Tailored techniques and specialist care
Rather than offering rigid massage styles, we blend techniques to suit your body and your mood. For many clients, this means a gentle, spa inspired massage using the luxurious Germaine de Capuccini range, ideal for nourishing the skin while encouraging deep relaxation, particularly during the colder months.
For clients who need more focused or therapeutic work, Helen Ward, Massage Therapist of the Year at the British Hair & Beauty Awards, brings over 30 years of experience and a rare foundation degree in body treatments. Her approach is tailored to target deeper concerns such as stubborn knots, long standing tension, or problem areas that require a stronger, more knowledgeable touch.
If you are unsure which pressure level to choose or feel you may benefit from more specialised care, our team can guide you at the time of booking. Every massage is carried out in our tranquil treatment space, with the aim of making each visit restorative from start to finish.
Designed to help you slow down and switch off
From the moment you arrive at our Durham salon, your massage experience is designed to help you slow down and switch off. You will be welcomed into a calm, comfortable treatment room, a quiet space created for relaxation and restoration.
Every massage begins with a short consultation. This gives us time to understand how your body feels on the day, whether you want to release tension, reduce stress, or simply relax deeply. Pressure preferences, focus areas and any concerns are discussed so your treatment feels supportive and personalised.
We do not follow fixed routines or one size fits all massage sequences. Your therapist adapts every part of the treatment to you, adjusting pressure, techniques and pace as your body responds, so your massage is both soothing and effective.
How choosing your massage works
Massage should feel intuitive, not overwhelming. When booking, you simply choose the pressure level that matches how your body feels, how much time you would like, and any optional enhancements if you want extra focus in certain areas.
Your therapist will then adapt the massage on the day, adjusting pressure, techniques and focus areas as your body responds.
Choosing your massage pressure
Not a label on a booking form. A conversation that runs through the whole hour.
I have had a lot of massages over the years, and I can honestly say only a few people have got it right. Not because they were not skilled, because nobody asked me what I actually wanted.
I only relax if the pressure is deep enough. Floaty stroking movements do not relax me at all, they irritate me. I hate a fast massage with a lot of oil. I love a scalp massage and having my feet done, and not one therapist has ever asked me whether I would like either. I have also lain still for an hour freezing cold, because nobody asked if I was warm enough.
That is what this page is really about. The pressure names below are a starting point, not the treatment. The treatment is the conversation.
Relaxing
Light to medium, flowing, continuous. For stress rather than injury. If you are wound up, sleeping badly, or you simply want an hour where nothing is required of you, this is the one, and there is nothing lesser about choosing it.
Medium
The middle ground, and the one most people actually want. Enough pressure to work into tight areas, not so much that you spend the hour braced against it. If you are unsure, start here.
Deep tissue
Slow, firm, focused work into specific areas rather than the whole body. For long standing tension, restricted movement, or a particular problem area. It can be uncomfortable while it happens and you may ache for a day afterwards. It is not a whole body treatment and it is not relaxing in the moment.
Medium means nothing on its own
What is medium to one person is not medium to another, and the gap is enormous. I have had clients who find it uncomfortable the moment I make contact, and others who will happily fall asleep while I have an elbow into their back. Neither is wrong. It just means the label on the booking form only gets us roughly to the right place, and your feedback does the rest.
Please tell us what you want
We value your time and we want the hour to be about you, so be specific. Genuinely useful things to say: just back, neck and shoulders, skip the rest. Get the knots out of my shoulders for twenty minutes, then let me sleep for the rest. I want my scalp done, I want my feet done. Less oil, slower. Please avoid a particular area, an old injury, a recent scar, or anywhere sensitive.
None of that is fussy and none of it will offend anyone. It is the difference between a massage you tolerate and one you actually wanted.
We will check in with you
Are you warm enough. Are you comfortable. Is the pressure right. We will ask during the treatment, and please answer honestly rather than saying it is fine. Adjusting the pressure takes two seconds, and telling us afterwards in a review is too late for us to have done anything about it.
Comfort is part of that. I cannot lie comfortably on my front for any length of time, for medical reasons, and in all the massages I have had nobody has ever asked whether there was anything they could do to make me more comfortable. Bolsters, a different position, a pillow in a different place. It is all easy if someone asks. So we ask.
One thing to get right at booking
Pressure can be adjusted on the day, but qualifications cannot. If you book a relaxation massage you may be with a therapist who is not qualified to do deep tissue work, so you will not be able to request it once you are on the couch. If you want deep work, or you are dealing with chronic pain, book the deep tissue treatment from the start.
Length matters too. Sixty minutes covers a full body relaxing massage, or focused work on two areas, not both. If you want your shoulders properly worked and a full body treatment, book ninety.
Tailored techniques and specialist care
Rather than offering rigid massage styles, we blend techniques to suit your body and your mood. For many clients, this means a gentle, spa inspired massage using the luxurious Germaine de Capuccini range, ideal for nourishing the skin while encouraging deep relaxation, particularly during the colder months.
For clients who need more focused or therapeutic work, Helen Ward, winner of Masseuse of the Year, brings over 30 years of experience and a rare foundation degree in body treatments. Her approach is tailored to target deeper concerns such as stubborn knots, long standing tension, or problem areas that require a stronger, more knowledgeable touch.
If you are unsure which pressure level to choose or feel you may benefit from more specialised care, our team can guide you at the time of booking. Every massage is carried out in our tranquil treatment space, with the aim of making each visit restorative from start to finish.
Massage prices
Booked by time and pressure, with optional enhancements to add extra focus.
Relaxing Massage
From £35
Gentle, flowing massage to melt away tension and switch your whole system off.
- 30 minutes£35
- 45 minutes£48
- 60 minutes£65
- 75 minutes£75
- 120 minutes£120
Medium Pressure Massage
From £35
Moderate pressure that releases everyday tension while staying comfortable, with some deeper muscle work.
- 30 minutes£35
- 45 minutes£45
- 60 minutes£65
- 75 minutes£75
- 90 minutes£92
- 120 minutes£120
Deep Tissue Massage
From £40
Firm, targeted massage working into tight or problem areas, with pressure adjusted to your tolerance.
- 30 minutes£40
- 45 minutes£52
- 60 minutes£75
- 75 minutes£85
- 90 minutes£110
- 120 minutes£140
Massage Enhancements
From £15
Add focused, unhurried time to any massage.
- 15-minute scalp massage£15
- 15-minute face massage£15
- 15-minute foot massage£15
- 30-minute scalp, face & shoulders£30
Prefer a Full Ritual?
From £45
Warm oils, hot pindas and complete switch-off, from our spa menu.
- Candle massage, back£45
- Candle massage, full body£80
- Baobab Body Ritual, 90 minutes£99
- Vitamin C Face & Body Ritual£125
Getting the most from your massage
Before you arrive and aftercare
A few small things either side of your massage make the benefits deeper and longer lasting.
Prefer to stay fully clothed, or find full body massage too much? Reflexology works through the feet alone and is just as deeply relaxing.
Good to know before you book
The practical details, so your visit feels easy from the start.
Massage time options
Massage is booked by time, allowing your therapist to work at the right pace. Thirty minutes gives focused work on one or two specific areas, while an hour allows a full body massage or a targeted therapeutic session.
Ninety minutes extends the massage with deeper attention to tension patterns, and two hours is a deeply restorative experience allowing slow, unhurried work across the whole body.
Optional enhancements
Some areas benefit from additional, focused time. A fifteen minute scalp, foot or face massage can be added to any treatment for £15, each deeply calming in its own way. The thirty minute scalp, face and shoulders massage, £30, is a popular option for stress heavy lifestyles.
Enhancements can be added when booking or discussed during your visit.
What to expect at your visit
Your massage takes place in a quiet, private treatment room designed to support relaxation, with heated massage beds, professional oils and uninterrupted time to fully relax. Every appointment includes a short consultation to discuss pressure and focus areas.
If you have any medical conditions or injuries, please let us know when booking so we can tailor your treatment safely.
What our massage clients say
“Had a massage with Helen today. Absolutely amazing.”
“A beautiful salon, calm and relaxing. The therapist Millie was superb, warm and friendly. She was very skilled and I thoroughly recommend a trip to Sirens. The whole experience was excellent.”
A massage is the heart of most of our spa days, and as a gift voucher it is one of the safest wonderful presents there is. You may also like our reflexology and Indian head massage, delivered only by Helen.
Ready to feel the difference?
Book your massage online in a couple of minutes, or call us on 0191 447 7570. We are always happy to help you choose the right pressure and time.