Bodyworks Edinburgh was established in May 2013 and focused on Remedial and Sports Massage Therapy to help improve clients postural issues, muscular conditions, sports performance and treat RSI/sports injuries. To improve our service and offer clients more therapy options, Bodyworks Edinburgh broadened it’s range of treatments to include Physiotherapy, Medical Acupuncture, Sports Rehabilitation and Complementary Therapies such as Reflexology and Aromatherapy Massage.
To ensure clients get the best care possible and the most out of their treatment at Bodyworks Edinburgh, there is an initial health consultation followed by a physical assessment to find the source of the problem and to develop a treatment plan for future sessions. We tailor our treatments to each client as none of our bodies or muscular issues are exactly the same so why should your treatment be the same. Our service doesn’t stop there as we also give you stretches and exercises to take home to work on as this will ensure you get the most from the massage therapy or physiotherapy and reach your health goals as quick as possible.
Our team of therapists are highly trained in their field and are all members of relevant professional governing bodies ensuring we keep up to date with continuous professional development (CPD) and our quality of service. If you require a therapist to be with a specific governing body for insurance purposes, please get in touch before you book your appointment to ensure you are with the correct therapist.
If any referrals are needed between therapists here at Bodyworks we will ensure, with your permission that a good handover is given so that we can continue working with you (without another in depth consultation) towards your end goal.
Our team’s vision is to be the go-to clinic with the highest reputation for care and excellence in private healthcare and to offer you a multi-disciplinary approach with the most up-to-date research and evidence based treatments. To have a happy working environment for staff to improve and grow, enjoy their work and have a healthy work-life balance.
If you’d like to work for Bodyworks, check out our Careers page for any positions available.
Meet the Team:
Ashleigh Clark
Clinic Manager and Remedial & Sports Massage Therapist, SMTO
Ashleigh is a fully qualified Remedial, Sports and Swedish Massage Therapist & a Nutritional Therapist. She graduated from The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, in 2012 with an honours degree in Sports and Exercise Science, she then went onto accomplish a diploma in Swedish Massage in April 2013 and a diploma in Remedial and Sports massage in April 2014 from Scottish Massage Schools. She has a background knowledge in nutrition, exercise prescription, anatomy and sports injuries and is able to adapt her massage for the individuals specific needs. She qualified in Kinesiology taping, levels 1 and 2 enabling her to provide non-athlete and athletes with sports injury or support taping and is also trained in Seated Acupressure, Aromatherapy Massage, Indian Head Massage and most recently Manual Lymphatic Drainage.
Ashleigh has a passion for the health and fitness industry and has previously worked in gyms, and has worked with Aberdeen Football Club providing Sports massage for the players. She is a keen football player herself having played from a young age playing for Boroughmuir Thistle in SPWL2. You will find her outdoors mostly playing football, hiking, cycling or walking her two dogs!
As Ashleigh is very passionate about the field of health and fitness she is always looking to study new courses and develop her knowledge. She maintains continuous professional development in order to provide the best treatments for her clients.
Qualifications – BSc (hons) Sports Science, Diploma Swedish Massage, Diploma Sports & Remedial Massage, Diploma Indian Head Massage, Diploma Seated Acupressure, KT1 & KT2, Diploma Aromatherapy, Diploma Manual Lymphatic Drainage.
Ashleigh will be finishing as Manager with us on the 15th of Sept.
Book an appointment with Ashleigh.
Steven Glass
Senior Physiotherapist, HCPC, CSP
Steven is a fully qualified Physiotherapist with HCPC and CSP registration. Graduating in 2011 from The Robert Gordon University with a Bsc(hons) in Physiotherapy, Steven has over 9 years experience working in Private Musculoskeletal Outpatient Physiotherapy. Professionally he has an interest in Mckenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment of the Spine and Lower Limb Biomechanics.
Steven enjoys getting to the root cause of an issue/ailment and prides himself on not only treating the symptoms. Postgraduately he is accredited in Medical Acupuncture, Kinesiology Taping and Spinal Manipulation. Enjoying an active lifestyle, out of work he can be found rock climbing, kayaking or mountain biking.
Qualifications – BSc (hons) Physiotherapy, Mckenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy Part A and B, OMT Spinal Manipulation Level 1, Medical Acupuncture Certified.
Book an appointment with Steven.
Alessia Berardinelli
Massage Therapist, SMTO
Alessia is an experienced Massage Therapist, who qualified in Remedial, Sports and Swedish Massage at the Advanced Massage techniques School in West Linton (Scottish Borders). After 4 years of experience, hands on, working as a Massage Therapist in one of the best spas in the UK, she kept her mind open and her knowledge updated by attending inhouse or external courses in Deep Tissue Massage, Hot Stones Massage, Pregnancy Massage and Indian Head Massage. Recently she completed her qualification in Reflexology and Manual Lymphatic Drainage.
Hoping to move her studies further, her next professional achievement would being qualified in the Advanced Sports Massage Therapy.
Her Passion and interest for Health and Well being comes from her personal experience in weight lifting. Starting 5 years ago with her journey, she is nowadays a true believer that resistance training along with Massage Therapy can be a real game changer for living a healthy and pain free lifestyle!
As a Therapist, her top priority is listening carefully to the clients concerns and tailoring her treatments accordingly.
Alessia loves to spend her free time mainly outdoors, practicing activities like hiking and exploring new beautiful spots in Scotland.
Qualifications – Diploma in Sports & Remedial Massage from Advanced Techniques Massage School, Diploma in Manual Lymphatic Drainage from Gateway Workshops.
Book an appointment with Alessia.
Ludovic Aristhene
Sports Massage Therapist
Ludovic has worked in the spa and wellness industry since 2008, originally from Mauritius, he moved to Scotland in 2015 to progress in his career. He has worked in 5 stars hotels across a few countries such as Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives and Dubai. Ludovic specialises in Sports Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Reflexology (feet) and relaxation treatments.
He studied Massage Therapy at Holistic Training Massage School in Mauritius after leaving school. He started working at Shandrani Hotel in Mauritius where he began his journey as a Massage Therapist. Then moved to Sainte Anne Resort & Spa Seychelles, as Senior Therapist and most recently has been at the Fairmont Hotel in St. Andrews as a Treatment Manager. Ludovic is trained in Thai massage and brings a variety of techniques from this into his treatments, creating his own unique style.
In his free time he enjoys doing activities such as hiking, walking around in nature, cycling, the gym, going to cinema and cooking.
Qualifications – Massage Therapy, Sports Massage, Reflexology, Swedish Massage, Aromatherapy at Holistic Massage Training School (MQA Approved).
Book an appointment with Ludovic.
Matthew Thompson
Physiotherapist, HCPC, CSP, FHT
Matt has a BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy and MSc in Physiotherapy and has been working at Bodyworks since 2015. He is qualified in sports massage and utilises a variety of techniques such as mobilisations, medical acupuncture, KT taping level 1 and 2. Matt has worked in a variety of settings and population groups, working with: international rugby players, power lifters and Thai-boxers, additionally currently working in elite level football. Not only does Matt have experience in elite sports he currently works within the NHS, working with a wide variety of people, ages, and lifestyles. Additionally, he has some experience within vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness symptoms and other long-standing conditions such as Parkinson’s.
Matt has a keen interest and participates in a number of combat sports, and has a wide knowledge of different sports demands and common injuries. Always looking to keep up to date with the latest knowledge and evidence to use within his practise. Setting high professional standard for himself no matter the issue he is committed to solving people’s problems and finding the best treatment available.
Book an appointment with Matt.
Qualifications – BSc (hons) Sports Therapy, MSc Physiotherapy, KT1 & KT2, OMT Medical Acupuncture
Blanca Jimenez
Physiotherapist, HCPC, CSP
Blanca studied her degree in Physiotherapy in 2009 and then her Postgraduate course in Manual therapy as her specialization in 2013 both at the Madrid Complutense University. She has experience working for more than 8 years in both Spain and Edinburgh in different fields. She has worked with the Spanish national wrestling team, as a neurological physio working with varied conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and strokes along with Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Ankylosing Spondylitis. She also particularly enjoys the challenges of musculoskeletal rehabilitation working with diverse people from athletes, post-injury patients to office workers.
In her treatments, she combines mostly “hands-on” treatments including manual therapy, myofascial release, acupuncture, dry needling, therapeutic taping, Pilates, Hypopressive therapy, neurodynamics and an individualised exercise program to continue the treatment actively at home.
In her free time Blanca loves spending time outdoors, running, cycling, surfing, snowboarding but also being indoors watching independent movies at festivals, listening to music and reading.
Qualifications – BSc Physiotherapy, Postgraduate in Manual Therapy,
Book an appointment with Blanca.
Jessica Barac
Physiotherapist, HCPC, CSP
Jessica moved to Edinburgh from Australia in 2019. Jessica’s background is in musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, primarily in private clinics, with some community and aged care work mixed in. She has a Masters in Physiotherapy (2017) and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Principles of Physiotherapy) as well as a Bachelor of Arts.
Jessica is passionate about treating the individual not just the condition or injury. Her speciality is working with runners, those with neck, jaw pain and headaches, and anyone suffering from chronic pain. Jessica’s background in manual therapy includes trigger point release and deep tissue massage, dry needling and counterstain (an osteopathic technique). She also has extensive experience with exercise prescription and education to achieve the best results for every client.
Jessica strongly believes that the more you know and understand about your condition, the more in control and empowered you feel.
Jessica is a runner, and always happy to discuss her love of tennis and the GOAT Roger Federer.
In her spare time, she is an avid reader of both high and urban fantasy, crime and history. She is also a keen board and video-gamer and an all round animal lover, with three spoilt cats of her own!
Qualifications – MSc Physiotherapy, BSc Health Sciences (Principles of Physiotherapy)
Book an appointment with Jess.
Andrea Espinoza
Massage Therapist, SMTO
Andrea is originally from Venezuela and has been living in Edinburgh since 2015. She began in the wellness industry in Scotland studying in Scottish Massage Schools and The Glasgow School of Massage. Andrea knows that Massage Therapy is one of the best ways to prioritise our mental/physical health which is why she offers a wide range of therapy options including: Deep Tissue, Swedish, Hot Stone Massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage and Table Thai Yoga Stretches.
Andrea is also due to complete her Sports and Remedial Massage course in August.
In her spare time you’ll find her lifting weights at the gym, doing meditation or reading.
Qualifications – Diploma Swedish Massage, Diploma Hot Stones, Diploma Deep Tissue and Advanced Massage (Glasgow School of Massage).
Book an appointment with Andrea.
Nur Syuhada
Physiotherapist, HCPC, CSP
Nur Syuhada is a fully qualified Physiotherapist with HCPC and AHPC registration. She graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic (Singapore) in 2012 with a Diploma in Physiotherapy, Singapore Institute of Technology/Trinity College of Dublin in 2015 with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy, Nanyang Technological University in 2021 with a MSc in Applied Gerontology and currently pursuing her PhD in Physiotherapy in Queen Margaret University. Nur Syuhada has over 10 years’ experience in the Physiotherapy field with 5 years in Musculoskeletal/Orthopaedic Physiotherapy. She has experience from the acute care to the community and has several years of experience treating individuals with orthopaedic or musculoskeletal conditions from a varying age group from teenagers to older adults She also has experience with physiotherapy in the intellectually disabled population.
Nur Syuhada has been passionate about continuous learning and has been awarded the Youth Excellence Award in the Heartlands (YEAH) in 2007, NHG Scholarship in 2009, NUH Talent Development Award in 2014 and the Ngee Ann Gongsi Scholarship in 2019.
During her free time, she has been volunteering for MendakiSense, a Malay/Muslim self-help group in Singapore and tutoring underprivileged students over the weekends since 2009 till 2022.
Qualifications – Diploma in Physiotherapy, Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy (Second Upper Honours), Maters of Science in Applied Gerontology, PhD in Physiotherapy (current)
Book an appointment with Nur.
Erin Daly
Massage Therapist, SMTO
Erin has been working as a Massage Therapist for 7 years, specialising in Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Sports/Remedial Massage, Hot Stones Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage for Wellness and Post-plastic surgery.
She is passionate about massage and helping people get relief from pain and limited range of movement. In 2022, she achieved her Vodder Level 2 qualification and plans to gain her Vodder Level 3 to help people living with Lymphoedema.
In her spare time, she has started going to the gym and lifting weights, sea swimming, reading and going to music concerts.
Qualifications –
Alexis Munlawin Caringal
Sports Massage Therapist
Alexis moved from Spain 2018, and is newly graduated in Sports Therapy (Soft Tissue Therapy) from Edinburgh College, he is specialised in Swedish massage, Sports massage, Deep Tissue relaxation and remedial massage. He is effective at finding discrepancies within the client’s body, and applying the appropriate techniques with strong pressure when necessary.
Alexis is knowledgeable in sports injuries, with experience working alongside the Scottish rugby team, tennis players and the Edinburgh marathon. He understands athlete’s struggles and goals, as he is an active person that has played basketball and volleyball competitively in both Barcelona and Edinburgh, he also enjoys sprinting, ultimate frisbee, hiking and going to the gym.
He is an organised and hardworking young person that will enjoy listening to and treating anyone and everyone, describing himself as a friendly therapist willing to make a difference.
Book an appointment with Alexis.
Melissa Barclay
Complementary Massage Therapist
Mel has always had a passion for the scents of essential oils and massage. She qualified in Reflexology, then moved on to Holistic Massage.
Looking to add to her skill-set, she went on to Indian Head Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Hot Stones Massage and Seated Chair Massage.
Having been pregnant herself, she qualified in Pregnancy Massage. She felt such a benefit from the treatment and would like to help other women achieve this too.
In the future, she would like to learn more about Aromatherapy.
Mel spends her time away from Bodyworks with her two boys and husband, with evenings and weekends usually finding her at the side of a football pitch!
In her spare time, she enjoys pinkbelt kickboxing, HIIT classes and reading.
Qualifications – Diploma Reflexology, ITEC Diploma Holistic Massage, Diploma Pregnancy Massage, Diploma Indian Head Massage, Diploma Deep Tissue Massage, Diploma Hot Stones Massage, Diploma Seated Chair Massage.
Selena Gress
Managing Director
With a PhD in Marine Biology and a background working in outdoor pursuits, Selena has always had an interest in physiology, health and well-being. Running an online marketing company developed her skills in management, marketing and customer service however it wasn’t where her passion lay and she wanted to make a difference. Bodyworks was created to be an affordable private healthcare option with friendly approachable staff focused to get to the root of the issue rather than the common ‘symptom treating’ that is ingrained in our society.
Being passionate about animals and putting her degree in Animal Biology to good use, Selena founded a charity called Ananda Animal Sanctuary at the start of 2019 to take in rescued animals and offer them a safe loving forever home. The animals that she cares for are either neglected, unwanted (sometimes due to health or behavioural issues) or have been mistreated.
When she manages to find some free time Selena enjoys nothing more than being in the outdoors mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, hiking or enjoying some yoga!
If you have any questions about any of our therapists qualifications or anything else, please do get in touch.