Acupuncturist | Chinese Medicine Practioner 

My journey into natural medicine began in my twenties when frequent, debilitating headaches led me to explore a broader, more holistic approach to my health and wellbeing. That experience changed the direction of my life and sparked a lifelong curiosity about health that ultimately inspired me to pursue a career in Chinese medicine. More than twenty-five years later, that same curiosity continues to guide everything I do.

I first studied Massage Therapy and Shiatsu before completing a Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture) at the University of Technology Sydney in 2001. While my formal education gave me a strong foundation, it was only the beginning. Since then, I've continued to study throughout Australia, Japan and China, always asking one question:

How can I better understand the people sitting in front of me?

Looking Beyond Symptoms

One of the things I often say to patients is:

"When we ask different questions about our health concerns, we start to have different conversations. And from those conversations, we discover the next steps in our journey”.

Many people come to see me after years of searching for answers. They've often seen multiple practitioners, tried different treatments and still feel that something is missing. Rather than focusing on symptoms in isolation, I'm interested in understanding the bigger picture. How has the body adapted over time? What patterns have developed? How is the nervous system responding? What needs to be supported first before moving to the next stage? I believe that asking different questions opens the door to a deeper understanding of health.

A Practice That Continues to Evolve

Early in my career I was drawn to Japanese acupuncture because of its gentle, precise and highly individualised approach. Over time, my interests expanded beyond traditional acupuncture techniques alone. My postgraduate studies have included Japanese acupuncture, advanced scalp acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, primitive reflex integration, as well as ongoing study into brain development, nervous system function and complex chronic health.

Each area has added another layer to the way I understand health, not by replacing Chinese medicine, but by broadening the lens through which I see each person.

Building Health in Stages

One of the biggest shifts in my practice in recent years has been the way I prescribe Chinese herbal medicine. Rather than trying to address every aspect of health at once, I increasingly work in carefully considered stages. Each stage has its own purpose, helping to build stronger foundations before moving to the next phase of treatment. This approach has been particularly valuable when working with complex and long-standing health concerns, where meaningful change often happens progressively rather than all at once. Like the rest of my practice, this way of working continues to evolve through ongoing postgraduate study, and clinical experience.

Understanding the Brain and Nervous System

Another area that has shaped my thinking is the relationship between the brain, nervous system and physical health. My training in primitive reflex integration, together with additional study in brain development and advanced scalp acupuncture, has deepened my understanding of how early development, stress, illness, and injury may influence the way the nervous system functions throughout life. These additional perspectives don't replace the foundations of Chinese medicine. Instead, they help me ask broader questions and better understand the many factors that may contribute to a person's health.

Supporting the Whole Person

Over the years I have undertaken additional training in coaching approaches that explore the beliefs, behavioural patterns and protective responses that can develop throughout life and impact.

While this work is separate from my work in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, it has influenced the way I listen, ask questions and support people in understanding themselves more deeply. Sometimes the greatest shift comes from gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and the patterns we’ve developed along the way.

I believe that lasting health is rarely about addressing symptoms in isolation. It's about understanding the whole person and recognising that physical, emotional and environmental factors often influence one another.

Always Learning

One of the things I love most about this profession is that learning never stops. Every mentor, every course and every patient has expanded the way I think. Today I'm continuing advanced postgraduate study while also developing an online educational program that will allow me to share this systems-based, staged approach to health with a wider audience. My goal has always remained the same:

“To continue learning so I can better support the people who place their trust in me.”

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture) – University of Technology, Sydney

• Master of Applied Science (Chinese Herbal Medicine) – Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

• Registered with AHPRA (Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine)

• Member Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA)

Continuing Professional Development

Japanese Acupuncture

• Manaka Japanese Acupuncture

• Toyohari Japanese Acupuncture Japan

• Kiiko Matsumoto Clinical Strategies

• Shonishin Paediatric Acupuncture

Chinese Herbal Medicine

• Clinical Herbal Medicine Training – China

• Advanced postgraduate training in systems based, staged Chinese herbal medicine

Advanced Acupuncture

• Tan Balance Method

• Zhu Scalp Acupuncture

• Acupuncture Training – China (including hospital internship)

• Scalp Acupuncture Training – China

Brain & Nervous System

• Rhythmic Movement Training – Primitive Reflex Integration - Level 1

• Rhythmic Movement Training – Primitive Reflex Integration - Level 2

• Ongoing professional study in brain development and nervous system function

Coaching

• Certified MAP Practitioner with The MAP Coaching Institute