BERMUDA is to have its first holistic centre. The opening of Newstead Holistic Health at the Newstead Hotel in Paget is set for this autumn.

It is hoped that local professionals in related disciplines will take part in the venture, which aims to offer a multitude of holistic and traditional spa services under one roof.

Such a facility would give a greater profile to the island's therapists, make them more accessible to the public and provide them with a professional workspace, said Andie Holman, a London-based homeopath and massage therapist.

"As a therapist starts a practice," she said, "they often find themselves in a catch-22 situation; they don't have enough clients to rent an office full-time and even if they have the clients, they have nowhere to treat them.

"What we're looking to provide is a venue for Bermuda's complementary therapists; an opportunity for them to work in a professional, integrated clinic. With that aim, we will rent one of our rooms out to interested professionals and have had interest from one acupuncturist and one homeopath to date.

"We want to offer a variety of therapies but what we want are licensed, screened professional therapists. (In order to be affiliated with us) they will have to go through an interview process to ensure that we're on the same page, they have to have the proper qualifications and they must have an interest in the holistic approach to healing. We want people who seriously want to make a go of it."

Mrs. Holman is on the island as a consultant to the Newstead Hotel. A Bermudian, she is registered with the UK Society of Homeopaths and works at Third Space in Soho and at London Bridge Hospital.

The services should work to complement those already offered through the Newstead Hotel's spa, she added. Reiki, reflexology, pregnancy massage and regular massage, algae and detox wraps, had been well received by their clients and should fit in well with the holistic therapies they intended to offer.

"A holistic centre will not only benefit our overseas guests but will give a central place without the hustle and bustle of town for locals to visit. The complementary practitioners we have here seem to be very stretched. As far as I'm aware, there isn't a place for therapists to go and discuss ideas.

"We want to offer a place where people can give lectures and talks, where we can bring in specialists for seminars and bascially give Bermuda the same opportunity the rest of the world enjoys. By providing a central location for people, a place where they can find everything they need under one roof, where it's accessible to them - as a bonus they get gorgeous views and wonderful food - we're hoping to develop this, to take it as far as we can. The sky's the limit and we hope to offer more over time as we develop."

The Newstead Holistic Health is to open in the middle of Autumn at the Newstead Hotel in Paget.

See also Insight on page 5.