From Banking to Bodywork: Mother and Son both Retrain from Finance to Become Successful Bowen Therapists
I kind of fell out of school and into banking. I’d always wanted to be a physical training instructor in the Navy, but a long-term relationship held me at home.
I learned a lot about business and finance in that job. But, after 17 years (mainly in agricultural banking) I had had enough of paper pushing. So, when I was pregnant with my second son, I knew it was time to move on. I wanted to have a career which I could fit around my young family.
Finding Fulfilment Through Bowen
Being a people person, I wanted a job which helped others and was deeply fulfilling.
When I went along to the first training session in the technique I had never actually had a Bowen treatment myself, but after that first day I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!
The training took about 9 months, but over the last 20 years I’ve never stopped learning. You get hooked on the fascination of the human body—everyone is different!
Being self-employed brings both rewards and challenges. In particular, it was fantastic to be able to fit my working hours around the needs of my boys.
A New Chapter in the Highlands
Now they are grown men and moved away from home. As a result, I decided it was time to follow my dream of living a more active, outdoors life. My partner and I decided to move to the Highlands of Scotland.
One of the hardest things was the thought of leaving behind my busy Bowen clinic. I knew I would miss all the wonderful clients I had met and made friends with over two decades of treating people in my home in Hampshire.
Passing the Torch to My Son
At the same time, my son Ryan—a natural sportsman and outdoor instructor—had also somehow fallen into a job in car finance. I knew he didn’t feel fulfilled. So, we mooted the possibility of him retraining in Bowen Therapy and taking over my clients when we moved.
It took a few months to convince him. Luckily his wife was fully behind him changing career and three years ago he began his training. He was a complete natural, quickly assimilating the skills to become a very proficient and professional therapist.
Two Practices, One Shared Passion
So now I am building my new clinic, MyWellnessConnected, from my beautiful home in the Highlands of Scotland near Inverness. And Ryan is now running his own successful mobile practice, Recooperate (his name is R. E. Cooper!) in Hampshire and Berkshire.
I get regular messages from my old clients telling me how exceptionally talented and caring he is! I am incredibly proud of him.
If you are thinking of changing careers or adding Bowen to your existing treatment repertoire, we can both highly recommend it!
About Helen
Today, alongside running her thriving clinic, Helen shares her decades of Bowen Therapy experience as one of Bowen College UK’s tutors.
Her warm, approachable teaching style helps new therapists build their skills, confidence, and passion for this gentle, effective modality.
If you’d like to learn directly from Helen or attend one of her upcoming training sessions, you can view all her course dates here.
Feeling inspired?
If you’re considering your own career change—or looking to add a powerful, fascia-based therapy to your practice—explore our Certified Bowen Healthcare Therapist training. Our flexible, accredited programme supports you step by step as you build a meaningful career in holistic health.
