PENNY TINDLE
AROMATHERAPIST / ANTE-NATAL TEACHER
From a Director position in a large British Hospital, Penny took the opportuity to downshift when her husband's job took her to Norway.
CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONALAGE: 39
STATUS: British and married in 1994
CHILDREN: None
COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCE: Moved all over England, from Kingston-upon-Thames to Northampton to Birmingham, Kettering, Nottingham, Slimbridge and Winchester. In Stavanger, Norway since 1994. NUMBER OF MOBILE YEARS: 20
WORK
ORIGINAL CAREER: I completed my nursing training and went on to specialise in midwifery, ultimately becoming Director of Midwifery, Gynaecology and Paediatrics at Winchester.
CURRENT EARNING POTENTIAL: I charge £35 for an hour's full body massage and £25 per hour for lecturing. This is obviously considerably less than when working as a Nursing Director.
BRIEF EMPLOYMENT DETAILS: I progressed up the nursing ladder to Director position. Married and came to Norway, giving up career to pursue more gentle pursuits.
CAREER PATH
SCHOOL: GCE O levels, Biology A level, Law A level by correspondence.
COLLEGE: State Registered Nurse, State Certified Midwife, Advanced Diploma in Midwifery, Year's sabbatical to do Certificate of Education.
OTHER: Masters of Business Administration with Open University (1993). One year's Norwegian language course one afternoon a week. Diploma of Aromatherapy and Massage - five month Norwegian course.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY JOANNA PARFITT
JP: In twenty years you appear to have continued to learn while climbing the career ladder. Would you agree?PT: Yes, I have taken part in some form of education every other year during my professional life. I'm taking a day skipper's course by correspondence next. But no I do not feel demeaned by my current work. After 17 years in the National Health Service I was glad to be able to leave it all behind. When I married Tim, we made the decision that whoever had the greatest earning potential at the time, would be the one to work. I chose to take a back seat and it is most enjoyable.
JP: Surely this must have been extremely difficult for you?
PT: It was. But when we were in England, both with high powered and demanding jobs we were just incapable of supporting each other. Neither of us could offload on the other. Something had to give. Of course it was a hard decision to make, particularly when people tend to class you by what you do for a living. I am an idealist. Every time I was promoted in the NHS I believed that this time I would really be able to make a difference. Politics always got in the way. It was never possible. I was starting to want to move beyond the conveyor belt, anyway. The decision may have been hard, but now I am much more in control and have more me-time. I have been able to get in touch with my creative side at last, take a watercolour class. As I say, I have 'freed my fluffy side'.
JP: I find it hard to believe that the transition was easy.
PT: You're right. For the first month I could not cope. I couldn't face going out because I couldn't communicate. I sat at home and read most of the time. It was so demoralising at times. After visiting a couple of shops I was exhausted and had to come home again. The Petroleum Wives Club and the Women's International Network (WIN) became my lifeline. I also took any substitute teaching I could find at the International School. It took six months to settle.
JP: What made you choose aromatherapy?
PT: I have always been interested in natural remedies, being a nurse gave me experience of close contact with patients and I thought I would be good at it. My father used to be a practising General Practitioner and he too believed in alternative medicine. Really it was a natural step.
JP: And does it fulfill you?
PT: It is very satisfying. I enjoy the personal communication and helping other people. Yes, at times, I do feel demeaned, but it depends on the client and is rare. One woman insisted on treating me like a servant and made constant calls on her mobile telephone during the session. That was an exception.
JP: What effect does your nursing experience have on your particular treatment of clients?
PT: Of course I have a lot of experience in counselling, I am used to treating everything I hear as confidential. Having been a nurse I am sure people relax more with me too. They certainly feel less self-conscious about their bodies than if I had not had nursing experience. I am used to seeing people with mastectomies for example. I am more clinical in my approach to the body and can see what I do as a treatment. My knowledge of anatomy really helps too.
JP: How do you market yourself?
PT: I joined the Petroleum Wives Club and advertise in their monthly magazine. I also use the International School newsletter. Of course I target the expatriate community and find word of mouth very effective.
JP: How long did it take for business to pick up?
PT: Immediately. I am just as busy as I had hoped and broke even within a few months. The course had cost me £700.
JP: Do you ever have an dodgy clients?
PT: Well, I was once asked to visit a businessman in his hotel room. I felt embarrassed taking my massage table into his tiny bedroom but had my running shoes on just in case.
JP: So is it usual for you to drive to your clients, rather than they visit you?
PT: Yes. People are often so relaxed after a session that it is not wise for them to drive home.
JP: Have you thought of branching out into, say reflexology, for example?
PT: I don't much like feet - I've seen so many in stirrups on the delivery ward! No, instead I like to concentrate on lecturing.
JP: You give ante-natal classes, yes?
PT: I provide a basic set of four classes for each couple and then provide a free after care service. I will visit them after the birth and help with problems with breast feeding for example. I also make myself available in early labour if required. In fact my favourite job with the NHS, was when I was a community midwife.
JP: Do you need to register with the local authorities?
PT: My Royal College of Midwives insurance covers me for this.
JP: I believe you were Co-Chairperson for WIN, is this right?
PT: I need the opportunity to swap my aromatherapist's tracksuit for a smart suit sometimes. WIN helps to fill the gap left after years of a full-time professional career. I was Co-Chair for a year and now I am responsible for what is called skill-building. At each monthly session I lead the members into group work. Last month they all tried to put together 30 second introductions about themselves, for example. WIN gives me something to do beyond coffee and buns. It keeps my brain ticking.
JP: Have any unusual career opportunities come your way, that would not have happened if you had been in your home country?
PT: Yes. I was invited to run a series of seminars at the local university business school as part of a course in Inter Cultural communications. I had to produce the course work from scratch and had to encourage 120 Norwegian students to take an active interactive role. It was quite a challenge I can tell you! Fortunately the teaching was in English.
JP: So do you feel that your recent MBA has been useful, after all?
PT: Indeed it helped me with my management skills, but to be honest, I know from hard experience that as soon as you try to implement your skills it seems so futile. However, owing to my qualification and lack of permanent employment I was recently able to take up a short contract in North America undertaking a statistical survey.
JP: So, in summary, would you agree that this move to Norway has been beneficial?
PT: After two years the good days outweigh the bad and so, I suppose, I've settled in. Yet I know that even if I had fluent Norwegian I know I will never be truly accepted. I now know that I would not want to return to full-time work, even if we went back to England. I enjoy my life but I think that is possibly owing to my sense of humour and tolerant husband. He has to be supportive - I give him free massages.
Penny would like to share the following with you:
MagazinesAromatherapy Quarterly
5 Ranelagh Avenue
Barnes
London
SW13 0BY
Tel/fax: (44) (0)181 392 1691
£4 issue (£16 per annum)
Books
Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils
Julia Lawless
Element
ISBN 185230 311 5
Aromatherapy for Common Problems
Shirley Prices
Gaia Books
ISBN 8205205965
Aromatherapy
Micheline Arcier
Hamlyn
ISBN 0600575608
Organisations
The Institute for Complementary Medicine
PO Box 194
London
SE16 1QZ
Aromatherapy Organisations Council
3 Latymer Close
Braybrooke
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 8LN
Tel: (44) (0)1858 434242
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
Careers Service
PO Box 2EN
London
W1A 2EN
The UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
23 Portland Place
London
W1N 4JT
Contact Jo Parfitt: Generaal Spoorlaan 24, 2252 TA, Voorschoten, Netherlands - Tel: +31 (0)71 561 6857 - www.expatrollercoaster.com