At unwind & recharge, we offer remedial and therapeutic massage, bodywork and somatic coaching for women tailored to support stress relief, anxiety, and pain management. We support women during all stages of their lives, especially during life challenges and transition times such as young adulthood, pregnancy, motherhood, menopause, and third age. All treatments nurture and acknowledge the whole person—including body, mind, spirit, and emotions. We are highly professional and strongly emphasise respecting the boundaries of our female clients, ensuring that you feel safe and cared for in our space.

A women-centred approach Our practice is built on the principles of person‑centred care, with a strong focus on:

• Physical comfort
• Emotional wellbeing
• Shared decision‑making
• Empowerment

Every session takes place in a safe, warm, and caring environment, allowing you to step away from the demands of daily life and enter a deeply restorative experience. Treatments may include mindful touch, breathwork, and meditation to calm the nervous system and support balance and resilience. When specific concerns arise, sessions can also include gentle guidance for supportive lifestyle changes.

We honour the whole person—body, mind, spirit, and emotions—and tailor each appointment to your individual needs, listening not only to your story but also to the body’s “unspoken voice”.

Who we support We work with women at all stages of life, with particular care for times of transition, including:

• Young adulthood
• Pregnancy and the postnatal period
• Motherhood and career-building years
• Recovery time after pregnancy loss
• Mid adulthood and menopause
• Later life

Our modalities We are trained in and offer the following therapies:

• Pregnancy & postnatal massage
• Remedial massage therapy
• Therapeutic massage therapy
• Oncology massage
• Therapeutic touch/ Reiki
• Meditation & mindful breathing

Pregnancy & postnatal massage Gentle, supportive care designed to ease physical discomfort, reduce anxiety, and support emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and after birth. Treatments are adapted to ensure comfort and safety, with side‑lying positioning, cushions, and blankets. With your consent, a gentle belly massage may be included.

“Kathrin performed pre and post natal massages for me and I couldn’t have asked for a kinder, more loving and gentle person to perform the much needed massages in my most sensitive and fragile state throughout my pregnancy journey. After each massage I felt like a different person. Much more relaxed and grounded. It’s enabling me to be a better Mum and more stable with my moods. I would highly recommend Kathrin to anyone.” – Kirsten 20/05/21

Remedial massage therapy A targeted, assessment‑based approach to help reduce pain, tension, and discomfort. Suitable for musculoskeletal concerns, chronic pain, headaches, and stress‑related conditions. Sessions may also include guidance to support positive change in daily habits.

“The first thing I noticed when sitting with Kathrin is the quiet. My shoulders relaxed and you feel yourself starting to slow. Kathrin gently explores your expectations and treatment goals. I came away feeling my physical tensions and discomfort had been released. I mentally felt lighter and brighter. Kathrin listens beautifully and evaluates what worked well and where there might be renewed focus. Thank you.” – Marie-Claire 02/08/21

Therapeutic massage therapy Ideal for those seeking deep relaxation and nervous system regulation. This style of massage supports the shift from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest,” helping restore balance, resilience, and overall wellbeing.

“In these uncertain times stress is a major factor and what better way to alleviate this stress is by getting a good massage. Kathrin has helped me enormously during this very difficult time in my life. I fully endorse her and recommend Kathrin for her skills, knowledge, integrity and professionalism.” – Sabi 10/11/21

Therapeutic touch For times when massage feels too intense—such as during illness, trauma, or emotional overwhelm—we offer gentle, fully clothed touch therapies. Sessions are intuitive and may include breathwork or spoken meditation to support grounding, safety, and calm.

“I met Kathrin when I went through a very challenging time in 2020. Reiki was one of the things that helped me find my ground back. To this day, Reiki is fundamental in helping me heal from trauma, gain resilience and find my spiritual path. And I am so glad that I did it with Kathrin! Kathrin’s presence felt very warm and safe, her gentle touch brings much needed relaxation and rejuvenation. I always felt very calm and peaceful after our sessions. She is very good in what she does and I could not recommend her enough.” – Annette 07/12/21

Meditation & mindful breathing Conscious breathing and meditation are woven into all treatments to enhance relaxation, improve body awareness, and deepen therapeutic outcomes. You may also book sessions dedicated solely to meditation and mindful breathing.

Workshops and education In addition to one-to-one treatments, we offer educational workshops in

• Mindful self‑supportive touch and massage
• Massage for carers and those they care for

A gentle reminder None of the above treatments replace regular medical checkups with your GP. However, they will likely help you feel healthier, more in tune with your body and happier. This allows you to take an active role in your wellbeing while maintaining the critical oversight of a licensed medical professional who can assess your health status over time. The key is to view Massage Therapy as complementary, not a replacement for your primary care physician’s essential role in managing your long-term health. Regular check-ups should remain part of your health routine, even as you explore other supportive therapies.

Please get in touch if you want to book any of these modalities.

Free offerings We believe that healing and wellbeing extend beyond the treatment room. As part of our commitment to holistic care, we offer a curated collection of inspiring books that support self‑reflection, nervous system health, emotional awareness, and personal growth. Some of these books have informed our work. May they gently support you on your own journey, too. You are welcome to explore them in your own time. To support local, ethical and independent businesses, we encourage you to order through Eltham Bookstore, an independent bookshop set in the heart of our community in the leafy Shire of Nillumbik in Melbourne, Australia.

Books we recommend 

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve – Stanley Rosenberg

Atlas of the Heart – Brené Brown

Atomic Habits – James Clear

Dare to Lead – Brené Brown

Freedom from Pain – Peter Levine

In an Unspoken Voice – Peter Levine

Lost Connections – Johann Hari

Mediation as Medicine – Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. and Cameron Stauth

Mindfulness in Eight Weeks – Michael Chaskalson

Stolen Focus – Johann Hari

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The Art of Living – Thich Nhat Hahn

The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk

The Brain that Changes itself – Norman Doidge

The Care Manifesto – The Care Collective

The Courage to Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

The Mastery of Self – Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

The Matter with Things – Ian Mc Gilchrist

The Myth of Normal – Gabor Maté

The Power of Kindness – Piero Ferrucci

The Power of Now – Eckard Tolle

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying – Sogyal Rinpoche

The Time Keeper – Mitch Albom

Together – Ece Temelkuran

When the Body Says No – Gabor Maté

Interesting videos

Exercise

The brain-changing benefits of exercise | Wendy Suzuki

The brain

How Your Brain Creates Reality | Lisa Feldman Barrett

Pain

Understanding pain and what can be done about it | Kidshealth New Zealand

Why things hurt | Lorimer Moseley

Stress

The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Stress | DocMikeEvans

How to make stress your friend | Kelly McGonigal

Touch

Why Touch matters | unwind & recharge

Happyness break: The healing power of your own touch | Kristin Neff

Baby massage in pictures | Raising Children Network

Positive touch ‘hand hugs’ | The Royal Children’s Hospital

Inspiring words

We have gathered these words as gentle companions—offerings of wisdom, presence, and remembrance. They speak to the healing power of touch, connection, and self‑care, and reflect the values that shape our work. You are invited to pause with them, return to them when needed, and allow what resonates to quietly support you on your journey.

“Emotional release and muscular release are interdependent – one does not occur without the other.”— Elaine Mayland

“A new stimulus that is perceived as safe and meaningful has the potential to shift our physiological state towards health. Most touch is too busy and too focused on local fixes to promote global feelings of safety via interoceptive, inward touch. Slow relational touch can consistently access primal human needs to be acknowledged, validated and accepted.”— Steven Haines

“Massage is the art of touch, the language of compassion, and the pathway to a more relaxed and balanced life.”— Anodea Judith

“The art of massage is not just about healing the body; it’s about soothing the soul and calming the mind.”— Cindy Williams

“The more we learn about touch, the more we realize just how central it is in all aspects of our lives — cognitive, emotional, developmental, behavioral — from womb into old age. It’s no surprise that a single touch can affect us in multiple, powerful ways.”— Maria Konnikova

“Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
— Leo Buscaglia

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”— Eleanor Brown

“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.”— Parker Palmer

“Touch is an exquisitely social sense, capable of allowing accurate communication of specific emotional states. Interpersonal touch is associated with well-being, promoting pleasant feelings, approach-related behaviours, and reductions in aversive feelings and acute pain.”— López-Solà

“Somatic awareness allows us to reclaim our inherent ability to heal and transform from within.” — Judith Blackstone

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.”— Rumi

“…I have a lot of patients that derive enormous value from massage, and I think massaging in competent hands can be a wonderfully therapeutic thing and I fully endorse it.” – Prof Jason Kovacic, Director and CEO at Victor Chang Cardiac Research Centre

“Often the hands know how to solve a riddle with which the intellect has wrestled in vain.” — Carl G. Jung

“Touch heals. (…) Touch soothes the soul. It quiets the longing. It bridges the loneliness. It unites two people. Yet it is also a vital way to inform ourselves about the world. Out of curiosity, out of desire to know and experience, we reach out and touch- from picking up a mango from the stall at the stall at the roadside grower’s market to stroking the soft silk of a hand-painted scarf. Some things we have to touch to know. In this way, touch can enliven us. It activates all of our senses. It serves to enlighten us. (…) Massage is the art of healing touch that transforms. It softens suffering transmutes pain to calm and inner peace. It substitutes fear, pain, and harshness… with grace.” — Erica Tismer and Carolyn Flynn

“Massage has been my vehicle of resurrection and renewal. It has helped me to see the dreams trapped in my thighs, to feel the breaths held hostage in my belly, to sense the memories etched into the soles of my feet. And all I have to do is to stay present and follow the hands, like guides, through the wilderness of my body, back to my most essential self.” — Gabrielle Roth

“By connecting with our bodies, we can make real and lasting changes, we can find more joy and agency within us – we have a huge amount of adaptability and creativity inside of us.”— Steven Haines

“The throbbing vein will take you further than any thinking.”— Rumi

I have often seen also that people who are very sick, long to be touched, long to be treated as living people, not as diseases. A great deal of consolation can be given to the very ill simply by touching their hands, looking into their eyes, gently massaging them or holding them in your arms, or breathing in the same rhythm gently with them. The body has its own language of love; use it fearlessly.”— Sogyal Rinpoche

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” —Mother Teresa

“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued: when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” — Brené Brown

“Not the world, not what’s outside of us, but what we hold inside traps us. We may not be responsible for the world that created our minds, but we can take responsibility for the mind with which we create our world.” — Gabor Maté

“The person who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing. And can face with us the reality of our powerlessness – that is the person who cares”— Adrian Fleming

“I see it, feelingly”— King Lear, Shakespeare

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”— Audre Lorde

“Sometimes we forget when people are sick or hurt that what they most need is to feel connected, to be loved, to be touched.”— Lissa Rankin, MD

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”— Mahatma Gandhi

The “skin is no more separated from the brain than the surface of a lake is separated from its depths.” — Deane Juhan

“Fear has not studied medicine. Although it claims expertise in every field and pretends to have learned it all, its diplomas are nothing but forgeries.” — Mariana Leky

“The body remembers what the mind forgets.” – Jacob Levy Moreno

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