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Self Development Leicester

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Self Development Leicester

Vicki Marston
Self Development

Therapist, Writer, Health & Wellness Facilitator, Lover of Life ❤️❤️ Sessions are in person and remotely via
Zoom & WhatsApp.

Vicki Marston - Self Development
An Integrated Personalised Approach to Healing

Trained as an Occupational Therapist in mental health, subsequently trained skilled and experienced in a number of healing modalities including:
counselling, talking therapies, nutritional advice, massage & bodywork, breath work,
flower essences, energy healing. Vicki worked within the NHS in inpatient psychiatry and community mental health for 15 years. In Higher Education for 5 years at Coventry University teaching Interpersonal Skills and
Health Education to Occupational Therapy and Social Work students. In Primary Care in Leicester for 7 years
co developing a psychological service for common mental health problems which was subsequently rolled out locally and nationally. “It became a flagship service, of which I am more than proud!!”
In independent practice for the last eighteen years with a sharp focus on disease and sickness prevention, mental health awareness and wellness promotion.

“prevention is always better than cure”

Offering one to one and small group sessions for anyone over the age of 16 including anxiety & depression, emotional eating, grief & loss, sleep & rest, understanding the stress response, relaxation & meditation, nutritional information and education, healthy weight attainment and the building and maintenance of nourishing relationships. Each session is personalised to meet specific
needs at the time of consultation. Vicki works with organisations to guide and assist
them in the development of a Wellness Culture leading to:

Optimal health & wellbeing
Increased motivation and productivity
Better staff retention
Increased presenteeism
Raised awareness of mental & emotional health
Increased Self Awareness
Effective interpersonal communication
Happier healthier joyful staff

25/02/2026

Real or Fake

In a world of Al, misinformation and social media perfection, it can be more than a challenge to know what is honest, truthful, authentic and what is fake.

You may find yourself taken in by fakery, we all are from time to time, seduced by glamour and ego driven flattery, usually from a charismatic source!!

When you stay atuned and aligned with your higher self, grounded in nature and in your body, rather than your head, there is much less chance of this happening.

Nature is never false. She blooms when the time is right and conditions support blooming. There is no stress or struggle involved, simply trust that everything is taken care of, that all is well.

Nature does not pretend. She is never false, she cannot be. Remember; the most powerful energy in the room is the one that isn’t pretending.

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

22/02/2026

Soulful Sunday - Soundbath Experience

Thank you Vicky Smart Clinical Reflexology and Soul Sister Yoga, Gong & Holistic Therapies for collaborating to create a beautiful event in Arnesby this evening.

The thing about soundbaths is they are all so different. The first one I fell into (almost by accident) when I was on a course at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland. Part of our group were staying in a house which was supercharged with the biggest crystals I have ever seen and a gong room. They invited us to take a look. While we were there, the gong master appeared and suggested we take part in a sound immersion. That day changed my life. I was wide open to possibility, away from home, completely spontaneous and I had no preconceived expectations. This realisation is a lesson with both new and old experiences. Especially those of the healing variety!!

Today I could not switch my head off. No matter what grounding, or breathing, or relaxation I did, I was thinking. Surrendering to what is, I let go knowing that the bathing of my cells would take place no matter what…

An hour later I emerged. It took longer than ever before to get fully back in my body and it wasn’t till I stood up I realised just how spaced out I was. Driving home everything seemed more real, the sky was brighter and the clouds looked darker against the dancing silhouettes of naked trees. A crescent moon and hundreds of stars glittering in the dark.

Food for thought, an abundance of journaling material and a lot to process. If you haven’t tried, I recommend. You never know what you will experience.

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

21/02/2026

Make A Date With Flapjack

Nothing beats a delicious cup of herbal tea and a home baked treat at the weekend.

This morning I visited a friend, renowned for her baking skills, and she offered me this amazing Flapjack. Soft chewy and just the right amount of sweetness, it literally melted in my mouth. It reminded me of the Healthier Eating Tuckshop I ran when our kids were in primary school. Once a week we had a team of parent bakers who came up with their offering of sweet treats. I regularly made flapjack as it’s quick, simple, has just a handful of ingredients and you always get a great result!!

Porridge oats, butter, brown sugar, honey and chopped dates. Oats release their energy slowly making flapjack the perfect boost to take on a hike or slip into a packed lunch occasionally. Dates are rich in potassium and high in fibre making them a go to for improving heart health. A handful of seeds and cinnamon can be added for texture and flavour. Adding a teaspoon of cinnamon is beneficial for metabolic health as it helps regulate blood sugar. Cinnamon is also a great aid to weight management and can be added to lots of different meals.

You’re welcome - Vicki ❤️❤️

20/02/2026

Light Up Your Life

It’s been a long dark winter in the Uk in more ways than one. We seem to have endless days of grey skies and blankets of cloud, the weighted variety!!

As the sun emerged this afternoon it made me think about returning light, longer days and how energy lifts as we move towards spring. I started to think about momentum, about moving things forward and how the creation of anything is born from the seed of an idea, grown by enthusiasm and nurtured by keeping going.

When you keep showing up for yourself and others, when you work together towards a common goal, incredible things happen.

Everything begins as an idea and without passion and enthusiasm to grow this idea, nothing new can ever be created.

Human enthusiasm is priceless!!

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

19/02/2026

Shadow Banned

Gotta love Carl Jung for shining light on this truth!! Without acknowledging and knowing the dark, how can you recognise light? By embracing the shadow aspect of ourselves and becoming aware of the dark side of our nature, integration is possible.

“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
Carl Jung

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

17/02/2026

Year of the Fire Horse

Today is Chinese New Year, New Moon and almost Ramadan. A powerful synergistic alignment of celebration, unity and connection.

Most of us know the year we were born and the animal it represents, yet unless you are of Chinese heritage you will likely be unaware of the underlying symbolism and how this may play out over the next twelve months.

Anything out of balance creates imbalance on a microcosmic and macro cosmic level. With balanced fire we can move with ease, and the Fire Horse has potential for steadfast momentum. A steady horse knows when to stop, shake their head, brush away flies and walk on.

When fire is over or under stimulated, or the horse is startled or restricted, we may find ourselves feeling burnt out, or have difficulty moving forward despite much energy and effort being expended.

May we move together peacefully
with ease and grace,
into the next phase.

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

Image artist unknown.

15/02/2026

Soulful Sunday - Accept What Is

I spent a large part of my early life resisting the inevitable, from bad weather to Monday mornings. Until I realised there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing!!

Hiking over waterlogged fields and observing these little beauties, paddling in the mud, over the weekend reminds me of my resolute endeavour to accept things I cannot change and have the courage to change things I can.

Resisting change is a form of denial which is also perhaps part of a natural grieving process? Learning to accept what is facilitates a surender of perceived control and shifts us towards trust.

Letting go is one of the greatest challenges in an ego dominated society. Trust and acceptance is reached when we proactively place something in the service of good and in so doing protect it from the grips of fear and forces of destruction.

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

14/02/2026

Love Letter

Our connection to the spiritual plane is the antidote to the ego’s insanity. - Marianne Williamson

Dedicate your life to love.
Let everything you touch
have love at the heart.
You are love in action!!
❤️❤️

Art: Rachel Grant

13/02/2026

Just The Tonic

Leicester Comedy Festival is back; bigger, bolder, and brighter. With upwards of 700 shows across a wide variety of venues there is something for everyone. There are kids and family events, workshops and even seminars if you want something a bit more serious!!

The art of comedy is such a great way to tackle issues that can make you feel uncomfortable. Last night I went to a fabulous gig about mental health, rather than mental ill health or illness. One in four of us will be impacted by the latter, so it’s always been my view to be proactive and tackle the thing which affects everyone. Prevention is always better than cure.

Dave Chawner is an award winning comic, writer, presenter and eating disorders campaigner. Catch his show Mental currently on tour.

I’m still smiling about some of the suggestions made by statutory mental health workers to treat a crisis such as yoga, having a bath and walking in nature. Whilst these things have a massive impact on mental health promotion and maintenance, in a crisis safety is always the most pressing priority!!

Thanks Dave for the reminder to laugh more,
it lightens the load - Vicki ❤️❤️

11/02/2026

The Healing Power of Sleep

As a health and wellness practitioner it’s something I always ask about, however no one has ever asked me about my sleep pattern in any depth or explained the health benefits and risks of sleep enhancement and deprivation.

As part of my professional development this month I attended a webinar with Shoela Curry on the metabolic power of sleep. It’s a session I took some years ago and wanted to revisit the latest evidence based studies and papers on how sleep impacts health.

The main takeaways, which I cannot stress enough, are the importance of prioritising sleep. These are my absolute non negotiables, I would love to know your thoughts?

💤 Endeavour to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, ideally around 10pm and 6am.
💤 Leave at least 3-4 hours from eating your evening meal till bedtime.
💤 Come off all devices, in particular smart phones, 1-2 hours before bed. Avoid scrolling and switch your phone off do not use it as an alarm clock!!
💤 Avoid strenuous exercise in the evening.
💤 If you are sleep deprived, or tired, avoid driving and operating any machinery as it simply isn’t safe to do so.

There will be times in life when your sleep pattern is disturbed. During illness, pregnancy, major life events, becoming a parent, menopause, bereavement and more. The important thing is to recognise there’s a problem and do something to get back on track as soon as possible. After just one night of losing four hours sleep; insulin levels, growth hormone and cortisol levels are measurably impacted.

Sleep is much more than beauty, it’s health, metabolic function and longevity!! Please get in touch if this is something you would like to work on and not sure where to start.

Sleep well - Vicki ❤️❤️

08/02/2026

Soulful Sunday - Life With Meaning

I always associated blessing with religion until I began to spend time at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, where food is blessed every mealtime when served in the community centre.

I adopted this ritual in our family home. Taking a moment to bless the food, the cook and the day whenever we sit down to eat together. A moment to pause and reflect, to appreciate the food, the growers, Mother Earth for sunshine and rain and the person who prepared the meal with love.

A moment to pause before starting to eat; observing the colour, the texture and the shapes of the meal in front of me. A moment to express gratitude for having food on the table at all, a luxury which half the world does not enjoy.

A pause before eating, and between mouthfuls, allows me to be present. To taste the food, enjoy the flavours and notice when I am full.

Research shows that simply eating slowly and pausing to put down your knife and fork between mouthfuls leads to less likelihood of reaching for seconds and more likelihood of not finishing a meal.

Pausing to make a blessing encourages mindfulness and mindful eating means you eat less. Presence fills the gap which may previously have been perceived as emptiness.

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

07/02/2026

Judge Less Love More

“Omi God, omi God you guys” Legally Blonde at Curve Leicester is incredible. Brilliant casting, fabulous choreography and a great set. It’s also a really good story which showcases society’s tendency to judge, make assumptions and write people off before they have a chance to show what they’re made of.

Human beings have the most incredible potential. Sadly many children don’t spend long in school before their self esteem and confidence start to decline. Too many young people leave formal education feeling that they’ve failed, are lacking in confidence and unsure how they can contribute to society.

El Woods goes to Law School with the intention of winning back her boyfriend who cast her aside when she wasn’t the kind of woman he judged would take him where he wanted to go. El on the other hand has integrity, loyalty, a sense of morality and boundless intelligence.

At the end of the day justice prevails.
Elle finds Emmett
who loves her for who she is,
and with whom she can be herself.

A story about upholding truth, justice and integrity. It’s the only thing that leaves you with a clear conscience and peace of mind!!

With love - Vicki ❤️❤️

Address

North Street Oadby
Leicester
LE25AH

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10:30am - 7pm
Thursday	1pm - 6:30pm
Friday	11am - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 10:30am

Website

http://www.vickimarston.co.uk/

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