Tina Parsons

Tina started her career in the hair and beauty industry in 1972 when aged 16 she embarked on a full time City & Guilds hairdressing course at Peterborough Technical College as it was known in those days.

Her hunger for success began when she was awarded the coveted Student of the Year Award in 1974 and has gone on to win many awards in her own right since.

Tina’s Awards include:

  • Industry Award – Community Therapist of the Year 1998
  • National Training Award – Regional Winner 1999
  • National Training Award – Winner 2000
  • Regional Business Award – Business Person of the Year runner up 2002
  • Federation of Holistic Therapists FHT – Tutor of the Year 2012
  • NHBF Outstanding Contribution to the Beauty Industry 2019

After qualifying in hairdressing Tina went on to study Beauty Therapy at The Innoxa School of Beauty Therapy and Culture in London’s New Bond Street before working her way up the ranks from therapist in West End salons to Manager of the Steiner’s flagship salon in Oxford Circus. Her experience included working as a make up artist on photographic shoots and catwalk shows, time spent treating clients on board the prestigious QE2 and therapist to the stars of the day.

1981 heralded the start of Tina’s business career when together with Chris her husband they established the hair and beauty salon in Peterborough, which was to be joined in later years by their daughter Alexa. During the early years in business Tina also studied for her teaching degree, became a part time lecturer and consultant helping to set up the Beauty Department at the newly named Peterborough Regional College.

1989 saw Tina take the leap into independent training with the opening of the Burghley Academy Training School. The aim was to take the best of the educational system in terms of recognised qualifications and provide a teaching situation that combined all aspects of theoretical and practical training in a real working environment with the focus based on life long learning. Tina firmly believes that any one can learn to be a therapist but to be a brilliant therapist you need to learn to ‘live’ the treatments you offer and the way in which you are taught and the environment in which you learn provides a sound basis for this to occur.

With this attention to detail in mind Tina was commissioned to write a number of academic books between the years 2002 and 2006 including:

  • An Holistic Guide to Anatomy & Physiology 2002
  • An Holistic Guide to Reflexology 2003
  • An Holistic Guide to Massage 2004
  • The Anatomy & Physiology Workbook 2006
  • Tina’s books form part of the teaching syllabus for beauty and holistic therapies worldwide.

In 2011 Tina had her first book for general public release published entitled The Beauty Chronicles and hopes to continue to delight readers with her knowledge and insight for many years to come.

Tina’s extensive experience has led her to become a well respected industry expert with roles as IHBC (International Health & Beauty Council) and IIHHT (International Institute of Health & Holistic Therapies) examiner (1987-91) City & Guilds external verifier (1987- 2000), Prince’s Trust mentor (2002 to date), HABIA (hairdressing and Beauty Therapy Industry Authority) consultant, serving to ensure that each student gets the most out of their training at Burghley Academy.