Our Team
"We have an exceptional team of therapists and retreat collaborators from around the world, dedicated to curating extraordinary treatments and experiences for our cherished clients and guests. Each team member brings a unique set of skills to listen, understand, and tailor the perfect therapy or retreat experience to meet your needs."
Scottish Therapists Team
Founder of Stellar Therapies, a former costume designer, experienced burnout after many years working in the UK theatre industry and realised she needed a change in her life.
She travelled and engaged in activities such as Arabic belly dancing and yoga. She reconnected with the healing art of massage and retrained in various massage therapies.
Since 2015, Ari has been working professionally as a bodywork therapist and has worked in various settings such as clinics, spas, athletic events, charitable organisations and corporate environments.
In 2018, her work took her worldwide, and in 2020, she founded Stellar Therapies to share her bodywork healing, dance and yoga expertise, running studios in southern Albania & Scotland and retreats worldwide.
Ari is trained in multiple treatment modalities and continues to update her skills and knowledge in the industry to deepen her understanding of how best to facilitate and support healing for her clients, alongside working with other incredible practitioners. Her passion is serving people on their journey to optimum health and well-being
Stellar Therapies is a place where therapists support other therapists to be the best that they can be to facilitate healing and health for their clients.
Ari is available for booking Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
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Ari
Liakeas
(MGHT, FHT & RYT 200)
Kasia
Zawadzka
(RYT 200, HNC Sports Therapist)
Kasia, originally from Poland, moved to Scotland in 2011, where her passion for human anatomy grew through her artistic journey of realistic body drawings. Engaging in activities like horse riding, mountain climbing, and aerial dance, she earned a Diploma in Physical Theatre Practice in Edinburgh in 2016.
Her experiences with travel, stress, and performance-related injuries deepened her curiosity about the complexity of the human body and mind.
In 2022, Kasia started teaching self-suspension aerial dance classes and returned to higher education to further explore the intricacies of the nervous system.
Kasia is currently a dedicated sports therapy student, having graduated with an HNC in Sports Therapy from Edinburgh College in 2025, and she is now pursuing her HND in the same field. Her passion for human anatomy and physiology is supported by her ongoing training as a Hatha Yoga Teacher, with plans to explore Aerial Yoga soon.
She believes in the strong link between physical therapy and wellbeing, which inspired her journey into yoga. By combining breath work, movement, and mindfulness, she highlights the importance of being present in the body, alongside traditional sports massage for effective rehabilitation.
Kasia is available for booking on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
Rachael is from Australia, who literally crash landed into massage therapy when she made a career change following a snowboarding accident back in 2019.
After experiencing the trials of rehabilitation, she developed not only an appreciation for massage therapy but also a passion for helping people. Working with athletes on women's health and pregnancy.
Rachael likes to call her massage technique a remedial flow. Using sports massage, Swedish, deep tissue, cupping and Thai-inspired stretches in her treatments.
She is finishing off a counselling diploma; she likes to provide support with people's mental health, alongside her massage treatments. She supports people with their mental health using breath work and meditation.
Combining both skills into her sessions.
Rachael is available for booking on Wednesday Mornings
Rachael Bennet
Michelle is a seasoned Master Trainer and Freelance Consultant with nearly 2 decades of experience in developing and delivering impactful training program. Her career spans multiple leadership roles, including Community Resiliency Coordinator, Risk Reduction Manager and Executive Trainer. With her advanced degrees in Public Administration, Education and Social Work, Michelle brings a comprehensive understanding of community building and impactful personal development.
Michelle has worked extensively with military personnel across six countries and visited over 60 locations. Her global perspective and cultural sensitivity enrich her approach to training. She specialises in resiliency, leadership, and navigating life transitions. She is a certified True Colours Facilitator, a Certified Life Coach and an NLP Practitioner.
Michelle’s charismatic and effective teaching style has empowered thousands of participants, from military leaders to active community members, to build resilience, enhance communication and achieve significant personal growth. She is passionate about fostering connections and strengthening teams by equipping them with effective and dynamic management tools.
Michelle also founded and runs Next Chapter Nomads, a company that coaches and supports people wanting to take the leap in changing their lives and moving to a new country and everything that it involves.
Michelle R Irwin (M.Ed, MRT)
