Story Hands Massage

Story Massage is a wonderful way to engage in touch, learning, play or therapy in a safe and creative way – combining positive touch with the art of story-telling.

As part of my role as a holistic massage practitioner, teacher and adoptive, therapeutic mum, I enable children, families & our wider community to benefit from becoming more skilled in connecting, healing & nurturing. The beauty of Story Massage is that it combines two of our most valuable regulating skills – touch and voice. Positive touch & our mid-range story telling voice are 2 of the most powerful ways we can connect meaningfully with each & create calm. Both the giver & receiver benefit from engaging in Story Massage.

Families, schools & other community organisations have benefitted from the endless possibilities of Story Massage. I often use trauma informed approaches & therapeutic parenting models to enable families to connect and for children who have experienced trauma process their experiences in safe and appropriate ways.

What are the benefits of Story Hands Massage?

• All ages and abilities can enjoy Story Massage.
• Story massage underpins basic good manners.
• Calming the person enables the brain - so enhances learning.
• Creates new ways of learning, connecting & having fun.
• Empowers people to exercise safe body boundaries & underpins safe permission & touch.
• Reduces aggression, bullying & anxiety
• Enhances attentiveness & social interaction
• Story Massage can help people, including children, people with additional needs, and people living with dementia, process and express themselves through a playful medium.
• It is a great way to communicate social stories & powerful messages when speech alone is an issue.

Story Hands Massage is inclusive on so many levels

• People can choose to give or receive massage.
• Permission is always asked.
• Not everyone wants to touch or be touched, & even tactile people may not always be in the mood to give or receive a massage.
• People can choose to do “air massage”, “ground massage”, massage a teddy or doll or go through the motions in a playful way if they prefer. This can bring a story to life.
• People can choose to simply listen and engage in watching the actions play out and tell a story through hands and words. Even watching other people being massaged releases oxytocin, the calm and connection hormone.
• People with sensory issues, for example, can be engaged in another activity or be in another area & still be able to listen & engage in a way that suits them.

Story Hands Massage massage cards and other utensils

• Massage improves mood and behaviour of students with ADHD, Khilnani et al (2003).
• Massage decreases aggression in pre-schoolers, Von Knoring et al (2008)
• A journey of self discovery: an intervention involving massage, yoga & relaxation for children with emotional & behavioural difficulties attending primary schools, Powell, Gilchrist et al (2008)

• Brief report: improvements in behaviour of children with autism following massage therapy, Escalona, Field et al (2001)
• If you would like more info or become a Story Massage Instructor yourself, please go to: storymassage.co.uk/the-story-massage-programme/