About Colin Richards
The question I am asked most often is: “How did you get into this line of work?”
My early career was very different. I grew up in the family business , The Gara Rock Hotel a 140 bed establishment in South Devon, where I learnt from an early age how to communicate with people from every background. At 22, I became Managing Director and spent the next 20 years overseeing every aspect of the hotel, from staff management and guest relations to entertainment and practical maintenance.
In 2002, Life took a major turn leading me to leave hospitality to pursue work that would help people more personally. Between 1995 and 2008 I trained in life coaching and therapeutic massage, completed a two-year Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy at Regent’s College, London, trained in Imago relationship education, NLP and hypnotherapy.
I moved to London in 2005 and established Massage 33 as my first practice then in 2012 set up Intimacy Matters, combining my practical bodywork skills with relationship knowledge and straightforward sexual education. Since then, I have worked with thousands of individuals and couples of different ages, backgrounds and sexual orientations. This has given me a deep understanding of sexual confidence, arousal, communication, performance concerns and differences in desire.
In 2015 I established the School of Sensual Massage to share the techniques and insights developed through my professional practice. My teaching is humanistic in its style, offering a practical, personal and a non-judgemental learning environment , with careful attention given to consent, communication, professional boundaries and the needs of the student and volunteer receiver.
I have five grown-up children—two sons and three daughters—from my previous marriage. I have been with my life partner, Clare, since 2014. She is my best friend, partner and guide, and shares my interest in helping people develop confidence, intimacy and more fulfilling relationships. We are an outgoing and sociable couple who enjoy meeting people, attending talks, dining out and going to the theatre and of course travel and holidays in hot places!
My work has been featured by Channel 5, BBC World Service, Cosmopolitan and The Times. I have run courses and talks for Killing Kittens, Funzing, Home House Members Club, University of Cardiff, Spicy Match, In 2024, I was a finalist in the Sexual Freedom Awards in the Somatic Sexologist category. I am also often invited to take part in podcasts on the subject of sexuality.