Judith Whatley: Reflexology (Therapy for Relaxation, Deep Sleep, and Anxiety)

Judith Whatley is an academic reflexologist of some 27 years standing. She recently retired from academic life, where she was a senior lecturer in Clinical reflexology and Research Methods at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She is a Psychology graduate who holds a Masters degree in research methodologies.

 

Her reflexology practice was built up over 15 years culminating in a clinic with 9 therapists many of whom she trained herself. The ethos behind the clinic environment was to work cohesively and supportively as a team - working to improve clients’ health, build resilience and aid recovery from illness of all kinds.  

She has been passionate about building an evidence base for reflexology and is particularly interested in the physiological changes which occur during a reflexology treatment. In 2015, she was project leader of a study into the effects of reflexology lymphatic drainage (RLD) on breast cancer related lymphoedema. This technique of lymphatic drainage, developed by Sally Kay offered a unique opportunity to measure in real time the effects of reflexology. Three academic papers have now been published looking at the impact of reflexology on the movement of lymphoedema after breast cancer. The last of these used Thermal imaging cameras to view the movement of lymphatic fluid in the arm. As part of her academic work Judith was the Academic Lead for the final year research dissertations on the University’s undergraduate programmes in complementary healthcare.  

 

She has been published in academic journals such as Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, and the British Journal of Community Nursing and a variety of professional publications, such as Reflexions and International Therapist. In 2014 she was awarded the Association of Reflexologists Tutor of the year. In both 2017 and 2020 she was ‘Highly commended’ in the Higher Education Teaching Excellence awards, and she was awarded the AoR (Association of Reflexologists) Research Excellence Award in 2018.

 

In conjunction with her colleagues Joanne Perkins and Dr Carol Samuel, she has recently published an academic paper exploring the mechanism of action of reflexology and proposed links with fascia. She has lectured widely at conferences in the UK and in the US, winning the best presentation prize at the CAMSTRAND conference at the University of Warwick in 2016. She most recently presented at the AoR national conference in London, where her topic was 40 years of reflexology research.

 

Judith’s latest paper can be found here:

‘Reflexology: Exploring the mechanism of action’ - ScienceDirect

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest speaker on this episode are solely those of the guest. The content shared is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice or endorsement.