Complementary Therapies student can’t wait to offer a helping hand at Ayrshire Hospice

Vicki Robertson, 44 from Irvine, is an HNC Complementary Therapies student at the Kilwinning Campus.

This course involves students taking part in a clinical placement in semester two, and Vicki is delighted to be starting at the Ayrshire Hospice on Monday 13 January 2020. 

She knows first-hand just how important complementary therapies can be for patients suffering from life-limiting illnesses.

Vicki said: “My mum was in and out of hospital and complementary therapies made a huge difference to her life. I hope I can do the same for somebody else.

“The hospice offers a range of complementary therapies for both patients and their families, because it’s traumatic what they’re going through and it takes its toll on the body. A bit of complementary therapies always helps. It can relax them, help them through treatment and can ease their pain a wee bit as well.

“Going back to my mum and what she was going through, I had a few health problems myself at the time too, and getting medication from doctors was making me feel worse. So, I thought there must be something else I can try. I tried a few complementary therapies for myself and thought it was really helping. Obviously, I’m not suggesting you don’t take medicine - everyone should take their medication – but there’s other things you can do too.”

Vicki is looking forward to meeting people and offering her help where required.

She said: “I’m most looking forward to meeting all sorts of different people and seeing how I can help them. It’ll mostly be reflexology; hand and arm massage, back, neck and shoulders. Just anything to get them feeling a bit better.

“You’re going to build some sort of relationship with people. You want to hear their stories and find out where their journeys took them. I can’t wait to start next Monday, it’s definitely something I’m really interested in, and maybe I’ll end up continuing to volunteer once my placement is over.”