

Cupping seems to be gaining popularity in recent years (thank you Michael Phelps), as more and more people seek to try it or use it as part of their recovery/ self care.
I recommend cupping often, as I see a lot of tight and tired muscles. Often people ask how it works or why it is beneficial.
Cupping is a therapy used as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a suctioned cup that is placed on the skin which draws the tissues into it. The suction can come from a suction/ pump or from heating the cup with a flame, which causes the pressure gradient when the cup is placed on the skin. This draws blood up and through, stretches out the fascia and muscles and has the effect of loosening up tight areas. It’s like the reverse of a massage!
Is cupping limited to musculoskeletal? Historically, not at all! It has been used as part of a TCM treatment to help aid the body to detox and to draw out ‘excesses’ or improve circulation where there is accumulation and a build up.
Another question I get asked is if it is painful. If you are trying it for the first time, it can be a strange sensation initially as the cup gets placed on, you might just feel a tightness. Your practitioner will have complete control over the intensity of the cup and can moderate it to your preference. This sensation should pass over the next few minutes.
So what are the marks that come up? This is the blood getting drawn up and through the tissue. Although the marks may look like bruises, they are not real bruises as there has been no impact or trauma to the area. This is just part of the normal process of cupping where blood and toxins are drawn up and through the tissues to aid in better circulation and detoxification of a local area. The marks generally don’t last much longer than a few days to a week, but it may be worth booking your appointment away from any special events if you’re concerned!
Want to try cupping or find out more? Give us call and one of our practitioner can talk you through it.
Pregnancy Acupuncture with Chloe Player – Mona Vale, Northern Beaches
With a passion for working with pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy I use acupuncture, cupping, moxa and some acupressure to achieve the most comfortable pregnancy possible.
Due to the fact that acupuncture has very few side effects, many pregnant women now seek this alternative to drug therapy for a number of common pregnancy complaints. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help with Prenatal support including relief from morning sickness, pregnancy induced migraine, back pain including symphysis pubis and hip pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, breech, insomnia, anxiety, birth preparation and induction.
Acupuncture is also commonly used to treat headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, sinusitis, fatigue, skin problems, cold and flu, insomnia, stress and anxiety.
Something I have been seeing a lot in clinic lately is breech and full term pregnancies seeking acupuncture to help avoid medical intervention – whilst it’s often successful it’s the readiness of the baby and stage of the pregnancy that determines the outcome. I suggest starting labour preparation acupuncture from 36 weeks and for breech and posterior bubs 34 -36 weeks.
Don’t forget to have acupuncture post bub –
I regularly help ladies with mastitis, poor milk flow, plantar fasciitis, wrist tendonitis, anxiety, exhaustion and low iron postnatally. It can be hard to make it in for treatments but in our clinic, we make sure babies are most welcome and help you to relax as much as possible.
Whichever stage of pregnancy or trying to conceive you are at I would love to be able to help you have the best experience during your birth or pregnancy possible. Feel free to get in contact today.
02 8406 0679
Holistic counselling is based on the belief that human beings are able to heal themselves in mind and body. However, there will be times that they will struggle to do this and may “lose their way”. Holistic counselling considers not only the mind, but also the body and spirit and how each of these elements interconnect and addresses issues through compassion and gentle assistance in re-discovering oneself, empowerment, growth, to heal and to build inner wisdom.
Traditional therapy can tend to focus on a certain disorder or dysfunction a person might present with. While this can be effective in some cases, focusing on a particular presenting problem could miss all the important elements that creates a person, such as life experiences, philosophical and spiritual beliefs, emotionality, psychology, physical health, and more. Holistic counselling can help to identify patterns that may be more complex or relate to multiple facets of your life.
Holistic counselling empowers you to discover and access your own inner wisdom and healing capacity to embark on your enlightening journey of self-discovery, personal growth and self-healing.
Holistic counselling sessions usually lasts from 60 to 90 minutes and can be in person or by telehealth. In sessions, we work deeply and explore your relationship with your mind (including emotions), body (nervous system) and spirit (soul) as fundamentally interconnected. Here’s how these elements are integrated in a holistic counselling session:
MIND
Here we explore and identify any habitual thought patterns, past trauma, fear, negative emotions, that may be limiting you, including deeper concerns (both past and present) and long-term patterns. Through this transformative process, supported by intuitive ThetaHealing, you will recover and release what no longer serves you and be equipped with a wide range of effective self-healing tools for improvement and change to your psychological wellbeing currently and for the future.
BODY
Here we explore any physical concerns (pain, blockages, ailments) you have and how they may be contributing to your overall wellbeing. I believe that physical concerns are messengers to show you what is not working in your body. It is a way to get your attention. Deep-seated emotional difficulties manifest as physical pain when they’re not addressed. When you really understand and discover what your pain is about you can heal. Combining Reiki and intuitive healing, we will tune into your body and awaken your innate healing intelligence to heal yourself find out the answers to your physical and emotional challenges. I believe that your body is incredibly wise and that everyone holds the key to their own optimum well-being. Here we can also integrate lifestyle, diet, routine, exercise, nutrition, or new activities to support your healing journey.
SPIRIT
A core principle in holistic counselling is that the human spirit is essential in healing an individual’s mind, body, and soul. In my practice I have found that holistic counselling provides a safe and nurturing space for an individual to express, explore and find ways of integrating their spiritual beliefs and philosophies into all aspects of their lives (e.g. physically, emotionally, psychologically). I draw on my years of study and practice in self-healing techniques, as well as my own profound self-healing journey for my client to gain a deeper sense of clarity and to assist with integrating their personal spiritual beliefs into their general wellbeing. This can include mindfulness, relaxation, meditation, new age books and resources, rituals, alternative healing modalities, journaling, crystals, and more. When an individual begins to integrate their personal spiritual beliefs and practices on their journey of healing and change, comes a deeper inner awareness and peace
Holistic counselling is a personal and nurturing process and can be a great alternative for those who have not found success with traditional therapies. Or for those who want a more personalised form of counselling that examines your entire life, not just what you’re currently experiencing and to connect within yourself on a deeper spiritual level.
Holistic counselling supports your complete health and well-being, embodying unconditional love and acceptance, purpose, direction and a sense of ‘centredness’ in your life and is an amazing option for people who want to work on developing greater wellbeing, spirituality, inner peace and to move positively forward in life and achieve long lasting results. You will also experience a sense of wellbeing, release and empowerment after the session
Nothing can be safer and more empowering than the realisation of your innate strengths and capabilities to move beyond whatever difficulties life throws at you. Regardless of age, gender or health condition, everyone can benefit from working with a holistic counsellor and move forward with their life connecting with their authentic self, awakening and empowering self-love and acceptance.
Of all the feelings that are ‘normal’ at the moment, common narratives have included feeling stressed, burnout, nervous system feels on edge, experiencing poor sleep quality, brain fog, low energy, or mood changes. If any, all, or more resonate with you, you’ll be like many during lockdown who are struggling to feel themselves, making it a good a time as any to talk about cultivating Qi for preventative care.
You may not understand it well (yet!), but most have been aware of Qi during an acupuncture treatment, where feedback or sensations occurring from different areas over the body during needling. Regular feedback sensations might include feeling warmth or coolness, tingling, heaviness, fullness, or magnetic quality. We usually encourage you to sit with it, feel into it, and allow the sensations to undulate, and hum away. This is Qi.
Discovering Qi and feeling more aware of how those sensations flow is also something you can do at home, after all – Acupuncture is simply influencing your Qi. It’s already within you. Cultivating Qi can be often tied with ritual. Think of all the many small actions in your day, and what percentage of those deplete you compared with replenish you. How does that add up in your life? Routines that help strengthen your Qi are something that everyone can practise.
Three ways to cultivate Qi:
1. Qi Gong is one of the focuses on breath, form and focus; standing in meditation (wuji) & moving in harmony (taiji). It brings together Yin and Yang, strengthening your Qi and vitality. Qigong is actually a fundamental part of Chinese Medicine, with physical movement and meditative cultivation used to extend ones lifespan in Taoist tradition.
2. Meditation. Start with a just few minutes each day with a focus on breathing, stillness, self-reflection and grounding. A little side activity you can work with to help with bringing your attention to Qi sensations can be practised through rubbing your hands together in front of your belly until they’ve warmed a little, and then separate your palms slightly and create small circular movements , or separating and bringing close together again. Feel into sensations in your fingers and palms.
3. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is classically a preventative medicine, but these days we often are treating when someone is symptomatic. TCM works to keeps Qi strong and robust, and is a full system of health, working with Qi in order to heal the body through both internal and external medicine.
It’s a little all-encompassing (and may actually include the first two points within its recommendations), involving looking at your symptoms through a macro lens; what symptoms are common or cyclic for you, how they respond to things within your environment, food and with stress, alongside any underpinning factors that could be impacting your health. Things such as noting the quality of your sleep, digestion, and energy are common baselines, but we lean into any area that feels noteworthy for you, and might ask questions that feel seemingly unrelated in order to understand how underlying factors are being influenced. We’re looking for a balance; for example, we know if we experience grief it’s healthy, and should be honoured. We don’t supress our system’s responses, but instead look at ways to best support the body in order to heal. A very simple summary is that we determine which systems are depleted, stuck or in excess, and treat accordingly.