5 mins
Talking to… VIKTORYIA ROHAL
PB’s Therapist of the Year 2021 tells Melanie Macleod why adding an element of self-care to all of her treatments has been key to both client happiness and career success
Beauty therapist Viktoryia Rohal has many strings to her bow – not only does she have a background in nursing, but she’s also trained in alternative therapy reiki, life coaching hypnotherapy and neurolinguistic programming (NLP).
It’s these varied skills that made her the standout choice for Professional Beauty’s Therapist of the Year Award in 2021, especially given the trying few years we’d all had.
In her home-based studio, Viktoryia Health, based in Billericay, Essex, Rohal offers clients a holistic spin on all of her treatments, influenced by her myriad skills. “My background allows me to understand my clients’ true needs and help them better,” she says. “I’m able to read their body language and, in turn, I use my own body language to help clients feel more comfortable and open up, especially if it’s their first time with me.
Rohal treating a client
“If a client feels embarrassed, then I’m able to listen and hear what they’re not saying as much as what they are saying,” she continues “I feel connected and in tune with them and I’m able to give a better treatment through understanding their needs.”
Everything Rohal offers is geared towards self-care. “Even with aesthetic treatments such as microneedling, which can be uncomfortable, I make all of my offerings as holistic as I can,” she says. “Every treatment comes with a foot massage, which adds an extra healing touch.”
Keep it positive
It’s not just her actions that spread self-love, but also the way Rohal speaks to her clients, both in conversation and via her marketing materials, which includes an 80-page booklet filled with tips on how to care for yourself from the inside-out, including advice on everything from nutrition and skincare, to exercise and mindfulness.
“I consider the words I use in my treatments and marketing,” she explains. “In my skin consultations I always ask ‘what do you consider to be your best feature?’ before I ask about their skin concerns and negatives. I concentrate on the positives first.
“At the end of the treatment, I always say, ‘Now you look even more beautiful’, to highlight that they were already beautiful and special,” she says.
Rohal’s home salon Viktoryia Health
KEY DATES
2009
Qualifies as a massage and beauty therapist at White Post Retreat in Billericay, Essex
2011
Opens her home-based salon Viktoryia Health, also in Billericay
2021
Wins Therapist of the Year at the Professional Beauty Awards
2022
Begins skin clinic at Obsession, Billericay, and trains in nutrition and splitmassage
Drawing on her NLP training, Rohal uses a tool called indirect suggestion, also known as subliminal messaging. “On the back of my client welcome pack, which people receive on their first visit, it says, ‘Self-care is a priority, not a luxury. It’s giving the world the best of you, not the rest of you’.” This then sets a positive tone for her clients post-treatment and going forward. “To help people accept themselves and experience self-love is one of the best part of being a therapist,” she says.
Rohal working on a client’s skin
Rohal believes that clients lacking in self-love is one of the biggest challenges facing the beauty industry, and she credits our lack of appreciation for the skin we’re in to social media and the unrealistic beauty ideals we see day in, day out. This, she says, leads people down the route of injectables, which although she is trained in, she believes are often unnecessary.
Instead, with encouragement and a healing touch, Rohal hopes she can encourage her clients to feel self-love. “I could be working against a system that’s unbreakable but I’ve got to try,” she explains.
What makes a great therapist?
Rohal began her journey in the beauty world 10 years ago after working as a nurse in her native Belarus. “When I told my colleagues I wanted to move into beauty, they told me I’d struggle to find a job because there are so many beauty therapists, but I didn’t choose my profession because it’s well-paid, I chose it because it’s what my heart wants to do,” she says.
1. Don’t forget to care for yourself
It’s the dedication and passion for the industry that makes Rohal stand out, but she points out that to be a great therapist you just need to believe in yourself, be humble, and have a sense of humour. “We need to have good energy and a positive spirit, because you can’t heal somebody if you’re not healed yourself,” she says.
“In my
SKIN CONSULTATIONS
I always ask ‘what do you consider to be your
BEST FEATURE?’
before I ask about their
SKIN CONCERNS
and negatives. I concentrate on the
POSITIVES
first”
2. Never stop learning
Despite having a wide range of qualifications under her belt, Rohal is currently training in nutrition and the manual facial rejuvenation technique split massage, as well as public speaking and cosmetic acupuncture, explaining that she loves a challenge.
“Continued professional development is key to making yourself stand out,” she says. “Knowledge is the biggest investment in my life.”
She explains she chooses to train in practices that complement her existing treatments. “I get bored doing the same thing and I believe to be able to offer a variety of treatments you need fresh knowledge and skills.”
3. Enter industry awards
Rohal says that entering into industry awards is one of the biggest acts of self-love you can show yourself. “It’s patting yourself on the back and saying ‘you’ve done well, you are great’,” she says.
“Don’t overthink entering, just go for it,” she adds. “It will have a huge positive impact on you as a person because it’s out of your comfort zone. Comfort and growth don’t coexist, so see the challenge as growth.”
Rohal says her win at the Professional Beauty Awards last year was “a total surprise and an absolute honour”, adding, “It still feels like a dream. Every time I look at my beautiful trophy in my treatment area it brings a big smile to my face and I get butterflies.”
As well as a hit of positivity, Rohal also says she feels her award win has given her more credibility, trust and respect from existing and potential new clients.
Looking ahead
As well as expanding her treatment and business skills, Rohal has recently begun running a skin clinic at local salon Obsession, also in Billericay. Rohal will offer advanced skin treatments, such as microneedling and sculptural face lifting massage, to complement the hair and beauty salon’s existing treatment menu.
“Billericay has a busy, community-focused high street and having lived here for 10 years, I want to support one of the quality independent businesses,” says Rohal. “The salon has a natural fit for my business offering and I’m keen to share my knowledge and expertise as well as raising my business profile.”