Therapies

Oriental herbal medicine is an ancient system of health care that has undergone continual development over the centuries as the causes of illnesses that afflict mankind have evolved. In its country of origin it is not an alternative form of therapy but is used in the state hospitals alongside conventional western science-based medicine. Adverse reactions to Chinese herbs are extremely rare and are negligible when compared to those commonly produced by pharmaceutical drugs.

Herbs are now available in a number of formats, both traditional and modern. The herbs may taste unusual at first to anyone who has not tried them before, but most people get used to the taste very quickly, or they may be prescribed in capsule or tablet form.

I am greatly concerned about the threat to wild animals and plants that has come about as a result of the growth in demand for traditional medicines. Therefore, I adhere to a strict policy of not using any endangered species.

Oriental medicine can be employed by people of any age or constitution, and any previous or current illness or medication is taken into account before providing treatment.

According to traditional philosophy, our health is dependent on the body's motivating energy known as Qi (Chee) - moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body's own healing response and help restore the equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.

Most people's experience of needles is of those used in injections and blood tests. Acupuncture needles bear little resemblance to these. They are much finer, and solid rather than hollow. When the needle is inserted the sensation is often described as a tingling, or dull sensation.

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming, a name that encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: Neurology, Language and Programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function, language determines how we interface and communicate with other people, and programming determines the kind of models of the world we create. Neuro Linguistic Programming describes the fundamental dynamics between mind (neuro)and language (linguistic) and how their interplay effects our body and behaviour (programming).

NLP is a pragmatic school of thought that addresses the many levels involved in being human. NLP provides tools and skills for the development of states of individual excellence, but also establishes a system of empowering beliefs and presuppositions about what human beings are, what communication is, and what the process of change is all about. At another level, NLP is about self-discovery, exploring identity and mission. It also provides a framework for understanding and relating to the 'spiritual' part of human experience that reaches beyond us as individuals to our family, community and global systems. NLP is not only about competence and excellence, it is about wisdom and vision.