Evidence Based with the human magic of care.
ABOUT ACUPUNCUTURE:
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Most women are surprised by how gentle it feels. The needles are very fine, far thinner than anything you'll know from an injection or a blood test. You might notice a small sensation as one goes in, and then usually a spreading warmth or a heaviness, sometimes a faint tingle. More often than not women drift off to sleep on the table, which tells you a lot about how the body settles once it feels genuinely safe.
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It varies more than people expect, and it's usually fewer than you're imagining. Some treatments call for only a handful of points, others a few more, depending on what your body is asking for that day and what we're working with together. I'm guided by what you need rather than a set number, and I'll talk you through it as we go so nothing comes as a surprise.
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Acupuncture is broadly considered a safe procedure. As with all health practices, some patients may occasionally experience adverse reactions. I use sterile, single-use needles every time and follow strict hygiene and infection control standards. If you have a health condition or you're taking medication, let me know at your first appointment and I'll take it into account when we plan your care.
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Yes. Acupuncture can be a lovely support right through pregnancy when it's provided by a practitioner experienced in caring for pregnant women, and pregnancy has been part of my practice for a long time. Many women come in for support with the common discomforts of each trimester, and later on to help prepare the body for birth. I adjust every treatment to your stage of pregnancy and how you're feeling on the day, so it always meets you where you are.
CONDITIONS WE COMMONLY SUPPORT
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Perimenopause can support hot flushes, night sweats, broken sleep, anxiety, low mood and irregular periods, often several at once and often with very little support from anywhere else. It's one of the areas I work with most. Women come to me for support through this transition, and in Chinese Medicine we look at your own particular pattern rather than treating perimenopause as one fixed thing.
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Many women come to me feeling wired, on edge, or unable to switch off, sometimes without an obvious reason why. Acupuncture is something women often seek for support with anxiety and a nervous system that's been running too hot for too long. We work with what your body is holding rather than talking you out of how you feel.
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When your mind won't quieten or you're waking at 3am and can't find your way back down, it wears on everything. Women come to me for support with sleep, whether that's trouble falling asleep, broken sleep, or waking exhausted no matter the hours. In Chinese Medicine, sleep tells us a great deal about the whole system, so we look at what's underneath it.
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Cycles that arrive whenever they please, or the PMS that flattens the week before, are things women come to me for support with often. In Chinese Medicine your cycle is one of the clearest signals we have about the whole body, so rather than looking at the symptom alone we look at the pattern it's pointing to.
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Living with endometriosis often means carrying pain, fatigue and a great deal that goes unseen. Women come to me for support alongside the care they're already receiving from their medical team, particularly with the pain and depletion that come with it. I work with you as one part of your wider care, never in place of it.
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Migraines have a way of taking whole days from you, along with the tension and patterns that tend to build around them. Women come to me for support with migraines and the wider picture their body is showing, from sleep to stress to the lead-up itself.
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Whether you're just beginning to think about conceiving or you're deep in the middle of IVF, it can be a tender and uncertain time. Women come to me for fertility and IVF support, often to feel steadier and more supported alongside their fertility treatment. I work in step with your fertility specialist, not instead of them.
CHINESE MEDICINE
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Qi is one of those words that sounds mysterious until you feel it. The simplest way I explain it is that Qi is the movement and warmth of a living body, the energy behind everything working as it should, your circulation, your digestion, your breath, your capacity to rest and recover. When Qi moves freely you tend to feel well and resilient. When it stalls or runs low, that's often when things start to feel stuck, flat or scattered. Chinese Medicine has been working with this understanding for thousands of years, and much of what I do is help your Qi move the way it's meant to.
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Usually it's life. Stress that never quite lets up, poor sleep, pushing through when your body is asking you to stop, the hormonal shifts of different life stages, even the change of seasons. In Chinese Medicine we don't see these as separate problems to be picked off one by one. We look at the pattern underneath them, how your system as a whole has been coping and where it's depleted or overloaded. That's why two women with the same symptom can need quite different care. I'm always looking at the whole of you, not the symptom in isolation.
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They're two arms of the same medicine. Acupuncture uses fine needles at specific points to move Qi and Blood, calm the nervous system and prompt the body to rebalance. Herbal medicine works from the inside, using considered formulas to nourish your system between treatments and hold the progress we're making together.
Sometimes acupuncture alone is exactly what's needed. Sometimes herbs give us a way to keep supporting you at home, and the two work beautifully alongside each other.
If you're already taking medication, that's something I always ask about. Acupuncture is generally very compatible with most medications and we can usually continue as normal. Herbs are a different conversation, since some formulas can interact with certain medications, and getting that right matters. So I'll always assess carefully before recommending anything, and if I think herbs would genuinely add something for you, I'll say so. If they're not appropriate or the interactions are unclear, I'll tell you that too. There's never any pressure either way.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
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Your first visit is where we get to know your health properly, so it's a little longer than the ones that follow. We'll talk through what's brought you in, along with your health history, your sleep, digestion, energy, stress and your cycle if that's relevant. In Chinese Medicine I'll often take your pulse and look at your tongue too, since both tell me a great deal about what's going on underneath. In most cases your first treatment happens in the same appointment, so you'll leave having already started.
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Something comfortable that's easy to move in. Loose clothing that lets me reach your lower arms and lower legs is ideal, since a lot of commonly used points sit there.
I work on both the front and back of the body during treatment, and I'll talk you through what to expect before we start so nothing comes as a surprise. Gowns and towels are always on hand, and you'll be draped and kept warm throughout. Your comfort and warmth is always prioritised.
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Yes, please do. It's best to come having eaten something in the few hours before, rather than arriving on a completely empty stomach, which can leave you a bit light-headed on the table. A heavy meal right before isn't ideal either. Something normal and settled is perfect.
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Your first appointment is 75 minutes, which gives us time for a proper conversation before we begin treatment. Follow-up appointments are 60 minutes.
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This is one of the most common questions, and the honest answer is that it depends. It comes down to what you're coming in for, how long it's been going on, and how your body responds. Some women notice a shift within the first few sessions. Longer-standing or more complex patterns usually benefit from steadier, ongoing care over several weeks. After your first consultation I'll give you a clear sense of what I'd suggest for your situation, so you're not left guessing.
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No, you don't need a referral from your GP to book in. If you're already under the care of another practitioner, I'm very happy to work alongside them as part of your wider care.
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Yes! I hold provider numbers with all major health funds, and there's a HICAPS machine in the clinic so you can claim your rebate on the spot. The amount you get back will depend on your level of extras cover, so it's worth checking with your fund beforehand if you'd like to know exactly what to expect.
