Julia Mattack
Spiritual Healer, Colchester, Essex
Julia has a passion for understanding and developing the spiritual dimension of human experience. She believes that in order to bring about physical and mental well-being, it is as important to look after our inner lives as it is our outer one. She offers a variety of alternative therapies including reiki, chakra balancing treatment, crystal healing, card reading and meditation; working with these energies to help strengthen mind, body and soul.
- Julia left her full-time position as a senior cars sales executive for Porsche in order to study, follow her passion and start her own treatment centre.
She now works from home and has a wide variety of clients.
What challenges did you have to overcome in order for your passion to become your work ?
The first challenge was “can I take a hobby and turn it into a business, and will there be a demand?” Before I advertised I wanted to enhance my qualifications and carry out some detailed case studies. Although I have trained in spiritual healing and meditation, I wanted to work more in depth and develop a deeper understanding. To this end I trained with a fantastic Reiki Master who was disciplined in pure Japanese techniques. I discovered that finding the right teacher is crucial. It can be a bit of a mind-field. It is so important to have the right qualifications, particularly when you are dealing with peoples’ emotions and illnesses. Knowledge is key to being successful. Currently, I am studying the human anatomy and physiology. It has been a real on-going process, requiring a lot of hard work and start-up investment. I could not have done it without the support of my husband.
What motivates you in this work ?
I love working with people on a one to one level, to bringing about calmness and positive change to their lives.
How do you care for your own inner life ?
I meditate and I have lots of fun with my beautiful son. Nature is important for our energy. Being in the woods and the countryside, plus the seaside, gives me such an uplift. It’s good for the soul and doesn’t cost anything!
What does an ordinary working day look like for you ?
My day varies, especially at the moment with my study. I tend to study during school hours and focus on my work during the evenings and weekends, depending on client demands.
What skills do you need in order to run your treatments and business ?
I have gained knowledge and understanding over many years. I managed teams when I worked in retail and built a customer base from scratch working for BMW then Porsche. I’m very much a people-person. I have a good business back ground and I have good knowledge with proper qualifications. I am very adaptable and I can travel to clients, especially those facing terminal illness. Understanding and compassion is key to this line of work.
What are the rewards of your working life ?
I can work round my little boy, which for me is so important.
If you could do anything (being realistic), knowing you couldn’t fail, what would you do ?
I would like to be an ambassador and help bring change to our culture – and a different way of thinking.
What are the challenges of your working life ?
To build a long successful career and for people to view holistic therapies as a legitimate and worthwhile profession. It would be nice for it to be a topic of conversation, just like going to the hairdressers or having your nails done. The work a holistic therapist can support an individual’s health; which is vital with today’s pressures.
What do people need to do, in your opinion, to increase their mental well-being ?
For people to take ownership for their health. Sadly, I believe, our NHS system cannot currently cope, despite there being so many dedicated doctors, nurses and brilliant surgeons. Our culture needs to change its mind-set and to start understanding how energy affects the body. There is a lot in the news at the moment about the rise in children using anti-depressants. This should not be the case and greatly upsets me. Learning about mediation, understanding nutrition and the emotions, is crucial. Using anti-depressants is like putting a plaster on a wound, it does not solve the problem. It is all too easy to go to the doctor’s and get a pack of pills.
What response do you give to people who might be sceptical about your work ?
I am not here to convince people I am here to help those that wished to be helped, but what I would say is: be open minded, you might be pleasantly surprised!
Where do you see holistic therapies in the future ?
I see therapists helping and working with the Army – to help our soldiers recover from their experience of war; teaching and learning in schools; and working in hospitals, to help patients recover after major operations. In other cultures, this is already happening e.g. in some American states you can have the option of reiki to assist with recovery.
Finally, what advice would you give to anyone considering a new career path ?
If you are passionate, self-motivated and prepared to work hard; with little financial reward to start with, you can succeed. It’s very nerve racking to make changes to your life, but your happiness may depend upon it.
To download Julia’s “Working Lives” profile as a hand out for use in the classroom click the link below.