We recently ran a project funded by our own charitable fund and the Yorkshire Property Charitable Trust to support asylum seekers by offering them weekly massage therapy. Working in partnership with another charity – Solace, who support asylum seekers and refugees with psychotherapy and advocacy, we identified asylum seekers who would benefit from sessions of therapeutic support.

We are currently fund raising to offer further support to asylum seekers.  Please click here if you are able to make a donation.

Our project

We wanted to provide support for people fleeing persecution and thought that our therapist Olga would be an ideal person for this job!

Olga is from Ukraine and had to leave her home in eastern Ukraine when the country was invaded by Russia in the Spring of 2022.  She has first-hand experience of the trauma of leaving family, friends and belongings behind and literally fleeing for her life.

Our project aimed to give 5 asylum seekers weekly support in the form of massage therapy over a period of 12 weeks.

Why massage?

Many asylum seekers arrive in the country having experienced severe physical trauma.  They are often under nourished and in poor physical health.  Add to this the fact that some may also have been physically tortured or beaten and it is easy to see that their muscle and soft tissue health may be compromised.

Massage is an excellent means of improving muscle and soft tissue health. The process of massage warms and stretches muscle. It also improves the circulation of blood and perhaps most importantly boosts the circulation of lymphatic fluid which forms an essential part of the immune system. 

More than physical health

Many asylum seekers have endured emotional trauma. They have been persecuted, lived in fear and had to flee their homes with few possessions.  They have then undertaken an arduous journey to get to the UK and once here they have had to find the strength to navigate our asylum system.

Emotional trauma is not only exhausting, but also now known to cause debilitating physical health issues such as migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain to name a few.  For many, having a massage treatment will be the first time they have received nurturing touch; something that most of us take for granted.

The clients

The clients who were referred for massage support by Solace were all female. They presented with a range of multiple physical and mental health issues specifically:

• Physical pain – muscular rather than skeletal
• Headaches
• Migraine
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Low mood

Each client was offered a weekly massage treatment for up to 12 weeks.  The massages were initially general, relaxing treatments. The therapist Olga, then adapted the treatments to target each client’s needs. So, for example, a client suffering from frequent headaches would have a relaxing treatment that targeted tension in the upper back, shoulders, neck and scalp.

Initially, as might be expected, the clients were apprehensive. Some had never had massage before and didn’t know what to expect.  It took several weeks before the clients genuinely started to relax and feel the benefit of our nurturing environment.  Then they started to feel comfortable with our reception team and trusting of Olga’s ability to help them to relax and feel the benefits of gentle, healing touch.

At the end of the 12 weeks the clients were asked to give feedback about their massages. All were very positive and thankful for the opportunity to have had massage treatments.

“I really liked coming to Phoenix, because of the lovely staff and atmosphere. Staff were to approachable and helpful.”

“The therapy helped me with my mood and reduced my migraine. It went from every day to maybe every week”

“The treatment at Phoenix meant that my wellbeing had improved and made me happy to know I have your team to support me with my mental health.”

Learn more about asylum seekers

If you want to gain a greater understanding of asylum seekers and the issues that they face Solace have excellent e-learning modules available via their website . 

Phoenix Health & Wellbeing is a charitable social enterprise.  By coming to us for a treatment you are helping people who have chronic health issues and low incomes. We use the proceeds of your treatment to subsidise those who would not otherwise be able to access our therapies. Roughly £4 to every £10 spent with us will go to help others.

If you have private health insurance, you may be able to claim back the cost of your treatment. Check your policy.

Find out more about Phoenix Health and Wellbeing here

Opening times:

Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 20:00

Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00

Sunday closed.

Book your massage, acupuncture or counselling session via our website or call 0113 234 0818 to speak to one of the team