Edinburgh Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre

We offer free complementary therapies to women who are accessing support from us. We have a female therapist who is available for appointments on Wednesday morning and Friday afternoons. We also have a female reflexology therapist who is available on Tuesday evenings.

How do I make an appointment for a therapy?

Contact us via our helpline 0131 556 9437, or speak with your support worker. Before you start your sessions, you will have an initial half hour appointment with our therapist where you can ask any questions you may have. She will discuss which therapies you feel would suit you best. She will also check whether there are any parts of the therapies which might feel uncomfortable for you, to ensure that these can be avoided.

Following this appointment, you will have the option of booking 4 free sessions of either 25 or 50 minutes. Your sessions should start the following week after your initial appointment.

Please note that there may be at times a waiting list between the initial appointment and further sessions in the case of a high demand for the service.

What complementary therapies are available?

Massage is done seated (due to the space available). It can be with or without oils, on whichever part or parts of the body are most comfortable for you: back, shoulders, neck, legs, arms, hands, feet or face. You do not have to remove any clothes unless you wish oil to be used, in which case you will be given a towel to wrap around you. If you do need to remove clothing, the therapist will leave the room whilst you do this and get under the towel. You will only ever remove clothing to the extent that is comfortable for you. Pressure is applied to the area being worked on, to whatever level is comfortable for you, and the therapist works over the skin with her hands to relieve tension, ease out knots and help relaxation.

Indian Head Massage works over the head, face, neck, shoulders and arms (although it can be adapted if any of these areas are uncomfortable for you), without removing any clothes or using oils. This treatment aims to relax the muscles, calm the mind, and allow the release of tension.

Bach Flower Remedies can help with negative emotional states like fear, worry and lack of confidence, among many other things. In consultation with the therapist, you will choose remedies to help you with your personal emotional state. You will also be taught about the remedies and how to use them for yourself, so that you can continue to use them after your sessions. The remedies are taken as drops on the tongue or in a drink, and are very gentle.

Emotional Freedom Technique ("EFT", or "Tapping") is a technique to release emotional stress from the body and mind.  As you notice a stressful thought or feeling, the therapist will show you how to gently tap points on your face, torso and hands, to help release tension. You will be taught how to do the technique for yourself so that you can use it at any time. It is simple to learn and works well for many people to help reduce anxiety, fear and tension caused by distressing experiences.

Reflexology appointments

Our reflexology complementary therapist is able to offer you 4 appointments of 1 hour sessions on Tuesday evenings. If you would like to book an appointment for reflexology please contact us via our helpline: 0131 556 9437 or speak to your support worker.

Reflexology -  is a complementary therapy that is based on the principle that there are reflexes in the hands and feet that correspond to all of the parts of the body. Reflexology involves working on the hands or feet by applying pressure to specific reflex areas to promote the body to return to or remain in a natural state of homeostasis or balance.

What if I need to cancel an appointment?

We understand that you may need to miss a session from time to time. We require at least 24 hours notice when cancelling. We understand that in exceptional circumstances you may not be able to give this much notice. However, if you cancel twice with less than 24 hours notice, we may not be able to offer you any further sessions at that time.