About Us
Hartwood Health was set up in October 2019 by Paula Wood.
Paula is a registered dietitian with many years of experience who strongly believes that
health issues are rarely solved in isolation. Instead, a whole-body approach is required to identify
where a problem originates and how to achieve better health.
It is for this reason that Hartwood Health has a broad team of specialists,
covering nutrition, counselling and musculoskeletal health.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
We can discuss your concerns and assist in finding the most appropriate treatment for you.
Meet The Team
Our Nutrition experts
Paula Wood
Registered Dietitian
Paula is a registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience working in the public and private health sectors.
She started her career working in the NHS as a clinical dietitian, then moved over to research, working for the UK Armed Forces involved in large pieces of work improving the nutritional and physical health of military personnel.
Paula understands the importance of realistic and practical nutrition advice to help individuals and populations reach their goals - whether this is with therapeutic diets for certain illnesses and conditions or optimising nutrition to improve health and wellbeing.
Paula specialises in gastrointestinal disorders including irritable bowel syndrome and coeliac disease, weight loss, weight management and sports nutrition.
Paula is a keen cyclist and loves to be out on her road bike - especially when it is sunny! She also enjoys keeping fit, reading and gardening. She has three children whom she loves being with but they don't currently share her enthusiasm for cycling!
British Dietetic Association: 3658
Helen Simpson
Registered Dietitian
Helen has been a dietitian for over 20 years.
She is also a qualified food technology teacher.
Helen has worked for the NHS, the military and Private Healthcare companies as well as Macmillan and educational establishments.
She is currently working as an oncology and elderly care dietitian in the State of Guernsey.
Her interest lies in understanding people's behaviour around food and the choices they make. This is a hugely complex area but a fascinating one and unlocking it for individuals can make a huge difference in their relationship with food. She enjoys working with and supporting people to make constructive and lifelong changes to improve their health and well-being.
Helen's interests include swimming, DIY, caravanning and spending time with her dog.
HCPC: DT05408
British Dietetic Association: 3906
Clare Morris
Registered Dietitian
Clare has worked in the NHS for over 10 years. Her work has centred on Diabetes services in the community and also on acute cases with children and adults. More recently she has started working in Guernsey covering the acute medical wards.
Diabetes is where Clare's interest lies. She has experience with gestational diabetes, and type 1 diabetes and she studies all the new technologies available to help manage life with diabetes.
She likes helping people to prevent diabetes when diagnosed with prediabetes as well as achieve remission when type 2 has been diagnosed.
She understands behaviour change is difficult and likes to work with clients to find changes that are more likely to last, thus achieving and sustaining the health benefits lifelong.
Clare likes cliff walking with her dog and sea swimming all year round if and when she can get time away from her two, small children.
Craig Van Wyk
Paediatric Dietitian
Craig completed his studies in South Africa in 2010 and went on to work in a community hospital seeing children and adults.
In 2013, he undertook a collaborative piece of research that was being conducted by the University of the Free State and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University looking into malnutrition in children aged under 5 years old. This built on his interest in paediatric nutrition.
Craig moved to the UK in 2013 and commenced a role as a community paediatric dietitian working with children with neuro disabilities in London.
He now works at a residential school for children with physical disabilities many of whom have neuro disabilities and complex feeding issues.
Craig works with children (and their families) to help them achieve the appropriate nutrition to optimise their growth and health.
British Dietetic Association: 17837
Ruth Stratford
Registered Dietitian
Ruth qualified as a dietitian in 2019 following a varied career, most recently running a small catering company.
Since qualifying Ruth has worked with young adults with neuromuscular disorders and complex feeding requirements.
Ruth’s main area of interest is irritable bowel disease (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders. Ruth has undertaken IBS and Low FODMAP training and is qualified to give specialist advice in these areas.
Ruth is really keen to provide practical, individual support to people to improve their quality of life and give them the skills to manage their conditions.
Ruth is a keen cyclist and is out on the road at every opportunity. She also enjoys running and is attempting to train her dog to run with her.
British Dietetic Association: 18456
Catherine Kidd
Paediatric Dietitian
Catherine is a registered dietitian with over 10 years of experience working in the public and private health sectors.
Catherine has worked as a clinical paediatric dietitian in the UK's top children's hospitals, promoting growth and nutrition in vulnerable children with issues ranging from allergies, faltering growth, fussy eating and obesity to managing tube feeding and gut issues.
Her main clinical and research interest lies within nutrition for cardiology and intensive care patients. She has also written two recipe books for low-sugar and vegan diets.
Catherine believes that if you can improve a child's nutrition, you can make a huge difference not only to their life and that of their family now, but can change their future. She understands the importance of setting realistic nutrition goals and will work with the parents and carers to reach them. She also works with expectant parents to optimise nutrition during pregnancy.
Catherine is a keen hiker, swimmer and cyclist. She lives in London with her husband and dog.
Our Counselling & Coaching experts
Lorraine Stevens
Counsellor
Lorraine is a qualified counsellor, working with both young people and adults in an agency in Wokingham and for the NHS Youth Counselling Service.
In her previous career role, Lorraine recognised the warmth, empathy and passion she has for connecting with people.
She subsequently spent 4 years training to be a Counsellor at Farnborough College of Technology, followed by a further year working with young people and adolescents.
Lorraine is an integrative counsellor whose belief is: “negative experiences from the past shape and affect our life and our sense of who we are. Sometimes people feel the need for extra support, so talking to an impartial third party can be helpful; to talk freely in a confidential space with someone whose life is separate from their own''
Lorraine has experience of working with a wide variety of common life issues and mental health problems, from anxiety and panic attacks to suicidal ideation, trauma and neurodiversity.
In her free time, Lorraine enjoys yoga, reading and walking her dog.
MBACP: 00953671
Kirsty Stewart
Master NLP Practitioner
Kirsty has dedicated the past five years to studying mind and body. She has met some of her own challenges physically and mentally, but this has driven her desire to understand human behaviour and psychology in order to facilitate getting the results we want in our lives.
Her personal development has helped her be the best version of herself and she has since gone on to help others do their inner work from a deep understanding of the unconscious mind.
It is Kirsty's passion to help others reach inside their minds and make the changes needed to achieve all their aspirations and goals and have optimal well-being mentally and physically.
Kirsty loves business and enjoys working with aspiring entrepreneurs who may be lacking in self-confidence.
You may want to start your own business but something is holding you back. You know it is in yourself but can't quite figure out what or why.
Alternatively, entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses might somehow manage to sabotage their progress at an unconscious level.
Kirsty has the skills and qualifications to help you reach inside your mind make the necessary changes to remove negative beliefs, emotions and behaviours so you can achieve the results you desire.
Qualifications:
Master Practitioner NLP & NLP Coach
Master Practitioner Time Line Therapy
Master Practitioner Hypnosis
Reflexologist
Lucy Wooldridge
Mindset Coach
Lucy Wooldridge is a key figure in mindset coaching and is the go-to coach for resilience.
With 20 years of experience working within the charity sector as well as within the NHS, Lucy Initially worked in addiction therapy and mental health services where she helped transform and enhance the lives of men and women around the UK.
Lucy believes that everyone is entitled to live to their full potential, no matter what barriers they have. She proved this early on in her career as a trailblazer in setting up alcohol treatment services in hospitals, as shown on BBC news.
After nurturing her own resilience to overcome hardship and prejudices, Lucy now runs her own coaching business. Focusing on nurturing resilience, Lucy helps her clients adapt to change, manage uncertainty and use setbacks as opportunities.
Lucy empowers people to overcome their self-doubt and imposter syndrome and reframe their self-limiting beliefs by digging deep, removing the ceiling that has been placed upon them and watches them soar.
With Lucy as their biggest champion, men and women are creating the futures they want to live with a renewed sense of self, purpose and confidence.
Describing herself as an “extroverted introvert”, Lucy is often seen running around the trails or found with her head in a book. Meditation helps keep her grounded and sets her up for a day of balancing work with her young family.
British Psychological Society: 504713
The Insight Coaching Community, The International Authority of Professional Coaches and Mentors and the Complementary Medicine Association
Lorraine Stevens
Counsellor
Lorraine is a qualified counsellor, working with both young people and adults in an agency in Wokingham and for the NHS Youth Counselling Service.
In her previous career role, Lorraine recognised the warmth, empathy and passion she has for connecting with people.
She subsequently spent 4 years training to be a Counsellor at Farnborough College of Technology, followed by a further year working with young people and adolescents.
Lorraine is an integrative counsellor whose belief is: “negative experiences from the past shape and affect our life and our sense of who we are. Sometimes people feel the need for extra support, so talking to an impartial third party can be helpful; to talk freely in a confidential space with someone whose life is separate from their own''
Lorraine has experience of working with a wide variety of common life issues and mental health problems, from anxiety and panic attacks to suicidal ideation, trauma and neurodiversity.
In her free time, Lorraine enjoys yoga, reading and walking her dog.
MBACP: 00953671
Kirsty Stewart
Master NLP Practitioner
Kirsty has dedicated the past five years to studying mind and body. She has met some of her own challenges physically and mentally, but this has driven her desire to understand human behaviour and psychology in order to facilitate getting the results we want in our lives.
Her personal development has helped her be the best version of herself and she has since gone on to help others do their inner work from a deep understanding of the unconscious mind.
It is Kirsty's passion to help others reach inside their minds and make the changes needed to achieve all their aspirations and goals and have optimal well-being mentally and physically.
Kirsty loves business and enjoys working with aspiring entrepreneurs who may be lacking in self-confidence.
You may want to start your own business but something is holding you back. You know it is in yourself but can't quite figure out what or why.
Alternatively, entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses might somehow manage to sabotage their progress at an unconscious level.
Kirsty has the skills and qualifications to help you reach inside your mind make the necessary changes to remove negative beliefs, emotions and behaviours so you can achieve the results you desire.
Qualifications:
Master Practitioner NLP & NLP Coach
Master Practitioner Time Line Therapy
Master Practitioner Hypnosis
Reflexologist
Our Muskuloskeletal experts
Laura Sparling
Sports Massage Therapist
Laura’s career has taken her from massaging in high-end hotels and spas to specialising in skin therapy, to working within a fast-paced marketing and events team in London.
It was within the office environment Laura noticed the impact of "office life" on staff mental health and wellbeing.
It was here that Laura returned to the world of massage as a Corporate Massage Therapist supporting management and their teams by providing a little light relief and personal connection within their working day.
In 2020 - 2021 Laura completed her Level 3 and 4 ITEC Sports Massage Diploma at St Mary's University.
Laura believes in the connection of human touch. Massage can provide so many benefits both physically and mentally, and understanding the human body is where Laura's treatments are unique.
Laura will tailor her treatments by choosing from different techniques that will help you achieve more movement so you can enjoy doing the things you love.
Laura has a love of swimming and, as a young child competed in many galas across the country. Laura also loves racket sports, and currently plays for Eagles Farnborough Club.
Laura specialises in deep tissue massage, sports massage, cupping therapy, chair massage
Toby Pollard-Smith
Osteopath
Toby qualified with distinction from the British School of Osteopathy (now the University College of Osteopathy) M.Ost course in 2014. He has also completed training in sports massage and various rehabilitation techniques.
Before training as an osteopath, Toby was a professional ballet dancer, working in Tel Aviv with the Israel Ballet, followed by freelance work, and then two world tours with Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. While a dancer, Toby had various injuries and experienced plenty of treatment himself. An interest in how the body works, and what happens when it goes wrong, led to his career change.
Toby has built valuable experience in a variety of clinics, as well as continuing to work with a leading Formula One team. He enjoys seeing patients of all ages and from all backgrounds, but unsurprisingly, has a special affinity with performing artists, especially dancers. Most of all, Toby enjoys improving the way in which people move. This helps injuries improve, and also prevents further injury in the future.
Toby lives in Fleet with his wife and two young daughters. He has always loved music and now enjoys cooking and gardening.
Our Complementary Health experts
Jen Carty
Reflexology & Reiki
Jen had a passion for well-being from an early age and undertook a course in reflexology at the age of 18.
She has since also spent over 13 years working in safeguarding vulnerable children and adults whilst doing Reiki level 1, 2 & Master level along the way.
Jen’s passion for helping people has always been a priority but it was the realisation that she wanted to make the well-being of others her life’s mission that she left her corporate job to create it as a priority. Jen believes that clients now look for and need more from holistic treatments and this is why she always combines reiki in her reflexology treatments as well as offering reiki as a stand-alone treatment.
As awareness of holistic and alternative treatments continues to rise, people are beginning to turn to deeper and more connected holistic treatments, and want to feel truly cared for.
Society is filled with hectic schedules, home environments and congested minds, be it from social media overconsumption, constant comparisons, or negative news that affects how we feel. Therefore, the need for a moment of pause and lowering the volume is high. Jen also recognises that every client has different needs and these needs can vary every time they visit, meaning no treatment is ever a cookie cutter method.
Kirsty Stewart
Reflexology & NLP
Are you listening to your body - to the clues and messages that it’s giving you?
As Kirsty says to all her clients, Reflexologists do not diagnose or claim to cure medical conditions.
What reflexology offers is an opportunity and the potential to support you with whatever may be going on for you - physically, mentally or emotionally.
It aims to reduce stress and encourage the body and mind to come into balance.
When you discuss your medical history at your first appointment, Kirsty will ask several questions.
Some are specific to your symptoms, and she will also ask if you have had, or currently have a condition, disease, disorder, or other diagnosis from your doctor.
We’ll talk about how you’re sleeping and the things that you might be struggling with.
The most important question is ….
“What symptoms are you living with?”
Symptoms are the messages from your body that direct your time with Kirsty each time you see her.
Your symptoms guide the focus that Kirsty gives to each of your sessions.
Furthermore, your symptoms form the measure of your progress over a series of sessions.