Michelle Clancy, from Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, has worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Dublin for several years. In March this year, however, she decided to embark on a course in reflexology at the Holistic Healing Centre with a view to gaining the first of many qualifications in complementary therapies that will enable her to practise professionally in the future.

She explains: ‘there aren’t many big pharmaceutical companies in the Leitrim area and I’ve always intended on moving back home to Carrick-on-Shannon. I decided that I just wanted a change of career and was very interested in going down the path of complementary therapies’.

She attended the course on Saturdays from March to September and successfully completed her exams in September earning herself a diploma in reflexology from the Holistic Healing Centre. Though the course was challenging, her enthusiasm for the discipline of complementary therapy has continued to grow. She is currently studying for her diploma in holistic massage and intends to gain professional qualifications in both reiki and Indian head massage in the imminent future.

Michelle aims to set up her own practise but wants to be able to offer a range of different therapies and build up a solid client network before setting up her own business in complementary therapies in Carrick-on-Shannon.