Angie Parr masters the business of healing

A former finance and banking supervisor has made the leap to self-employment, starting her own alternative therapy service.

Rochdale resident Angie Parr launched her new business, Angie Reiki Parr, last month. She offers a range of treatments in Reiki, a system of healing which originated in Japan in the early 20th century.

Angie was made redundant from her full-time finance role when high street giant Woolworths ceased trading in December 2008. Recognising this as a chance to change direction, Angie took a role at Rochdale Town Hall and it was during this time that she first tried Reiki herself. She found the experience so positive for her overall wellbeing that she continued to receive treatments and gradually sought to learn the practice in order to be able to treat others.

Once she had reached ‘master’ level in Reiki healing and felt confident both practicing and teaching, Angie completed a series of business training courses to prepare her for the new challenges of running her own company.

Angie said: “There is so much to take in initially and Reiki is also a new concept for most people, meaning there is the added challenge of educating them about what it is and why it can be useful."