair for the treatment rather than the couch - this is often beneficial if you are experiencing mobility difficulties or if you find it easier to relax in a seated position. 

Site or injury specific treatments

As part of more site or injury specific treatments I will ask more detailed questions about your current pain.  I will then assess your movements to identify the possible causes of the pain or discomfort.  Appropriate and comfortable underwear or sportswear is recommended since I may need you to stand and move in them for postural and joint assessments and tests.  As above, if wearing a bra and seeking treatment for your back or shoulders, please wear one with a back fastening which will allow me to undo it without your having to remove it. I will then treat the appropriate areas using Massage and Soft Tissue Techniques. As part of your treatment plan I may also apply kinesiology tape (after a patch test), provide exercise suggestions, advice, or encourage training or lifestyle changes that could help with the recovery process and to prevent reoccurrence.    

Referrals

If for any reason I feel that another professional (for example a Physiotherapist, Osteopath or GP) should be involved in your care I will, with your permission, refer you on.   

I am able to treat you during pregnancy provided that your pregnancy is considered low risk and your midwife or doctor has cleared the treatment in advance.  I offer a relaxing Pregnancy Massage (75 minutes for £75) or adapt my usual treatments (30, 45 or 60 minutes) to help you with more specific aches and pains. 

I will send you a Pregnancy-specific Consultation Form to complete in order to ensure that Soft Tissue Therapy/Massage is appropriate for you. 

As of June 2022 most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the UK and face masks are no longer obligatory in close contact clinical environments. However, I will continue to follow guidelines as recommended by the Government and the Institute of Sport & Remedial Massage of which I am a member.  As such the following additional measures will remain in place:

• I will:

  • not work if I am suffering from any cold or flu-like symptoms

  • wear a face mask if requested 

  • clean the treatment room after every treatment

  • take regular lateral flow tests if I have been in contact with anyone who has recently tested positive for Covid-19 

• I kindly request that you:

  • reschedule your appointment if you are showing any cold or flu-like symptoms  

  • take a lateral flow test if you have been in contact with anyone who has recently tested positive for Covid-19 

We all lead busy lives and sometimes it is unavoidable that plans need to change. As a self-employed therapist, cancellations have a direct impact upon my income.  I therefore ask that you give me as much notice as possible if you need to change or cancel your appointment. I reserve the right to charge the appointment fee if an appointment is changed or cancelled at your request, with less than 24 hours' advance notice, or you do not attend your appointment. 

To change or cancel an appointment please call me on 07512 788851. Thank you.  

Gift Vouchers are available for 60minute treatments at £65 each.  If you would like to buy one for a family member or friend please contact me:

• clairevshepperd@gmail.com 

• 07512 788 851 (call, text or WhatsApp me)

To book or for further information: 

• 07512 788 851 (WhatsApp, call or text me)

• clairevshepperd@gmail.com 

Updated March 2024

What is Personal Data?

Personal data is defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR”) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier’.

Personal data is, in simpler terms, any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it also covers less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

From 25th May 2018, the new Data Protection Act 2018 came into place, and I need to inform you what data I hold about you, why I need it, what I will be doing with your data, who I might share it with and when I will destroy it.

What information I hold

I currently collect and process the following information:

• Name 

• Contact details

• Medical history

• Injury history

• Treatment history

• Treatment records (for example, contemporaneous notes of the treatment you received from me)

How I get your information and why I have it

The personal data I process is provided to me directly by you on completion of your Consultation Form or during the course of your treatments.

I require your personal data to ensure that I have the necessary information to assess your suitability for treatment, to complete your treatment safely, to contact you, to make a referral to a GP or other healthcare practitioner if deemed necessary, and for insurance purposes.  

When I will destroy your information

It is a condition of my insurance policy to take and retain treatment records for a minimum of 7 years following the last occasion on which treatment was given. In the case of minors, treatment records are kept until their 25th Birthday. After these time periods, I will destroy your personal data. 

How I store your information 

Your personal data are stored on my account held with a leading cloud services provider. The account on which your personal data are stored is accessible only by me via multi-factor authentication. 

Your Individual Rights under the Data Protection Act 2018

You have:

• the right of access to your personal data

• the right to object to the processing of your personal data

• the right to restrict the processing of your personal data

• the right to rectification of your personal data

• the right to erasure of your personal data

• the right to data portability (to receive an electronic copy of your personal data).

My Rights

In exercising your Individual Rights, you should understand that in some situations I may be unable to fully meet your request. For example, if you make a request for me to delete all your personal data, I may be required to retain some personal data for legal, regulatory and insurance purposes.

You should understand that when exercising your rights, a substantial public or vital interest may take precedence over any request you make. In addition, where these interests apply, I am required by law to grant access to this personal data for law enforcement, legal and/or health related matters.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which I process your personal data, you have the right to complain to the UK’s Data Protection Supervisory Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO may be contacted via its website  https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/your-personal-information-concerns/  by live chat or by calling their helpline on 0303 123 1113.

How to contact me

If you have any questions regarding the use of your personal data please contact me - 07512 788851 or clairevshepperd@gmail.com