There’s a moment in every woman’s fitness career where she realises the treadmill doesn’t just go in one direction. For Emma Masters, that realisation came when she stepped off the literal stage — of musical theatre — and onto a very different kind of platform: group fitness.

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Emma recently and let me just say: this woman is the real deal. From cruise ships to cycle classes, from consulting for Virgin Active to launching her own boutique studio in the Gold Coast, Emma has done what so many dream of — and not in the easy ‘Instagram highlight reel’ kind of way. Her path has been lined with intention, patience, and a refusal to water down the mental health impact of movement.

From Musical Theatre to Movement Mentor

Emma started her career singing and dancing and lived through the highs and lows of a performance industry obsessed with aesthetics. Sound familiar? It should. Because many of us, especially women, have been conditioned to view our bodies through a performance lens — judged, shaped, and constantly under review.

After a decade of that, Emma pivoted. She leaned into fitness, first as a personal trainer and then through Virgin Active, where she took on national roles across the UK and Australia, developing boutique group training programs and opening multiple sites. But eventually, she felt the pull to do her own thing — to consult, to create, and ultimately, to build her own sanctuary.

Enter: Therapy Fitness

Now, let’s talk about the studio name, because it’s a bold one: Therapy Fitness.

Born over a wine-fuelled brainstorming session, Emma described what she wanted people to feel when they walked through the studio doors — not smaller, or fitter, or tighter, but better. More connected. More grounded. More like themselves.

Her partner simply said: “Sounds like therapy.”

Boom. A brand was born.

Therapy Fitness is built around one powerful idea — that movement can be a mental health practice. Every class is designed to feel good from the inside out. There are no calorie counters, no weigh-ins, no punishment for last night’s pizza. It’s about emotional release, self-connection, and yes, sweaty joy.

And the vibe is deeply intentional — no phones in class, no late entries, immersive environments (we’re talking club-level lighting, scent therapy, affirmations on smoothie cups, you name it). Each class type has a different emotional flavour: Lift + Run for resilience, Connect for introspection, Cycle for celebration.

It’s a boutique experience, yes. But it’s also a rebellion — against toxic gym culture and the old-school belief that sweating should hurt (physically and emotionally).

Starting Your Own Studio? Here’s the Real Talk.

Emma’s journey to launching Therapy wasn’t overnight. It took years. A lot of waiting. A lot of refining. A lot of sitting with discomfort and trusting that the perfect site would appear — and it did.

Her biggest lessons?

• Don’t rush it. Clarity comes with time. So does the right lease.

• Know who you’re for. Trying to appeal to everyone is a sure-fire way to appeal to no one.

• Build a dream team. Emma's studio partners all bring something essential — from sales funnels to site construction — because opening a studio isn’t just about teaching good classes.

It’s business, baby. And it takes more than passion to make it work.

Building the Practice of Self-Acceptance

Let’s not pretend this stuff is easy. As Emma so beautifully put it, Therapy Fitness is a practice. A daily one. For every time a woman looks in the mirror and her first thought is critical, there’s a chance to rewrite that script.

Every class includes a ‘therapy moment’ — a guided moment to reflect, reset, and redirect that inner narrative. And with time, members begin to take those reflections into their everyday lives. Repetition is what rewires the brain. That’s the magic.

And if you’re scrolling your feed surrounded by “before and afters,” bikini challenges and “burn off your brunch” garbage — Emma says it straight: unfollow that noise. You get to choose what you consume.

So What’s Next?

Emma’s vision is bigger than one studio. She’s actively working on expansion, though she’s the first to admit: she’s impatient. She’s got a thousand ideas waiting for the right space, the right moment.

And when it happens? It won’t just be a gym. It’ll be a movement.

Inspired? Good. Now Do Something About It.

If Emma’s story lit a fire in your belly, you might be one of the next generation of fitness professionals who gets it. The ones who know fitness isn't just about aesthetics — it’s about equity. It's about health. It's about therapy.

And here's the thing: the base-level Cert III & IV in Fitness? It still teaches to the research of young fit men. That’s why, at Women’s Fitness Education, we go further — with courses on pelvic floor, periods, pre/postnatal, and perimenopause. The stuff that actually matters for training women.

So if you, or someone you know, is ready to do this work properly — the full, evidence-based, inclusive kind — you know where to find us.

Because we’re not here to shrink bodies.

We’re here to grow an industry.

If you’re thinking about becoming a qualified personal trainer or group fitness instructor, check out our Certificate III and IV in Fitness. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!