SYLVIA CANTINO

Complementary Therapist

Italian by origin, in 2001 I left Milan and moved to England where I lived for 15 years. I currently reside and work in the Sacred Valley in Huaran, Peru.

My personal journey involved being suspended between two worlds: the logic of my mind and the emotions of my heart. While being highly sensitive and intuitive since an early age, due to life circumstances and expectations, I ended up in accountancy positions in emotionally cold and demanding work environments in corporate and not-for-profit organizations.

Over 20 years ago, following a traumatic experience in my work environment and the imminent death of my father, I sought a more fulfilling path. I reconnected to my early age interests about energy healing and Complimentary Therapies, with the intention of developing ‘hands on’ skills that I could take anywhere with me and become independent from the corporate world. The more I was progressing in my training and working with my therapies, the more the dichotomy between my inner and outer world was becoming apparent.

My discomfort within the corporate world was growing. At the same time I was deepening my self-exploration and reconnecting more deeply with my intuition and curiosity about the healing ability of the human body. That prompted me to desire exploring more subtle avenues through other therapy modalities to deepen my interaction with a holistic approach to healing.

In the meantime, since 2010, I have also been working with various plant medicines. I reckon that was the beginning of an inner awakening, leading to a deeper self-exploration, progressively dissolving conditioned beliefs and illusions, and cultivating a deeper awareness to my response to life.

I felt I needed some changes so I left the corporate world, moved to the not-for-profit sector for some time and eventually left everything I had built there and moved to Peru, to continue my journey with my therapies and plant medicines.

My personal journey continues and expand together with my passion for Complementary Therapies, exploring wider possibilities of promote and support the healing process of my clients.

Professional training:

  • In 1996 I enrolled in a 3 year training in Shiatsu Massage where I qualified with Franco Bottalo, founder of Shiatsu-Xin College in Milan, in June 1999.
  • I became a qualified Reiki practitioner in May 1997 (1st Level) and February 2001 (2nd Level).
  • In June 2008 I completed the foundation training in Cranio-Sacral Therapy at the CCST (College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy) in London.
  • In January 2016 I completed the Therapist Diploma of Sound Therapy at the British Association of Sound Therapy (BAST) with Liz Cooper.

My perspective on healing is derived from my studies and experiences of the body’s innate capacity to re-organize itself when provided with intelligent, tactile input, within the container of a therapy session.

The foundation of my practice lies on my passion for these therapies, my dedication to yoga practice, conscious movement, breathing exercises and experiential self-enquiry techniques based on non-duality.

I have progressively directed my interests in other therapeutic modalities that could give me a wider, more holistic spectrum of interaction with my clients, blending massage techniques with more receptive and subtle techniques, thus deepening the healing interaction I could have with my clients.

Every treatment is unique and it is a journey that develops as the session progresses.