Studying through a Pandemic: future-proofing our acupuncture careers By Melanie Cullis, third year student In six weeks, the class of 2022 will be graduating from CCA as bona fide acupuncturists. It’s been quite the journey! In the summer of 2019, I signed up to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many aspects of my life had pushed…
Category: Practising
One Year as a Qualified Acupuncturist
By James Woodward. I first discovered acupuncture through my interest in Japanese reiki. A few books I had read gave me hints that some of the more traditional techniques were based on Chinese medicine. That was ten years ago and I was volunteering at the support therapies centre in Canterbury hospital, a centre for patients…
‘But where exactly is it?’ – The pitfalls of Teaching and Learning Point Location
This month’s blog is an extract from an article written by our head of Acupuncture Point Location for the current edition of the Journal of Chinese Medicine. ‘But where exactly is it?’ – The pitfalls of Teaching and Learning Point Location By Paul Johnson, Joint Course Leader and Main Acupoints Tutor “As someone involved in…
A year after graduating from CCA – a life in practice
By Anne Fallan, CCA graduate summer 2016 It has been quite a year since I graduated from the City College of Acupuncture! I took 3 weeks off before taking the plunge and worked for a local practitioner who was taking that August off to go travelling. I had observed them during my 3 years training…
Treating in our student clinic
Treating in our student clinic The final part of studying either acupuncture or Tui Na at CCA involves working in our student clinic. After focused study and plenty of practice, our students are let loose on paying patients from the general public! The students will tell you that this is both frightening and exhilarating at…
Do people have acupuncture even when they are well?
By Paul Johnson, 2017 Absolutely. The people who come to me for treatment do so for a number of different reasons. For some people, I am the last port of call, their final chance. Western medicine, physiotherapy or osteopathy have failed them and they have nowhere left to turn. “I’m only coming because my wife…
Acupuncture and gardening have a lot in common
Acupuncture and gardening have a lot in common It may sound daft, but they actually do. When I was studying acupuncture, purely by chance I had to start looking after a big garden. It wasn’t something I had done before and it was a bit of a shock for me. It took a lot of…
Why not just advertise “Acupuncture change lives”?
By Paul Johnson. One of my clients said this to me a few weeks ago. Honestly. He had come to see me for a skin condition, but had undergone an enormous awakening with the first treatment. He felt like a new person, like the blinkers had been lifted form his eyes. He felt alive, energised,…
Embrace the Winter! Learn to rest and listen…
By Anne-Sophie Morel. Living amongst the hustle and bustle of big cities, we often forget that we are part of nature, and are therefore influenced by its cycles. Winter and night-time are periods of rest and repair. Animals and plants alike retreat inwards. Humans are the only beings to fight against this natural time of rest….
Success by choice not by chance: an Interview with Amanda Banks
Success by choice not by chance: an Interview with Amanda Banks by Farrah Riaz I’ve been working at The City College in the Old Street area of London for 12 years now in a variety of roles, currently as the Director of Assessments. During this time I’ve seen many developments in our educational portfolio all…
What is it like working in the NHS as a Traditional Acupuncturist?
I practiced acupuncture in the NHS from 2001-2014 and I am often asked what was it like. . . .
“If you’d said 10 years ago I’d be an Acupuncturist, I’d have laughed at you”
Ten years ago I was a Metropolitan Police Detective veteran with 25 years police service, leading a team investigating murders in North and West London. If you had said to me, “In 10 years time you will be an Acupuncturist “ I would probably have used some colourful words and laughed at you and the…
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