Anna's Story
The alternative route to success
In this day and age the impact of stress can be huge. Someone with first hand knowledge of this is Anna Rayner who, having suffered stress related illness herself, found the road to recovery with alternative methods such as aromatherapy, crystal therapy, reiki healing and meditation.
Anna responded so well to these that she soon felt ready to return to work after several years on Incapacity Benefit. Anna decided she needed some assistance, so she visited the Disability Employment Adviser at her local Jobcentre Plus, who pointed her in the direction of the Pathways to Work scheme. Their staff encouraged Anna to identify what interested her and with their help she realised that she would like to work in the very field which had benefited her so much - Complementary and Alternative Therapies.
"I was able to access courses in my area and gained confidence working as a voluntary Reiki practitioner treating at the Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at St James, treating cancer patients and their carers"
Just over a year on, and with the continued support of Pathways, Anna has gained relevant qualifications and experience in the areas she is interested in. She says "I was able to access courses in my area and gained confidence working as a voluntary Reiki practitioner treating at the Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at St James, treating cancer patients and their carers".
As well as Reiki, Anna is now also qualified as a massage therapist and crystal healer and is delighted to have started her own business offering these therapies at the Milun Women's Centre and the North Leeds Therapy Centre, both in Leeds 8 and also for the employees of Centrica in central Leeds. "Pathways put me in touch with Business Link Yorkshire when I decided I wanted to be self employed," Anna adds. "The additional support I have received from them has been invaluable in giving me the determination and information to forge ahead as an entrepreneur."
But it doesn't end there; "I've discovered I love learning," says Anna. "So I'm currently also studying Indian Head Massage and plan to follow this up with Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Colour Healing and Hopi Ear Candling in the future."
Anna highly recommends the Pathways scheme to anyone who would like to be independent of benefits but is worried that it might be too hard to achieve their dream. "It's really amazing what you can do with the right support; this last year has taught me that you are never on your own and that help is there if you need it, regardless of your circumstances - just go for it!"