For this training, Viola teaches on the role of nutrition and gut health in relation to wellbeing and emotional management.
As a microbiome specialist, Viola Sampson was one of the first practitioners in the UK using cutting-edge stool testing to provide guidance on foods, prebiotics and probiotics tailored to an individual’s unique profile of gut bacteria. Alongside private practice, for a number of years Viola has enjoyed teaching hands-on fermentation workshops and seminars on the microbiome for healthcare practitioners, as well as working with chefs to integrate the principles of microbiome health into their menus.
Her background includes an early career as a published medical research scientist, before training in a body-centred healthcare modality known as craniosacral therapy. Over 15 years in craniosacral practice, Viola specialised in working with chronic illness, trauma recovery and digestive health, and she now brings that knowledge and experience to the Microbiome Analysis practice that has become her primary focus.
A personal journey of lifelong gut issues and more than a decade of chronic illness (ME/CFS) in early adulthood first brought Viola to the fascinating, invisible world of the gut microbiome. While craniosacral therapy, and the vagus nerve stimulation it offers, was central to her recovery from ME/CFS, ongoing digestive issues left her with a highly restricted diet. Through exploring the rapidly growing body of research on the microbiome, studying and collaborating with pioneering practitioners around the world, and experimenting on her own gut microbiome, those digestive symptoms resolved. She now supports her clients to restore microbiome health and expand their diet, and she is passionate about working with clients who have chronic and complex health conditions, including autoimmune and fatigue conditions in particular.
The gut microbiome is increasingly understood to play a major role in mental health, vagus nerve function and inflammation, and the microbiome-gut-brain axis continues to be an area of special interest for Viola. As Microbiome Analyst and certified Health Coach, she applies the latest research on the role of microbiome interventions, including diet, in supporting mental health. As a food-first practitioner, she recognises our relationship with food and pleasure is key to our microbiome health and is excited to see how the growing awareness of microbiome function opens up new avenues to health and wellbeing.