Andy Fagg
BCMB Founder & Director
Andy Fagg founded the Bristol College of Massage and Bodywork in 1986, and ran it until his retirement from teaching and practice in 2018. He remains in touch with the BCMB Management Group who now lead the college as its Trustees Andy has been a massage practitioner and teacher since 1984. His work has been influenced by T’ai Chi, dance, Zero Balancing and Process Work. He was the Director of the Massage Training Institute for 6 years and was Chairperson of MTI for 8 years.
Read more about Andy’s retirement journey in our blog >
Meet the BCMB Tutors & Team
BCMB brings together a highly experienced and talented team of tutors, many of whom have at least 10 years experience in their own field. These are experienced teachers and we are confident that they are fully aligned with the BCMB/MTI ethos as well as leaders in their fields of expertise.
Chris transitioned from his former career as a primary school teacher to qualify from BCMB in 2017, bringing with him a rich background in education. Since his graduation, he has established a thriving private practice, working out of both BCMB and Enso Healing Rooms in Bristol. Chris places a strong emphasis on communication and presence in his practice, fostering deep connections with his clients. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris enjoys singing in a choir and co-manages a popular LGBTQ+ club night. He takes great pride in sharing his passion and expertise in bodywork with others and cherishes being a part of the BCMB family.
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Teaches:Holistic Massage Diploma (Bristol), Holistic Intro
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Chris Morgan
BCMB Tutor
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Sarah Mclellan qualified with BCMB in 2008 and in the process of training discovered a wonderful new path in the world of bodywork. Sarah has been part of the teaching team at BCMB since 2010 and a Course Leader on the Professional Training Course since 2012, as well as delivering CPD and Supervision. Sarah is also a Polyvagal Informed Practitioner, a BCMB Trustee and HR Lead and a Dynamic Movement Meditation Teacher.
Sarah has worked for many years in the voluntary sector, primarily in client centred advice, her deep commitment to client centred work holds true for and informs her massage practice. Sarah has a private practice both working from home in the Wye Valley and from BCMB as part of the tutor team. Her developing passion is in relation to the power and potential of touch therapy to work with the embodied mind, nervous system and emotional body. She is in the process of undertaking a foundation training in’ Neuro Affective Touch’, which will further support this work along with her Polyvagal informed approach.
Sarah Mclellan
BCMB Tutor
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Rhian first experienced the benefits of holistic therapies whilst recovering from a long-term illness. She wanted to be able to help others benefit from touch therapy and so began the Holistic Massage diploma at BCMB in 2013. Since then, she has proceeded to explore the realms of massage through a number of CPD courses as well as theoretical self-study. She is particularly interested in the deep link between the physical, mental and emotional self. Rhian is based in Cardiff where, alongside her massage practice, she also works for a dementia project.
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Teaches: Holistic Massage Diploma (Bristol), Holistic Intro
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Rhian Pitt
BCMB Tutor
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Kristina qualified in Holistic Massage in 2017 at BCMB and went on to build her own practice in Weston-s-Mare. Coming from a professional dance background, Kristina has always had an interest in human anatomy and how the body can be pushed to the extreme and recover from injury. She went on to study Remedial and Sports Massage in 2022. She now also works at Loop Massage Studio on Whapping Wharf. Kristina is enjoying her role of assistant teacher on the RSM course and helping students understand the various ways to approach bodywork.
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Kristina Blackwell
BCMB Tutor
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Peter qualified with the BCMB in 2012 and comes from a background of social care, organic farming and artisan baking. Since finding his vocation as a massage therapist he feels inspired by the human body and its potential for adaptation, change, learning and growth.
Peter believes that being touched and cared for is essential for our well-being, which holds equally true for the skilled therapeutic use of touch. He is passionate about making massage accessible to a wider audience and is using the flexibility and outreach possibilities offered by chair massage to further this aim.
For the last 20 years Peter has been studying the art of Ki-Aikido, aimed at creating harmony between mind and body through relaxation and is working to integrate this experience into his therapy.
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Teaches: Holistic Massage (Bristol) , Holistic Intros , Massage Practice Days
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Peter Kramer
BCMB Tutor
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Sarah Cohen trained with BCMB in 2004 and practises in Worcestershire. Involved with massage teaching since 2006 both in Birmingham and with BCMB in Bristol she has been instrumental in bringing BCMB’s professional training to Worcestershire. Sarah came to massage from a career in personnel management and training and running a fresh food retail business. Having trained and worked as a healer since 1997 she now knows that massage practice and teaching is exactly where her passion lies.
Teaches: Holistic Massage (Worcester), Indian Head Massage, Emotional Processing
Sarah Cohen
BCMB Tutor
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Lydia qualified in Holistic Massage at BCMB in 2015 and has been developing her private practice and work at various clinics around Bristol since then. Initially drawn to massage to help those in physical pain she was further inspired by the impact massage has on the mind. An understanding of how massage helps people cope with difficult circumstances (be they physical, emotional or psychological), as well as personal interests in meditation, mindfulness and yoga influence her massage. She also brings a wealth of experience in mentoring and support from her previous roles in theatre and charity project management. In addition to massage practice Lydia also coordinates the massage areas at various festivals.
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Teaches: Holistic Massage Diploma (Bristol)
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Lydia Spry
BCMB Tutor
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Over 12yrs into being a massage practitioner, and 10yrs teaching the skills to others, I am still constantly amazed at how adaptive our bodies are and I still love helping people to find their way back to comfort.
I love to create a safe space in which people can rest, recuperate and just simply be. Giving their body and mind chance to settle, reset and process some of the life experience gathered within it. This can involve careful and considerate deep tissue massage and at other times lighter massage to simply aid relaxation. Often a potent blend of both works wonders – relaxing deep tissue massage!
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Teaches: Holistic Massage (Bristol), Mobilising Massage
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Jeremy Dymond
BCMB Tutor
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Pip qualified in Holistic massage with BCMB in 2012. Fascinated with anatomy and the treatment of injuries led her to study Remedial and Sports massage in 2014. Since then she has built up her private practice and become a full time therapist and tutor. She joined the BCMB tutor team in 2015 and is enjoying
inspiring others as they progress on their massage journey.
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Teaches: Remedial and Sports Massage, Bristol, Intro to Remedial and Sports Massage
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Pip Instone
BCMB Tutor
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Caroline qualified in Holistic Massage with BCMB in 2018 and has since gone on to establish a private practice in the Chew Valley where she lives. She combines her holistic therapy practice with her other professional life, where for over 30 years she’s worked in the charitable sector. Her experiences working in this sector have given her a deep understanding of the deep-rooted connection between our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, and the complex issues that can arise when they are out of balance. Outside work she finds joy in connecting with and listening to nature, open fires and big socks, Pilates and yoga. She’s also trained in Indian Head Massage with BCMB.
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Teaches: Holistic Massage Diploma (Bristol), Holistic Intro
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Caroline Green
BCMB Tutor
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Cat previously trained in Body Psychotherapy and Postural Integration and uses many skills and approaches from that in her work. After being a primary school teacher for 7 years, she qualified from BCMB in 2020 and started building up her client base whilst still teaching part-time. She made the leap into being fully self employed as a massage therapist and bodyworker in 2022 and has built up a successful practise both from her home studio and venturing out to offices and markets. Her particular interest is in each human as a whole and is always learning new techniques, concepts and approaches in order to have the widest repertoire to treat each individual. Her love of learning (and teaching!) has definitely not been confined to the classroom.
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Cat Gill
BCMB Tutor
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Suzanne Mealings qualified in Holistic Massage with BCMB in 2017 and Indian Head Massage in 2018. She has since gone on to develop a private practice in a village outside Worcester where she lives and combines her holistic therapy practice with her other professional life as a Project Manager. Suzanne came to massage intent on improving her own well-being and is particularly interested in the effects of stress on both the physical and emotional body. She compliments her massage work with reflexology, walking on the Malvern Hills, yoga and mindfulness.
Suzanne Mealings
BCMB Tutor
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Tim qualified with BCMB in 2001 and has practised in Bristol since. He widened his bodywork experience by qualifying in Sports & Remedial Massage in 2003, and brings his T’ai Chi practice to his work. Tim began assisting on the BCMB professional training course in 2004 and is now a course tutor and an Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology teacher. He is also a trainer, developing effective support services for people with learning difficulties.
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Teaches: Remedial & Sports Massage Diploma, Massage for People With Cancer
Tim Bartlett
BCMB Tutor
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Hannah Newrick qualified in Holistic Massage with BCMB in 2016. She established a private practice in Worcestershire before becoming part of the Worcester teaching team, later moving to join the Bristol course. Hannah was drawn to learn massage whilst working as an Activities Coordinator in a care home, witnessing the power of touch to support wellbeing and human connection. Passionate about the quality of teaching BCMB offers, she loves the rich fusion of biology, bodywork, communication, creativity and intuition the course combines. Hannah brings a wealth of experience gained over twenty years supporting adults in health and social care settings, is a regular attendee at the Bristol Buddhist Centre and adores walking her secondhand staffy.
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Teaches: Holistic Massage Diploma (Worcester)
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Hannah Newrick
BCMB Tutor
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Adam first qualified in massage in 2001. He continued to develop his skill-set in the remedial field and qualified in Osteopathy with first-class honours in 2010. He has an extensive background in massage and works in Bristol. His special interest is in the management of sports injuries and is passionate about the importance of soft-tissue treatment for acute injuries, as well as long-term problems. For the past 8 years, he has run courses in massage and clinical skills throughout the UK for the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal problems.
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Teaches: Remedial & Sports Massage,
Adam Carter
BCMB Tutor
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Stephanie has always had a passion to help others and through her love of the body, sport and science she has completed an Undergraduate and Masters degree in Exercise and Sports Science as well as a Level 5 Sports & Remedial Massage Diploma. She is self employed and runs her own massage business. Recently, she has joined the tutor team at the Bristol College of Massage & Bodywork as an Assistant Tutor on the Remedial & Sports Massage course.
With experience in a number of sports including netball, swimming, waterpolo, triathlon and running she has completed a number of challenges such as a half ironman, marathons and the Greenman Ultra. More recently she has been enjoying the Parent-Baby CrossFit classes at The Bank Fitness.
Stephanie Pasco
BCMB Tutor
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BCMB Guest Tutors
Karen Yarnell qualified as a massage practitioner in 1997 and has been in private practice since. She is trained in a range of holistic treatments including Thermal Stone Therapy all knitting into her holistic jigsaw. Karen currently teaches Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, CPD courses and workshops. She is an examiner for the Massage Training Institute and an assessor and internal verifier for City & Guilds and other awarding bodies. She is also a Director of the Massage Training Institute.
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Karen Yarnell
Guest Tutor
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Heidi Armstrong has been a complementary therapist since 1993, a fully qualified Shiatsu practitioner since 2001 and teaching since 2004. After training postgraduate with Suzanne Yates and Well Mother, she went on to do a teacher training with Suzanne and is a Well Mother teacher. Heidi is a fully qualified adult education teacher and teaches Massage, Reflexology Shiatsu and Anatomy and Physiology. She is especially interested in bringing together the approaches of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Shiatsu. She integrates them into other therapies, with a large interest and passion for Maternity care.
Heidi Armstrong
Guest Tutor
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Ruth teaches MFR at various venues in the UK and has been asked to teach internationally including teaching at an Osteopathic school in Portugal and in the Physiotherapy department at a hospital in Kuwait. She runs her own clinic just north of Glasgow, Scotland www.thenaturaltherapycentre.co.uk, specialising in the MFR approach
Ruth has written many articles for the Scottish Massage Therapy Organisation, Today’s Therapist and Massage World trade magazines, International Therapist, the Federation of Holistic Therapists magazine, and EMBODY, the journal for the Complementary Therapy Association. She has also authored ‘A Hands On Guide to Myofascial Release’
Ruth is on the committee for the British Fascia Symposium and had the honour of presenting the opening anatomy lecture on fascia at the events primary conference held in Windsor in May 2014.
Ruth Duncan
Guest Tutor
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David is based in Austin, Texas and is co-founder of The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School established in 1989. An accomplished musician and author of several books, David visits us each summer to deliver training in Deep Massage – The Lauterstein Method (TM), which he has developed over many years and draws on various bodywork traditions including massage, Zero Balancing and Rolfing.
David Lauterstein
Guest Tutor
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Darien Pritchard began working as a massage practitioner in 1977, and has taught professional massage training courses for 25 years (including 5 years within a University Degree course, and 21 years as a guest teacher at the Royal National College for the Blind).
Since the 1990s he has taught a range of CPD courses that are designed to expand the professional practitioners ‘tool-kit’, to broaden new practitioners’ perspectives on massage and bodywork and to refresh the work of more experienced practitioners. In all of his teaching, Darien emphasises working skilfully and effectively, looking after your own hands and body and how to adapt the techniques to suit each client’s build and responses.
Darien has been a pioneer in focusing on the practitioner’s bodyuse as an integral part of massage training in the UK, including pioneering Hands Free Massage (the skillful, sensitive use of the forearms and elbows to save the practitioner’s hands). Darien has written two massage textbooks – ‘Dynamic Bodyuse for Effective, Strain-free Massage’ and the student text ‘Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology for Massage’, and is working on a book on Hands Free Massage. He has been a member of national massage councils working to raise UK massage training standards.
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Darien Pritchard
Guest Tutor
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Leora Sharp has been a massage practitioner since 2008 and very early on in her career, realised the importance of needing to work as Hands Free as possible. To that end, in 2009 she trained with Darien and was so blown away with Hands Free Massage, that she offered to assist him on his 8 Day Advanced Training. Her role slowly transformed into co-teacher and she then started teaching solo in 2016. She is continually bold over how amazing HFM is and the benefits it brings to practitioners to sustain their careers and how marvellous it feels for clients to receive. She founded and facilitated the Bath Practitioner Group for 12 years. Alongside teaching HFM, Leora has a private practice at Neal’s Yard in Bath and designs websites for complementary health professionals.
Leora Sharpe
Guest Tutor
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Greg has presented his popular massage workshops for over 20 years around the world. his 30 years experience as a full time remedial massage therapist, researcher and author will give you many practical and unique massage skills. Past president of the Australian Association of Massage Therapists, he has also spent several years in the UNSW morgue studying the iliopsoas and the visceral system in situ.
Greg values both the art and science of our palpatory work and the intimate biomechanical and psychosomatic connections involved.
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Greg Morling
Guest Tutor
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The BCMB Admin Team
Claire McCarthy
- Office and Facilities Manager, Bristol
Mairead Peachey
- Office Administrator, Bristol
Contact Admin
Email: enquiries@bristolmassage.co.uk
Telephone: 0117 946 6371
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Bristol College Of Massage & Bodywork, 109 Guthrie Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3EF, UK