The Practice Rooms on St Paul’s Road in Clifton was our 5th addition to The Practice Rooms in Bristol – opening on 22nd October 2019, just 8 months ago but already (under normal circumstances) as busy as our other Bristol centres.
We opened this Clifton centre to provide additional space for our other busy centres in Bristol, but the universe had other plans. Sadly, another wonderful therapy centre nearby (Fulcrum House) had to announce its closure at the end of last year. I’m amazed by how the universe can help provide at times of difficulty, whether that be helping us, or allowing us to help others. What are the chances of us opening a new centre, down the road from Fulcrum House, at a time when they discover they are in need of help? As a result, we have been honoured to find space for and support many of our colleagues from there as they adapted to this major change.
This year has continued to move in ways we could never have foreseen. We are now tentatively emerging from unprecedented times. The work in our centres came to a sudden halt while we all faced the pandemic of Covid-19. Told to stay safe and stay at home, our therapists no longer able to support clients who most likely needed their support more than ever, resorting to online sessions where possible. As a consequence of this, our centres are having the chance to breathe, and I can imagine they let out a sigh of relief from their normal busy environments. For some centres, this is the first time in years they have experienced this degree of rest. For Clifton, such a new centre, this breather may seem unnecessary. I envisage the energy of someone still young and eager to offer help, providing support in the way our key workers have in this time. But we see positivity in this opportunity to stop. The Rooms hold so much for our practitioners and their clients, providing a safe environment, so even they need a pause once in a while.
There is such a healing energy created in these buildings - by the décor, the therapists and the TPR team. It’s not an easy task for therapists to create a space of solace, exploration and healing and we do what we can to provide rooms which make it easier to do.
I recently read a quote from Mother Teresa, who said:
‘We can do no great things – only small things with great love.’
We each participate in our own small way to creating this space, doing each step with love and care and creating a healing, nurturing place for those in need. As our rooms yawn and stretch, waking up from their slumber, here at The Practice Rooms we’re looking forward to re-engaging with our therapists, working alongside such wonderful people and supporting them in the key work they provide for the wider community.
