Profile of Maggie Stanley, owner of Pace For Living, is based in Axbridge Somerset. She is an experienced practitioner with over 23 years working as a therapist and trainer specialising in stress management and behaviour change. Maggie believes that individuals respond to life and events according to their life experiences, life skills and personality. If coping mechanisms and life skills are poor or ineffective then this can affect the individual both physically and mentally.
Maggie Stanley originally trained as a hypnotherapist and soon became interested in stress management, addictions and behaviour change. She initially studied with Dr Stephen Palmer at the Centre for Stress Management and went on to study stress and personal skills in wider arenas. Maggie realised that not everyone is in a place where they can talk about stress or personal problems sometimes they just need a place to “be”. She realised that people sometimes just needed space. Maggie then went on to train in Reiki healing, Indian Head massage, oriental face and hand massage.
Over the years Maggie has run workshops and developed training packages for the commercial, voluntary and statuary sectors. Maggie’s keen interest in behaviour change led her on to becoming involved with The University of West England co writing the behaviour change module for the NHS health Trainers course which she delivered for two years. She also has written and co written psycho /social skills courses which she delivered to patients at South Gloucester PCT for over 7 years.
Maggie started her working life in the NHS as a Cardiac technician and most recently as a specialist Stop Smoking Advisor for seven years. She taught counselling skills and assertiveness in adult education for a number of years and had a counselling skills course accredited through the open college network. Maggie has worked with disabled people and was a consultant training coordinator for three years for a charity when she lived in Essex. She has been a volunteer mediator and Somerset cancer care volunteer and recently has become a volunteer for the Secret world animal rescue centre.
Maggie has a keen interest in animal healing she is an animal lover owning three cats two dogs, chickens, ducks and bees. Animals have always been drawn to Maggie people are often heard saying to her “I am surprised my (dog/ cat/ rabbit/horse…) has come to you they don’t usually”. Maggie has had some interesting and wonderful results with Reiki using it with animals.
