How I’ll Work With You
Listening deeply, creating a safe and nurturing environment, and doing my best for you is central to my work as I understand how placing yourself in the hands of someone else for help through often a difficult chapter in life can feel like. You are welcomed to ask questions at any time about the sessions or share any worries you have so I can explain and help you understand more. I trained for over 3 years to be able to practice as an acupuncturist and it may not be possible to explain everything in a session, especially if you’d like me to treat you, but I’ll do my best to help you understand where I can.
In an initial consultation, we will talk about why you have come for treatment, symptoms you have and what life may look like for you when you are well. We will consider how your body, mind, emotions and spirit are, and how your external environments may be affecting you like work and relationships. The TCM and 5 element frameworks I draw on to guide the treatments both understand the body slightly differently from western medicine, and I’ll ask you a wide range of questions that may seem unrelated initially to your main complaint to help build up a clear understanding of what’s happening inside your body from a Chinese medicine perspective. I’ll also ask to look at your tongue (via a photo you take yourself remotely) and ‘take your pulses’. This means feeling the pulse in multiple places on the wrist as I’ll be looking to feel more than just the pulse rate through it. I’m also informed by western medicine and will ask you questions with this in mind too.
My approach is to try and avoid shocking you and your body whenever possible. I use fine, ultra smooth, high quality Japanese and Taiwanese needles, and use breathing techniques to minimise sensations. We’ll also work at a pace you are comfortable with and can take the treatment slowly if this is something that helps you, and adapt the treatments to suit your needs. Sometimes it’s not always possible to avoid a sensation with needling and there can be sensitivity from time to time. I’ve had lots of people start off afraid and anxious about needles that end up feeling confident and calm about treatment when they leave. Some people say they can’t feel the needles at all.
Nurturing life and health over time is a key concept in Chinese medicine, and I’ll probably offer you some lifestyle advice that it will often sound like something a grandparent would tell you. Like eat lots of soup, wear a scarf and keep your kidneys warm. Sometimes doing something simple can seem like it won’t do anything for us, but it can actually have a big impact and be a supportive act of self-care. The advice I’ll give to you though is tailored to you, and I have tried and tested most, if not all of the advice that I give.