GILLIAN JACKSON
Gillian is a qualified Remedial Massage Therapist and has been working in community-based Palliative Care since 1999. She has created & implemented the massage programs at Banksia Palliative Care Service & Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care, both services continue to have the massage program as part of their core service. Gillian is currently employed at Eastern Palliative Care Service providing massage for clients in their homes. In addition to this role, Gillian provides massage for clients from other community organisations, hospitals, aged-care facilities and also clients’ homes.
Gillian has specialised in Palliative Care massage having trained with Gayle MacDonald (Medicine Hands) in her courses Massage for People Living with Cancer and Massage for the Hospital Patient and Medically Frail Client in Portland, Oregon. Gillian has also undertaken Irene Smith’s (Everflowing) course Providing Massage in Hospice Care in San Francisco CA. and the course Massage, & Cancer and More at the Quest for Life centre, Bundanoon NSW and has attended a number of training seminars and conferences relating to palliative care, both in Australia and abroad, to support her continued development in this field.
Gillian is qualified to offer Manual Lymphatic Drainage and is a long-standing member of Massage & Myotherapy Australia.
Gillian is a Recognised Education Provider in Good Standing & Preferred Practitioner of The Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM).
Gillian has a long-standing association with MND Victoria, and specialises in massage therapy for clients living with a neurological disorders. As part of her association with MND Victoria, Gillian periodically instructs volunteers in massage for the hands and feet.
Over the years, Gillian has treated many patients, and their carers, and recognises that when a person is living with a terminal illness the whole family unit is affected. This is never more apparent when the patient is a child. Gillian has been able to instruct parents and carers on how to provide "safe" massage for their loved one, which has been a valuable contribution to the whole family.
Gillian is one of Australia’s leading massage therapists in the Oncology and Palliative Care sector often sought out by other oncology facilitators and therapists for her guidance and mentoring. Gillian has presented at the 2018 S4OM Summit in Minneapolis, USA on the topic of when an oncology client moves into palliative care and was well received by attendees.
Gillian is the principal facilitator of Palliative Care Massage Training, dedicated to ensuring that therapists have the opportunity to learn how to provide appropriate and safe massage therapy to all clients, whilst supporting their own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Palliative Care Massage In Melbourne
ABOUT US
Working in the Palliative Care sector, I have the opportunity to offer massage to people of all ages, different cultural backgrounds
and life experiences. Many of these people are living with cancer, and have diverse personal beliefs about massage therapy.
Unfortunately, there are still some misconceptions that exist about "massage spreading cancer", and these are not only held by
the patient and their families, but some massage therapists.
Some clients have been turned away by therapists, and have been told that they shouldn't have massage, which has left
the "potential client" unsupported, misinformed and confused. The opposite has also occurred where clients who have
received massage, experienced a heavy-handed, demanding massage that exacerbated their symptoms.
In response to this insight, Palliative Care Massage Training was founded to address the needs of therapists and ultimately clients.
I look forward to evolving and expanding, to bring therapists a variety of courses that will support them in the care of their clients.
Palliative Care Massage Training
Dip HSc. Remedial Massage
Oncology & Palliative Massage Therapist
Cert IV Assessment & Training
Preferred Practitioner - Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM)
Registered member of MMA