Our Team
We are a husband-and-wife team passionate about providing compassionate, evidence-based care. By combining professional counselling support with specialized physical therapies under one roof, we offer a seamless, wraparound approach to wellness.
Shandara Newman
Focuses on physical recovery, nervous system regulation, and gentle restorative therapies for complex health journeys.
Remedial Massage Therapist/ Meditation Teacher/ Oncology Massage/ Decongestive Lymphatic TherapistA Life Shaped by Healing, Somatic Wisdom, and Compassionate Touch
From a young age, I understood the world through the body — through sensation, intuition, and the subtle ways stress, emotion, and experience show up beneath the surface. This early awareness of the mind–body connection became the foundation of my life’s work and the reason I trained as a Remedial Massage Therapist.
I’ve always been drawn to the quiet wisdom held in the body. Long before I studied anatomy or technique, I was practising the essence of somatic awareness — noticing breath, sensing tension, and offering grounding touch to those around me. Over time, this intuitive way of caring grew into a professional calling.
My path deepened when someone close to me required specialised support during cancer treatment. Witnessing their journey — the swelling, fatigue, emotional strain, and the need for gentle, safe touch — led me to further training in:
Somatic-informed approaches to trauma, illness, and nervous-system regulation
Oncology massage
Lymphatic management
These modalities allow me to support clients through some of the most vulnerable chapters of their lives with care that is both clinically informed and deeply human.
My practice also extends into end-of-life support — a space where presence, compassion, and gentle touch become powerful forms of comfort. It is work I hold with profound respect and gratitude.
Today, my approach blends holistic healing, somatic principles, and evidence-based remedial techniques. I help clients reconnect with their bodies, release tension, regulate their nervous system, and feel supported in a way that honours their whole self — physical, emotional, and energetic.
At the heart of my work is a simple belief: When we listen to the body, healing begins.
Rick Newman
From the Frontlines to Healing: My Journey to You
Hello, I’m Rick. I am honoured that you are considering me to walk alongside you on your path toward healing. I believe the most effective therapy happens when you feel truly understood, not just as a set of symptoms, but as a person. To help you decide if we are a good fit, I’d like to share the journey that brought me here.
My professional foundation was built in the high-pressure world of emergency medicine. For 18 years, I served as a paramedic, responding to the calls that most people hope they never have to make. That career taught me everything about the resilience of the human body and the fragility of the human spirit. I learned how to remain a calm anchor in the centre of someone else’s storm. However, the sirens eventually fade, and as a first responder, I discovered that the “incident” is often just the beginning of a much longer story.
My transition into counselling was born from my own survival. Like many who serve on the frontlines, I eventually faced my own battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I know the exhaustion of hyper-vigilance, the weight of the “invisible backpack” we carry, and the isolation that comes when you feel the world no longer looks the same. My recovery wasn’t just about “getting back to normal; it was about transforming my perspective and finding a new kind of strength.
Today, I use that lived experience to bridge the gap between clinical expertise and genuine, soul-level empathy. I don’t just understand trauma from a manual; I understand how it feels in the body and how it echoes in daily life. My approach is grounded, direct, and deeply compassionate. I provide a space where you don’t have to “filter” your experiences or worry about being “too much.” Whether you are a fellow first responder, someone navigating chronic stress, or someone working through past trauma, I meet you with a steady hand and an open heart.
I believe that while we cannot change what we have walked through, we can change how we carry it. Outside of the clinic, I recharge by spending time with family, listening to music or watching motorsport, practicing the same mindfulness and balance that I advocate for my clients.
I look forward to hearing your story when you are ready to share it.
CounsellorFocuses on the mind, heart, and emotional wellbeing. Providing a safe, non-judgmental space to talk, process, and develop practical strategies for life's challenges.