The Sand & Sound Centre
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  • Home
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  • Trauma in the Sand
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The Team

Masha Bennett

Masha, the founder of the Sand & Sound Centre, is a Psychotherapist, Sandplay Therapist, Clinical Supervisor and Sound Healer based in Glossop near Manchester, UK. After her early career in zoology, botany and horticulture, she has been working with adults and young people therapeutically since 2000, in prisons, probation service, residential children’s homes, National Health Service, primary schools, charities, and in private practice. Masha is a trauma specialist and has an MSc in Therapeutic Practice for Psychological Trauma. She has delivered many training courses and workshops to health professionals and general public in the UK and internationally (Norway, Russia, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Latvia, Lithuania, Israel) since 2006. Apart from Sandplay Therapy, Sound Healing and Pesso Boyden work her specialist interests include Trauma & PTSD, Therapeutic Art, Metaphors of Movement, Dreamwork, Emotional Freedom Techniques, and the Enneagram. In her spare time Masha paints pictures, walks her two border collies and has many cups of tea in her wild woodland garden. Masha can offer therapy in English and Russian. You can find more information on her experience and qualifications here, and on her writing and publications here.

You can contact Masha via email masha@practicalhappiness.co.uk or phone 07887 617558 (please send an SMS or WhatsApp message first to arrange time to talk). You can follow her main Facebook page https://facebook.com/masha.bennett, or her business page (less used) Masha's Sand & Sound Centre here https://facebook.com/sand.sound.soul


Masha's professional memberships & affiliations

* UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy) - Registered Psychotherapist & Supervisor

* NLPtCA (Neurolinguistic Psychotherapy & Counselling Association) - Accredited Psychotherapist & Supervisor, Board Member 2020-2024; Accreditation Registrar 2022-2024

* WASTP (World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals) - Registered Sand Therapist - Consultant/Trainer; Credentialing Committee Member 2023-24

* AST (Association for Sandplay Therapy) - Member

* CoSH (College of Sound Healing) - Tutor & Gong Practitioner

* Creative Counsellors - Professional Member 

Clara Charlesworth

Clara is a qualified Psychosynthesis counsellor as well as a professional musician. She offers therapy 1:1 both face-to-face in Suffolk and online, as well as co-facilitating Pesso Boyden groups at The Sand & Sound Centre in Stockport and in London/Suffolk.


Clara has a specialist interest in offering therapeutic support to musicians, and also offers flute journey meditations.  Clara and Masha offer occasional sound healing weekends at The Sand & Sound Centre.


You can find out more about Clara and get in touch with her via her website https://www.claratherapy.co.uk/

Pete Joscelyne

Pete is a qualified counsellor and Pesso Boyden therapist who works inprivate practice in Devon.  He is also a registered Children's Social
Worker. Pete works 1:1 with clients in person and online, and also facilitates Pesso Boyden therapy groups at The Sand & Sound Centre in Stockport, as well as in Devon. Pete is a father of three, loves the outdoors and is a keen sailor.


You can find out more about Pete and get in touch with him via his website https://pessoboyden-devon.co.uk/

Julie Ralphs

Julie's background was working with Children's Services for 20 years supporting children with special needs in schools and Foster care.

Alongside this in 1999 Julie developed a passion for holistic therapies studying Aromatherapy, massage and Karuna Reiki. This lead onto her  love of sound and going on to complete her sound practitioner training, followed by Don Conreaux’s Gong Master training. 

Julie says: 'Sound is so much more than what we hear, it has to be felt.  Sound is the language of the universe and medicine to the soul.
Sound has the ability to silence the mind, touch the soul and open the heart, allowing access to the higher self, creating a space to search and reflect.'

Julie offers a monthly Gong Bath Meditation at The Sand & Sound Centre - when bookings are open, you can find the details here.


Therapist Network

Masha has very limited availability for new one-to-one clients, but can recommend some good colleagues working in Greater Manchester, High Peak area and online. See the list here.

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