Julia Mercier

I have always been interested in supporting people’s health and wellbeing. After some years working in human’s rights and support services, I decided to retrain in physiotherapy to work more directly with people through rehabilitation, movement, and hands-on treatment. My own postnatal rehabilitation journey, supported by wonderful physiotherapists, played a huge role in inspiring me to become a physio myself and showed me the impact that skilled, compassionate care can have on recovery and quality of life.

I strongly believe that people deserve to have their pain taken seriously, to feel heard, and to have access to evidence-based care.

I enjoy combining physiotherapy, massage, and movement-based approaches to help people manage pain, improve function, and return to the activities that matter to them. I aim to create a supportive and collaborative environment where patients feel comfortable, listened to, and actively involved in their recovery.

Expertise

Julia treats postural and occupational pain, sports-related injuries, tension and stress-related discomfort, with a particular interest in chronic pain management and fall prevention. She also provides running-specific massage for injury recovery and performance support.

She has a strong interest in women’s health across the lifespan, including endometriosis, pregnancy and birth-related care, postnatal recovery, continence, and menopause.

Her approach combines hands-on treatment, movement, education, and holistic care, with a strong emphasis on creating a calm, safe, and supportive environment for healing.

Experience

Julia comes from a career in the international humanitarian sector across several countries, supporting people’s human rights through advocacy, civil society support, and community work. This experience reinforced her belief that movement, wellbeing, and pain management are fundamental rights. She trained to become a physiotherapist and a Sports Massage Therapist in the UK, developing a strong interest in helping people feel stronger, move better, and reconnect with their bodies.

Julia has experience across musculoskeletal and women’s health settings, including some experience in a respite centre supporting individuals with complex neurological conditions. She is comfortable treating a wide range of MSK presentations and teaches trauma-informed yoga. Julia enjoys combining hands-on therapy, movement, and rehabilitation to support both physical and emotional wellbeing.

Life outside work

Outside work, you will find me enjoying a soul water sauna by the sea, running along the green lanes of Edinburgh, foraging edible and medicinal plants and admiring seasonal changes in the botanical garden!

My favourite thing

At the moment my favourite thing is motivating friends to do things they never thought they would find the time or the motivation for, whether that is signing up for the Edinburgh women 10k with me, starting strengthening work, or simply including a stretching routine in the evening, and hearing them take pride in it.