Athena Beauty Spa & Training Centre

Athena Beauty Spa & Training Centre

Meet The Tutors

Kara Faulkner V.T.C.T./ I.I.H.H.T./ I.H.B.C. / I.I.S.T. / M.DIP.I.I.S.T.

Kara Faulkner (India - Ayurvedic Training 2010)

On leaving High School I continued my education at college and gained a BTEC National Diploma in Sports Science Studies, then continued my higher education at Cheltenham College where I commenced a 3 year degree course in Sports Science. However, after twelve months and a lot of soul searching I decided that my career path lay in a different direction and returned to my studies in Beauty and Holistic Therapies qualifying in NVQ Beauty Therapy Level 2 & 3 (V.T.C.T.), Aromatherapy (I.I.H.H.T.) and Epilation (I.H.B.C) in 1996. During this learning period I was also determined to make sure I put the time I had spent at University to good use and so took my Masters Diploma in Sports Therapy, followed by reflexology and many other holistic courses.

Having gained experience as a full time Beauty Therapist during 1996/97 I made the decision to start up my own business by offering a mobile service for Beauty Therapy in Wigan and the surrounding areas. My next step on the ladder was to move from mobile into premises in Standish, Wigan and as my business grew and became more established, in 2000 I relocated to a larger two storey building in a more central location in the town.

With many years experience I now had the opportunity to pass my knowledge and enthusiasm on to students in the field of beauty therapy. I enrolled on a ‘City & Guilds Teacher Training Course’ in 2001 and started part time teaching at Runshaw College, Chorley in the evenings. This enabled me to pass on my extensive knowledge within the industry.

In 2004 the salon was completely refurbished, offering traditional beauty & holistic treatments including far eastern therapies/rituals, 'Athena Beauty Spa was born’.

My next step was to set up fast track accredited training courses in beauty and holistic therapies within my premises which I felt there was a huge demand for. My business was renamed ‘Athena Beauty Spa & Training Centre’’. Athena Beauty Training Centre offers intensive short courses, specialising in one to one training and small group training, ensuring each student is given a great deal of individual attention and personal tuition. Having obtained my qualification as a City and Guild Assessor I further added a variety of courses I had trained in to my training centre covering a range of subjects including, Micro- Dermabrasion, Lymphatic Drainage Massage & Far Eastern Massage Techniques.

Since 2004 Athena Beauty Training Centre has been extremely successful, training many new students and returning students from both the UK and internationally.

In January 2010 I had the opportunity to travel to Goa, India to further my passion and interest in Ayurvedic Therapies including Abhyanga Massage, Pizichilli, Shirodhara, Udvartana and other therapies, qualifying in a ‘Kerala Panchakarma Therapist Program’. Being able to practice and learn these ancient Indian therapies over 5000 years old, was an experience I will never forget! My visit to India has reaffirmed ayurvedic living encompassing yoga and meditation giving me an enriched outlook on life. I hope to return to this wonderful country where the knowledge of these healing therapies are awaiting rediscovery.

With tutors on board offering their wealth of experience, Athena Beauty Training Centre now offers further comprehensive fast track courses in VTCT Home Study Anatomy and Physiology / Health and Safety, Hawaiian Massage, Aromatherapy, Crystals, Shirodhara, Holistic Facials and Thai Body Work.

All courses are taught in an innovative professional manner with small classroom sizes to enable a great deal of personal tuition and flexibility in teaching methods. Throughout the training period student feedback is encouraged in order to achieve individual aspirations and to tailor the course delivery to reflect personal knowledge and experience of the chosen subject.

I look forward to welcoming you as a student at Athena Beauty Training Centre and assisting you in both your personal and career development.

Kara Faulkner & Kathyrn Humphries (India - Ayurvedic Training 2010)

Kara Faulkner (India - Ayurvedic Training 2010)

Kathryn Humphries

Kat is a qualified, practising complementary therapy practitioner/teacher from Penkridge, Staffordshire. A long time ago, whilst working full-time as an accountant, her work colleagues paid for her to attend a Reiki course which was quickly followed by a diploma in Indian head massage and a crystal therapy course.
After spending 2 years travelling in South America, Australasia and Asia, living in Nepal for 5 months while volunteering in Kathmandu and a remote hill village, Kat returned to the UK. After experiencing many wonderful therapies overseas and seeing their effects, she changed career and re-trained full time in massage, aromatherapy and reflexology. This was followed by Bowen therapy, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi and many other spiritual and hands-on therapy qualifications over the years.
Further overseas travel incorporated training courses (including ayurvedic treatments in India in early 2010) and Kat now offers you complementary techniques from around the world, in particular India and Thailand, to add to your toolbox!

Anita James SPdipA, MIFPA, Cert ED

I live in Derbyshire, England with my son. I was widowed just after his birth and 4 months after that made redundant. I retrained as an aromatherapist with the Shirley Price International College of Aromatherapy and graduated with a distinction in July 2001. I have gone on to undertake training in other holistic disciplines.

As an aromatherapist I have always looked at ways of incorporating aromatherapy into everyday environments. I have a particular interest in using aromatherapy with children. Five years ago I was given the chance to set up a project in an infants school and have since set up other projects in local schools and nurseries. Parents are also included in the programme with massage tuition being given for home use.

I began teaching in 2005 on a freelance basis and work for various organisations alongside private work through my own company Essentially Holistic. I believe in inspiring learners through active learning and want them to go away passionate about the new knowledge they have acquired. I was the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) chair of IFPA from 2005 until 2009.

I relax by doing Dru Yoga and reading. I enjoy gardening in my spare time, growing most of our fruit and vegetables on my allotment along with lavender, calendula and other medicinal plants. I also started bee keeping in 2009 building up to 2 hives which have provided me with a very steep, but fascinating learning curve!

Training Courses