ACUPUNCTURE & CHINESE HERBS
What to Expect in a Session
In our first consultation, we’ll take a deep dive into your health history—reviewing blood test results, mental health, recent diagnoses, and any other relevant factors. I’ll ask you lots of questions and will also look at your tongue and feel your pulse to arrive at a Chinese medicine diagnosis and develop a treatment strategy tailored to bring your unique system back into balance.
After your session, you’ll receive a personalised treatment plan, which may include a combination of clinical supplementation, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary and lifestyle recommendations—all designed to support your specific health goals.
What Happens in Ongoing Sessions
Each follow-up session begins with tongue and pulse diagnosis, a review of your progress, and a check-in on how you’re arriving that day—physically, mentally, and emotionally. From there, we’ll adjust your treatment plan as needed to reflect your evolving needs.
Your Acupuncture Experience
Your acupuncture session may include techniques such as gua sha, cupping, and massage before needling, to enhance the effects on the meridians being targeted. I often treat both the front and back of the body in a single session, and I use cupping liberally to help move blood and fluids, relieve stagnation, and alleviate pain.
Chinese Medicine Modalities Used in Treatments
Chinese Medicine takes a holistic approach to health, using a range of techniques to support the body’s natural healing processes. Each modality works on a different level—physical, emotional, and energetic—and is chosen based on your individual presentation.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbs work synergistically, meaning their effectiveness lies in how they interact within a formula. Rather than using single herbs in isolation, Chinese medicine combines them in balanced, dynamic prescriptions tailored to your evolving health needs.
These formulas are powerful and unique, with the ability to shift and adapt as your condition changes over time. Herbs may be prescribed in several forms:
Raw (to be cooked at home)
Granules (dissolvable powder)
Tinctures
Pills
External applications (e.g. ointments for skin conditions)
Acupuncture
Acupuncture restores balance by regulating the body’s energy (Qi) and blood flow. Practitioners identify areas where the body's natural electrical signals are blocked, weakened, or stagnant, and use fine needles to stimulate specific points that bring the system back into harmony.
Each acupuncture point has a unique function:
Some act locally to treat muscle tension or acute injury
Others work deeply, influencing organ systems or releasing long-held stagnation far beneath the surface
You may feel a slight sensation on needle insertion, known as De Qi—a sign the point is activated—but treatments are generally painless and deeply relaxing. Most people leave feeling calm, centred, and rebalanced.
Moxibustion (Moxa)
Moxa is a form of heat therapy that uses dried mugwort (Ai Ye), either burned directly or held just above the skin. It is particularly effective for:
Improving blood circulation
Warming the body
Nourishing people who are depleted from overwork, stress, cold diets, or chronic illness
Moxibustion brings gentle warmth and promotes deep internal healing—especially for those with signs of cold, deficiency, or poor circulation.
Cupping Therapy
Cupping uses glass cups that are warmed and placed on the skin to create suction. This technique helps:
Move stagnant blood and lymph
Release muscular tension
Clear heat, dampness, or cold trapped in the body
Cups are commonly placed along the spine, abdomen, or hips, drawing stagnation up to the surface where it can be released. Many people experience immediate relief and improved mobility after cupping.
Women’s Health
Chinese Medicine is a powerful and time-tested modality for supporting women’s health—addressing issues across all life stages, from menarche to menopause.
Monica has a special interest in treating a wide range of women’s health concerns, including:
Fertility and IVF support
Postpartum recovery
Menstrual disorders (e.g. painful periods, irregular cycles)
Endometriosis
Amenorrhea (absent periods)
Perimenopause and menopause
In Chinese Medicine, the menstrual cycle is often seen as a reflection of deeper systemic imbalances. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, we look at the root cause—often going back to patterns that have been present since menarche.
A combination of regular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is one of the most effective ways to resolve gynaecological conditions. Even long-standing issues such as amenorrhea or complex fertility cases can often be significantly improved within 3–6 months of consistent treatment.
IVF & Fertility Support
For those undergoing IVF or other assisted reproductive treatments, each case is approached with a highly individualised plan. In addition to acupuncture and herbal support, we coach you through all aspects of your life to help harmonise your hormones and improve your chances of conception. This includes:
Diet & nutrition
Lifestyle adjustments
Meditation & breathwork
Gentle movement (yoga, walking, etc.)
Sleep hygiene
Stress management strategies
Our goal is to support your body in becoming the most balanced and receptive environment possible for conception—whether naturally or with assistance.