Hi, I'm Kirsten
I am a psychologist, massage therapist and emerging beauty therapist with a particular interest in menopause, skin-barrier health, touch, sensory experience and the way changes in appearance can affect how we feel in ourselves.
My professional worlds are separate, but they share something important: curiosity about people and respect for individual difference.
After more than 15 years in psychology practice, I began studying massage and beauty therapy. I was drawn to the way thoughtful touch could create an entirely different kind of experience—one that did not require analysis, explanation or finding the right words.
As my training developed, I became increasingly interested in what happens to skin through midlife—and in the role of touch within facial therapy. Amid an industry filled with increasingly complex products, devices and corrective treatments, I found myself asking whether changing skin sometimes needs less intervention, more barrier support and enough time to recover.
I found myself returning to something deeply human: the value of skilled hands, an unhurried pace and care that responds to the person on the treatment table. Science helps me consider what the skin may need and when. Touch shapes how that care is delivered.
That became the foundation of Surface Tension Beauty.
my Approach
I care about skin health and thoughtful product selection, particularly for midlife, sensitive and easily overwhelmed skin. My approach is science-informed and barrier-first, without trying to recreate a clinical treatment room. Natural and organic products are selected thoughtfully for their formulation, purpose and compatibility—not simply because of a label.
Treatments can follow a progressive restore–rebuild–maintain timeline. This creates opportunities to reduce unnecessary stimulation, support recovery and introduce appropriate treatment gradually rather than continually escalating intensity. But I do not believe products or protocols alone create a memorable treatment.
For me, a facial is also about the warmth and pressure of touch, the release of a tightly held jaw, the easing of the shoulders and the rare experience of having someone pay attention without demanding anything in return.
My style is gentle, curious and responsive. I will explain what I am doing if you would like me to, welcome your feedback and never expect you to tolerate discomfort quietly.
You can chat. You can be silent. You can fidget, ask questions, keep your eyes open or change your mind.
There is no right way to relax here.
Psychology & Beauty
I continue to work as a psychologist through my separate practice, myturn2talk psychology. Surface Tension Beauty does not provide psychology or counselling services, and a beauty or massage appointment is not a form of psychological treatment.
My psychology background does, however, influence the kind of therapist I am. It has taught me to listen, avoid assumptions, respect boundaries and recognise that each person arrives with their own preferences, experiences and relationship with their body. This feels especially relevant during menopause, when changes in skin and appearance can intersect with identity, confidence, stress and a wider period of transition.
The two businesses are separate. The person you meet is the same: quirky, curious, accepting and genuinely interested in helping people feel more comfortable being themselves.
Memberships & Qualifications
-
Registered Psychologist — Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
-
Certificate IV in Massage Therapy
-
Certificate in Luxury Spa Facial
-
Diploma of Beauty Therapy — currently completing
-
Member, International Institute for Complementary Therapies
-
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
Important Professional Boundary
Surface Tension treatments are beauty, massage and general wellbeing services. They are not psychological or medical treatments and do not replace appropriate mental health, medical, dermatological or allied-health care.