Sophie Howlett
Clinical Pilates Practitioner in Reading

Sophie is a qualified Pilates Teacher and Myofascial Release Therapist. She is in her first year of an Osteopathy degree with London School of Osteopathy.

Sophie specialises in Myofascial Release Treatments, Sports Massage, Pelvic Floor Training, Pilates One to Ones and group classes.

About me:
I have been working as a Pilates Teacher in Reading and Caversham for over 12 years now. I love the way my skills can help people lead the lives they want to lead, doing the sports they love, training as hard as they want to and recovering from injuries as quickly as possible. I believe that a combination of treatment and rehabilitative movement are the keys to being able to move without pain.

I treat office workers, van drivers, busy mums, athletes and people from every walk of life.

In my own free time I enjoy running and swimming as well as doing Pilates and I like to be outdoors whenever possible.

Background & Clinical Pilates Qualifications

Training, qualifications & experience
London School of Osteopathy - currently furthering my training to become an osteopath
Body Control Pilates Qualified: Beginner to Advanced Levels and Equipment Qualified
Jing Advanced Massage Training
Myofascial Release UK
London School of Sports Massage Diploma Level 5

Places I Have Worked:
Reflex Chiropractic Clinic, Caversham Reading
Circle Hospital, Reading
Pure Stretch Studio, Henley
Apple Physiotherapy, Bracknell

My Specialisms

Pilates One to Ones - Pilates targets the body's deep postural muscles, building strength from the inside out. It helps to rebalance the body and to bring it into correct alignment.Sophie offers classes and Pilates one to Ones as well as specialist pre and post natal Pilates.

Myofascial Release - Myofascial Release (MFR) is a gentle but highly effective hands-on treatment that works with your body's fascia or connective tissue system. We have planes of fascia that run from the soles of our feet to the top of our skull. If we have restrictions within that fascia, like C-section or appendix scars or poor posture and overworking muscles, the whole body and its internal systems can be compromised. True myofascial therapists use advanced skills of touch and "listening" to feel the pulls and restrictions within each individual's body. Using gentle, slow, sustained pressure they work to free these restrictions. Each treatment is truly unique. Myofascial Release treatments can lead to increased ease of movement, reduction of pain and better posture.

Sports Massage - Sophie uses deep tissue sports massage to rehabilitate sports injuries, improve flexibility, aid recovery time, increase mobility and relieve everyday stress. She treats a lot of people with back pain, neck pain and shoulder tension as well as athletes pre and post events.

Pelvic Floor Training - Many people experience pelvic floor issues, some after pregnancy and childbirth but not always. Your pelvic floor can be challenged by simple issues such as constipation or child carrying. There are common signs and symptoms that we may be experiencing pelvic floor issues, these include:
urinary incontinence - not matter how "minor"
needing to pee too often
leakage issues when exercising
pain during sexual intercourse

Triggers for pelvic floor dysfunction include:

lifting heavy weights
lifting heavy children
constipation
manual labour
birth complications

Sophie is qualified and insured to assess, release and help to retrain your pelvic floor muscles so that you have the function and performance you need in order to not worry about them in everyday life and/or sporting activities.

Approach to Clinical Pilates & How I Work

My goal is to create a caring and nurturing environment. I listen carefully to what my clients tell me and work to treat the underlying causes of their presenting issues and not just the most obvious symptoms.

I treat every client as an individual and no two treatments are the same.

We take a detailed case history and assess the body before creating a treatment plan with Pilates and/or hands-on work followed up with stretching and a detailed care plan so that a client knows how they can help themselves towards recovery or improvement between appointments.

I ask new clients with a presenting problem to try and see my regularly three times with short intervals so that we can try and effect change, from there my goal is to space treatments further apart and keep the improvements for longer each time as well as create more strategies to prevent recurrence.

Therapies & Rates

Please note the rates detailed below are there to give you an idea of the therapists standard rates, we strongly advise you contact the therapist for more detailed rates and any offers they may have.

Therapy	Appointment Type	Rate
Clinical Pilates	In Person	£80 per 60 minutes
Structural Integration	In Person	£80 per 60 minutes
Pilates	In Person	£80 per 60 minutes
Myofascial Release	In Person	£80 per 60 minutes