Eighteen years of
hands-on care
I am Francia, Fran, and I have been practising massage since 2008. Essential Massage is a one-person business: you will always see the same therapist, in the same private log cabin studio in Stoke-on-Trent. Eighteen years of practice means I can read where you hold tension and find it quickly, usually within the first few minutes.
I built the studio around one idea: a space where you can arrive, close the door, and stop managing everything else for an hour. No noise from a reception area, no strangers in the next room, no clock-watching. From the moment you arrive, the cabin is yours.
Why massage,
and why women-only
I qualified in 2008 and have been practising ever since. Over the years I have added Swedish, sports, aromatherapy, warm bamboo, reflexology, hot stone, Indian head, and most recently, specialist pregnancy massage training with TEACH Therapy, accredited by the FHT.
The women-only decision was not a marketing strategy. It came from watching how differently women relax when the room is just for them. You do not need to think about who else might be there, what you look like, or whether someone is waiting outside. That freedom changes what the massage can do.
I have no front-of-house team and no staff. When you book, you are booking with me. I take the consultation, carry out the treatment, and follow up if you have questions. One person, one standard, every time.
- Qualified since 2008, 18 years of practice
- FHT-registered member
- FHT-accredited pregnancy massage training
- Trained in aromatherapy and warm bamboo massage
- Women-only from the very first appointment
- One therapist, no re-explaining yourself
The log cabin studio,
a private room in a garden
The studio is a log cabin in my garden, detached from the house and reached by its own path. It was built as a treatment room and has served as one from the start. There is no waiting area shared with other clients, no reception desk, no background noise.
The table is set up for comfort in any position, including side-lying for pregnancy massage, with full cushion support. The room is warm in winter, cool in summer, and quiet in the way that only a space built for one purpose can be.
Women who come for the first time often say they did not expect to feel so at ease so quickly. I think it is the cabin. You arrive, the door closes, and whatever is outside stays outside.
Qualifications
and training
I hold FHT-accredited pregnancy massage training, which means I know how to adapt pressure, positioning, and technique for each trimester safely. My full training record is listed below, from my first qualification in 2008 to pregnancy massage training in 2022.
FHT registered member
Verify on fht.org.uk →
Massage for Pregnancy & ChildbirthFHT Accredited
FHT Accredited Short Course: TEACH Therapy
2022
Warm Bamboo Massage CPD Seminar
Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT)
2013
Level 3 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy (QCF)
VTCT
2012
NCFE Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care
NCFE
2015
Level 3 Diploma in Complementary Therapies (QCF)
VTCT
2010
Level 2 Certificate in Holistic Therapies
VTCT
2009
Level 1 Certificate in Introduction to Therapies (Holistics)
VTCT
2008
Common questions
Questions about a specific treatment, pricing, or what to bring? The full FAQ has answers across every service.
Book with Fran.
Choose a treatment and a time online. No payment taken until you visit. Women only, by appointment. Studio on Withies Road, Stoke-on-Trent.