The New Year set my heart soaring with my first course based completely on my book ,”Indian Head Massage For Special Needs”.My students all left me very confident and within 24 hours had done their first solo paid treatments . It is such a joy to me to see my work spreading in this way and to share with some amazing people .One student even brought her child (who is on the autism spectrum ) for the second afternoon to be worked on ,much to everyone’s benefit.
My February course is almost totally booked out already and for the first time ever I have funded staff placements from schools as far as an hour away . News of the therapy and its benefits is spreading and this is just the most wonderful groundbreaking news . A very happy New Year everyone , especially to the wonderful kids with differences whom some of us are so lucky to know !
Since September 2015 I have had all my sessions with the learners at Foxes academy moved to a wonderful sensory room. Since 2011 I’ve been used to running between all the houses and treating the learners in their rooms or quiet areas. It is just fantastic to have it all centralised in one place but the benefits to all my fabulous young adults has been just amazing. The walk up to Foxes Fields where the sensory room is located really helps the learners unwind and mentally prepare . They love the beautiful ,gently moving starlights and other special lamps I have in there as well as the furry rugs and beanbags. I replay again and again in my mind their reactions upon first seeing the room – the gasps and wonder at just how magical it feels.
For thirty minutes per week my learners really do get that total time out, that deep and uninterrupted escape from the bustle of chores and the chatter and distractions of life. The improvements to all the sessions and the benefits that have touched each person I have treated there have been noticeable. With some learners I would go so far as to say there has been a 100% improvement .
On a personal level it is so wonderful to see my pioneering work accepted by an outstanding college such as Foxes Academy and to feel it valued to such a degree. I am truly blessed to work in such a magical place where every single person is valued and nurtured to their full potential.
So, so happy! Indian Head Massage for Special Needs, my first book, came out early on the 11th November, a very special date for me anyway, and within 24 hours almost sold out on Amazon. Just overnight stock was down to six copies and within two hours after that copies were down to just one ! I’d like to think there were more than just seven copies originally …. but joking aside since then I have noticed that stock has been topped up and it just keeps selling . My publishers are as excited as I am, which is just lovely.
I’m just so excited and full of hope that this book will truly touch lives, give hope and be a like a favourite recipe book for anyone working or living with special needs – a book that you will constantly refer to again and again . Amazing!
You can access my Amazon Author Page here for more information and I am also an author with GoodReads.
On Saturday 30th January 2016 I will be officially launching my book and signing copies at Waterstones in Bath. This is an unprecedented event of this kind for an author; it is normally a tickets only closed evening event but on this occasion it is an open event during the day from 2pm until 4pm. I am absolutely thrilled and so honoured that Waterstones are doing this for me. I will be doing a small talk too – but the favourite part of events like this for me is the delicious and informal chatting with so many people and hearing about their own journeys , often being inspired by them and hopefully being able to help too. I always learn so much and leave buzzing !
Other book signings include:
10th December 2015 – 11:00am to 2:00pm -Toucan Wholefoods in Minehead, Somerset.
Giuliana’s book will by launching on the 21st November 2015. Giuliana’s book is now available for pre-order. Please click here to be directed to the Jessica Kingsley Publisher’s website where you will be able to reserve your very own copy of her book. Alternatively, please click on the image below for an order form.
At the Foxes Graduation on 17th July 2015 I was presented with the Community Award !!!!
This is an award given to one member of staff or the wider community – by the learners. It was apparently voted for months ago, long before the fundraising.I was told afterwards that the vote had been unanimous – goodness.
I was informed beforehand that I had a named chair and I thought it was because I am now officially on the therapy team at Foxes Academy but when I arrived, the therapy team were nowhere near me. I then panicked thinking there had been a mistake or that it was the naughty chair or that I was suddenly going to have gunk emptied out of the ceiling onto my head.
I was called up onto the stage , shaking like a leaf, to have two of my gorgeous learners bravely read out little speeches they had prepared saying why they had all chosen me for this award. They said some beautiful , touching things and I could hardly see because I was choking back the tears.
I shall treasure this award always. It has gone up on a wall in my therapy/training chalet. It’s the only certificate I’ve ever received that I have put out on display. Even my degree and qualifications have never seen the light of day.
This award is different because it wasn’t something I had any control over. You can achieve anything if you are determined enough and work hard enough- but this was something chosen for me by others and totally unexpected. I kept feeling like I needed to check they had got it right !
It is worth more to me than all of my qualifications put together . It floated in and out of my dreams all that night .I just hope I didn’t upset anyone in being given this because I know so many people quietly and silently give so much to our learners at Foxes Academy and I am sure there are several who deserved this award jut as much or more.
Thank you to my beautiful, inspirational learners . You have made my YEAR !!
You are all incredible and I brought three of my four children with me just to see how much you all achieve, sometimes against all the odds. To watch you all collect your certificates and NVQs and other awards is always a very moving and humbling experience. You are all proof that anything is possible .
So moved have I become by any of the stories and journeys of the children and young people I work with , that I decided in June 2015 to raise money to help them.It was nervewracking because I had never attempted anything like this before but all I could see in my head were the little faces of the I work with every day and how hard they try to contribute to our often harsh society. Their funding had all been slashed again at government level and once again it appeared they had no voice or say in it. I resolved to do something to help, however small.
So on the 19 June I did a personal record of 18 massages in one day , back to back with no break at all. I donated the whole amount to the fund and asked for everyone I knew to sponsor me to do it.I set up a crowdfunding page on justgiving and set the target low, at just £300 because there are many good causes out there and I feared people would just look the other way, as is so often the case with people with “special needs”.
You see, all I see in these kids are people with dreams and goals, just like everyone else…kids with a huge desire to give back to society, to be allowed to work, to be allowed to grow…to fly a little. I truly no longer see their “disabilities”.
Within three days I blasted through the target with donations as large as £150 coming in !! Other people believed in these kids too and everyone seemed to get on board. The final amount was a mind-blowing £1,663 !!!! After the 5% justgiving fee and the charges for each debit transaction ( and a few pledges that didn’t quite make it through on time) the final amount presented to the Foxes Academy learners fund was £1,340 – £1,363 more than I ever dared dream !
Foxes Academy learners had no idea I was doing this for them and the huge uproarious cheer and applause when I arrived with my son Oliver to present the cheque at their end of term barbecue, will stay with me forever. Some goals and dreams will be achieved this year because of this money and I am hugely proud and forever grateful to all those who donated to this wonderful cause.
I am so happy that after just two days of putting my Just Giving page on social media and my website, we have together achieved a massive 70% of the £300 target which we had to reach in 30 days !
I know we can achieve way higher than this ! The young adults I plan to donate this money to are bright , hardworking, honest and so desperate to be given a chance to have full and happy lives. There is absolutely no reason why they cannot do this in spite of their differences and in some cases, disabilities.
The only word I like in ” Special Needs” is special and each of the incredible young people I have the joy to work with, has special in spades. Your donations would help them to achieve a few personal goals but in the long run all help them to contribute to society and the workplace.
One young lad with high functioning autism and ADHD broke down recently in front of me and asked ” What is wrong with me Giuliana ? I keep applying for jobs and no one will even write back or call me.” Yet he has no trouble at all getting unpaid voluntary work. It is my hope that in raising money in this way on a regular basis, we can help people like him perhaps pay for the last few driving lessons he can no longer afford, so that he has gained more independance and he can add this to his C.V.
A teenage girl who sees me weekly told me that her “biggest fear is not being able to be who she really is” because of her struggles with learning differences within school. The money I am raising will help people like her access clubs and skills that she wouldn’t be able to afford ordinarily and give her the chance to develop the talents she has that cannot be grown and nurtured in school. So many of the kids I see have a gift, an extraordinary talent.
Let’s help them grow.
Above all, each and every one of the children and young adults I see, all want to give back.The rewards from this donation will be immediate and far reaching. It will show this marginalised and often ignored part of society that there ARE people out there believing in them and helping them to achieve their full potentials. They have to fight for so much . They have to fight for things that the rest of us just assume is a right.
Please show your support and pledge to my just giving site today. I worked out that of each of my contacts on Facebook pledged just £2, I would have a donation of £300 !! So please click on to the page and donate ! Thank you.
As many of you know the government has slashed budgets and made it very difficult for young people with learning difficulties or special needs to get funding. This funding helps them to achieve their full potentials and contribute to the workplace in the same way as any young person could expect.
On the 19th June I am donating the whole day’s wage to help young people with learning disabilities. I shall be doing head massages nonstop from 9am until 6pm without a break (18 in total).
For those not enjoying a massage, I would love you to sponsor me either per head (as little as 20 or 50p would be gratefully received) or a flat rate for the whole day, if I last!
If you would like to support this and help those who have little voice achieve a few dreams or goals in the next year, please email me at info@therapiesforspecialneeds.co.uk.
I shall keep you informed of the event at every stage.
Please donate generously. These young people are worth believing in.
