ABOUT ME
Understanding what your body is trying to tell you
I’m Layla, a Systematic Kinesiologist based in Somerset, near Bath, with over five years’ experience. My work helps people look beyond individual symptoms to explore the different factors that may be affecting how they feel and identify what might help - whether through techniques used during treatment or manageable changes between sessions.
Supporting clients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) has become a particular focus within my practice. Endometriosis is another growing area of focus, informed by ongoing learning, research and client work.
How I found Systematic Kinesiology
While visiting my best friend in Mexico, she was so excited about an upcoming kinesiology treatment that she booked one for me too. Jet-lagged and with little idea what to expect, I agreed. I was blown away by how much the session, guided by muscle testing, helped me make sense of some of my life experiences, consider how I might process them and recognise what could support me.
I booked several more sessions during my stay. By the end of the holiday, I wasn’t just curious about what kinesiology could offer me - I had begun to wonder whether it might be the direction I had been looking for. When I returned to Bristol, I started researching the different branches of kinesiology.
What drew me to Systematic Kinesiology was the depth and breadth of its approach. Grounded in an understanding of anatomy and physiology, it explores how physical, emotional, nutritional and energetic factors may interact and affect a person’s health. It also incorporates long-established principles from practices such as traditional Chinese medicine.
My research led me to Dawn Bailey’s school, just five minutes up the road. I was so eager that I arrived at a taster event a month early. Returning on the correct date, I knew within minutes that I wanted to train with Dawn. I enrolled that day and later completed the Practitioner Course before establishing Healthy Balance.
What Shapes My Approach
My background in human rights, advocacy and social care taught me to consider how people’s experiences, relationships and wider circumstances can shape their wellbeing. That perspective remains central to my work as a kinesiologist today.
My work continually raises new questions and encourages me to learn and explore further. My approach is shaped by lived experience as well as professional knowledge. Supporting people with complex, overlapping physical and emotional challenges has deepened my commitment to being an informed, thorough, compassionate and gentle practitioner.
For me, gentle does not mean slow or ineffective. It means meeting someone where they are and taking all the different parts of them into consideration—not only the part that wants things to change. It also means recognising their wider circumstances and capacity to act, so that any suggested changes feel manageable and realistic.
That philosophy is reflected in the name Healthy Balance: a sustainable approach to wellbeing that encourages taking care of yourself while still leaving room for enjoyment.
Where My Work Is Developing
My interest in the jaw and its relationship with the wider body began during my Practitioner Course. It developed further as I explored research into connections between temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), pelvic pain and endometriosis. I have since completed additional CPD training at the Jing Institute in intra-oral massage, trigger-point therapy, myofascial release and soft-tissue techniques. Supporting people with TMDs is now a particular focus within my practice.
Endometriosis became another area of focus after I worked with an early client living with severe pain. Her experience brought home to me how profoundly endometriosis can affect someone’s daily life, sense of hope and plans for the future. It stayed with me and led me to deepen my understanding, with a particular focus on research into phyto-oestrogens.
Working Together
Nothing about the journey towards feeling better is neat or linear, but having someone on your team to support you through it can make all the difference. If you would like to explore whether my approach feels right for you, you can book a free discovery call.