Last week Emma Gilmour, of Garden Road, made her first appearance as a canteen assistant on Sky One's football drama Dream Team.

Emma, 20, plays cocky Kelly James, who is searching for the ultimate fashion accessory - a footballer boyfriend.

Emma first got a taste for showbusiness after starring as Rizzo in a High School production of Grease.

She will star in 22 episodes of the drama which follows the hopes and dreams of apprentice footballers as they compete for a place in Harchester United's first team.

The accomplished singer who has previously recorded backing vocals on Barry Manilow tracks, is known locally for her success with the now disbanded girl group Totty.

But like the character she plays, off-screen Emma has a similar fancy for young footballers - her current favourite is Liverpool's Michael Owen.

Dream Team is on Sky One on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.30pm, repeated later at 11.30pm. An omnibus edition is on Sundays at 10am.

omething and suppress it instead of dealing with it, that

fear will be stored somewhere in the body," said Khanikah.

"Eventually it will start to injure us inside - but Reiki can clear it

out."

As a Reiki practitioner, Khanikah trained at a specialist school in Hale

Barns to become attuned to the healing life energy that runs through

everyone.

And anyone has the potential to do it.

"The practitioner is only a vehicle for the energy during a treatment,"

she said.

At the start of a session Khanikah will ask her patient questions to

identify areas in the body where they may be a blockage stopping the free

flow of energy.

"If someone suffers from panic attacks the fear usually hits the chest so

we would ask the Reiki energy to be brought to that area," she said.

The patient then lies on a treatment bed for the session that usually

lasts about 40 minutes.

"All they need to do is clear their mind and co-operate with the healing."

Khanikah added that the treatment worked on sceptics but said it was more

effective if the patient kept an open mind.

A lot of patients fall asleep as she lightly places her hands on their

body, gradually moving to 12 different positions.

As a healer Khanikah blanks her mind and concentrates on feeling areas

that need attention with her palms.

"When I find the part that needs the energy it is usually very hot and I

can feel the heat coming through my hands," she said.

"The only way I can describe it is like heat shimmering above a road."

Khanikah, church warden of St Elizabeth's in Ashley, said the Reiki

healing process often gave the patient insight into the causes of their

problems, be them spiritual, emotional, financial or physical.

And she claimed that her psychotherapist training made her better equipped

to deal with this increased awareness.

"There is a world of difference between counselling and psychotherapy,"

she said.

"A counsellor will only listen to a patient's symptoms, I find out what is

beyond - the root cause."

And she is always amazed at the transformation her patients go through

after a Reiki healing session.

"They are relieved of the fears inside - they use their new energy to make

changes in their life," she said.

But she warned that a patient's problems would come back if they did not

permanently change their behaviour.

"If a stressful lifestyle has took its toll on a person's health, that

person has to cut back the stress to stop their problems re-occurring," she

said.

In addition to sessions held at her Ashley Road home, Khanikah started

practising in Woodvale Clinic in Toft Road this week.

She will be available there on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons.

Khanikah purposefully chose the clinic because other conventional surgeons

and consultants practised there.

"There is too much opposition between alternative and orthodox medicine,"

she said.

"Some people dismiss doctors completely, but they are experts - look how

long they train for."

But Khanikah believes that Reiki healing and conventional medicine can

work well together.

"I can pick up on a problem area without the patient having to undergo

exploratory surgery," she said.

She added that it could also speed up a patient's recovery and tackle

pre-op nerves.

Reiki healing can help with most conditions, including stress, depression,

pain relief, addictions and menopausal problems.

But despite this enormous healing potential, some of Khanikah's patients

just have Reiki healing to treat themselves and relax.

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