The history of Forest of Arden Healing Arts
As medicine reached a crisis point in the late twentieth century, due to its failure to find cures for many diseases and its tendency to create more illness than it cured, the time became ripe for massage to make its resurgence to the centre of health care. Beginning with the alternative lifestyle movements of the United States in the late 1960’s and peaking in the New Age consciousness movements of the 1980’s massage became the preferred treatment for many conscious health consumers. One of the global centres of this new consciousness was Los Angeles on the Western coast of the United States. Massage schools flourished along the sunlit beach communities of L.A.
The Forest Of Arden
The Forest of Arden was a verdant wonderland of green that covered the West Midlands years ago. William Shakespeare was a child of that forest, not only having grown up in it, but also being born of a mother named Mary Arden. When he wrote his plays he used the forest as the central space of transformation.
“Christian is a truly gifted and intuitive healer; he is a kind man with a generous heart.” -J.F., Los Angeles

Christian Smith
“From my point of view, Christian’s work has been not only life changing but life saving.”– R. W. Leamington Spa
“Annie is one of the most incredible therapists that I know!!!! The Real Deal!” -Will, Massage Therapist

Annie Barker
has been working in the field of healing arts since 2000. She studied at the Massage School of Santa Monica in Los Angeles, Ca. where she learned and became qualified in Structural Bodywork, Swedish Massage, Thai Massage, Movement Work, Tragerwork, Spa treatments and Hot Stone Massage. She also studied and became a certified Craniosacral Therapist through the Upledger Institute. She has studied Lymph Drainage Therapy through the Chikly Institute and Visceral Manipulation through the Barral Institute. She uses her skills in dance, yoga and theatre training to inform her bodywork and knowledge of movement therapies. Annie maintained a vibrant clientele in Los Angeles working privately as well as at the prestigious Spa at The Palazzo. She worked as a bodyworker and bodymind therapist for eight years in the UK.
“Annie treats and empowers the whole person to move and live better.”– Emma F. London