Kuan Yin Chinese Medicine

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About Melissa

Once upon a time I was a lawyer working in Sydney with members of the Stolen Generation. I remember sitting with some of the women elders as they told me that they had asked the ancestors about me, and the ancestors said that I could be trusted. Something about that moment made me realize that I couldn’t be a lawyer anymore, and that I had to find my own way in the world. On my 29th birthday I resigned, and a couple of months later I left for India.

I spent six months alone travelling through the north of India. I attended silent meditation retreats, did a lot of yoga, lived in a small Indian village for two months during the monsoon, and attended the Kalachakra, a Buddhist ceremony with the Dalai Lama, way up in the foothills of the Himalayas.

When I returned to Australia I began a Diploma in Energetic Healing, and it was here that I initially encountered Chinese Medicine. From the first moment I knew that this was my path, and since that time I have continued to pursue my passion.

After training in a number of healing modalities, and the birth of my two sons, I finally gained a Bachelor of Science in Acupuncture in the UK, from the London College of Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (LCTA).

Upon returning to Melbourne, I established Kuan Yin Chinese Medicine, in honour of the Chinese goddess of healing and compassion. I am excited and enthusiastic to offer you a safe place for us to investigate your health concerns. I strive to provide a comprehensive, thorough and intuitive treatment, which will attend to the broad range of your health concerns, and finally leave you feeling energized, calm and overall happier to be alive.

As well as incorporating a knowledge of Western sciences, Melissa offers the following traditional services in her clinic:

Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture

The earliest records of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture date back 2000 years. This practice is based on the philosophies of Yin-Yang theory, and Five Element theory. Acupuncture essentially involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. The points are chosen based on your individual diagnosis, considering the state of your internal organs and the flow of Qi and Blood through the meridians. The aim of the treatment is to specifically rebalance those systems that are causing you to feel unwell, as well as to connect you more deeply with your inner knowings.

Chinese Medicine is a body-mind system. As well as bringing relief and harmony to your physical structures, an acupuncture treatment will also connect you to an inner place of clarity and calm. In time you will find that the acupuncture sessions assist you in living a life of integrity and peace.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion (moxa) is a traditional technique involving the burning of the herb, Mugwort. It releases heat into the body, creating a soothing, warming effect. The moxa can be in the form of a stick that is lit and held just over the acupuncture points, or a small cone can be formed and lit directly on the body. The practitioner stays with the patient the whole time to monitor the moxa. I might use moxa for a stiff lower back, or to release period pain. It is a very relaxing and pleasant sensation.

Cupping

Small glass cups are placed on selected areas of the body to create a vacuum. This assists in bringing pathogens to the surface and releasing toxins from the body. The cups may be left in place for a short amount of time, or moved along the meridians in order to encourage movement and release throughout the body. I might use cups on the back for a heavy cough, or across the shoulders for stiff and strained muscles.

Massage and Bodywork

I strongly believe in working with the mind and body. Based on my training in Zen Shiatsu and channel palpation, your treatment might involve some massage, allowing me to feel the quality of your muscles and tendons, as well as the flow of Qi in your system. Bodywork can help settle the mind, calm the nervous system and develop trust in yourself and your practitioner.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha is a traditional technique involving a small porcelain spoon being rubbed on the skin. Like cupping, this is used to release built-up toxins, relieve congestion and course the Qi.

Diet and Nutritional Advice based on Chinese Medicine principles
Chinese Medicine places a lot of emphasis on eating happily. It is just as important how you eat as what you eat. I encourage you to eat foods that are in season, that are organically grown, and that suit your body type. But mostly I encourage to enjoy what you eat, to be grateful for the amazing abundance of our lives, and to share your meals with family and friends.
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Reiki and Chakra Work
I am trained to Level 2 in the Usui Reiki lineage, and enjoy using Reiki to encourage a gentle rebalancing to take place when the needles are in. Chakras are based on the Hindu practices of ancient India, and relate to energy centres in the body. By incorporating an understanding of chakras into my work, I am able to more finely tune my diagnosis and treatment.

Meditation Advice and Practice
I have been practicing Insight Meditation for more than 17 years. I have attended a number of retreats and feel very strongly that developing a consistent meditation practice has helped me become a happier, calmer and more aware person. I will be glad to share my experience with you, and often bring guided meditations into the treatment.

Spiritual Guidance and Counselling
With a background and training in psychology, psychotherapy and my own spiritual practice, I am happy to work with you on the different depths of your experience. Chinese Medicine can offer very effective treatments for acute and chronic conditions, and can also be a way into understanding ourselves and the universe in a more complex, and spiritual way if this calls to you.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a gentle and effective way of bringing our bodies back into balance and harmony both internally and externally. In Chinese Medicine philosophy, the human body is composed of 12 main energy pathways, often called ‘meridians’. Physical substances travel through the meridians, like blood and body fluids, but so too does an energy called ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘chee’). Qi is the driving force of all Life. It is the force that creates, motivates and binds all human endeavours. If you like, you could compare it to The Force in Star Wars!

In our daily lives, the Qi of our mind and body can become depleted through overwork or stress, or can become stuck and stagnant, causing pain and distress. One of the main purposes of an acupuncture treatment is to move the Qi through the meridians, to bring clarity of insight and bodily ease and comfort. We can become separated from an embodied sense of self in our constant daily pursuits, and acupuncture provides an opportunity to come home to our bodies and remember our real purpose.
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What happens in an acupuncture treatment?
In Victoria, all practitioners of Chinese Medicine must be registered with the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria. This means we must meet a certain academic and professional standard in order to be registered to practice.

Chinese Medicine acupuncturists use thin needles that are sterile and are disposed of immediately after each use. During a treatment, the practitioner will generally ask the patient a series of questions, then ask to look at the patient’s tongue, and take their pulse. The tongue gives a geographical and visual representation of the state of the patient’s internal organs. When feeling the pulse, the practitioner is feeling up to 18 different pulse positions, evaluating the quality of the flow of blood and Qi through the veins and meridians.

The purpose of this part of the treatment is to build up the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ that is each individual person. Based on this information, a diagnosis is made, and then the fine needles are gently inserted into specific points on the body. The points might correspond to the intersections of the meridians, for example, or points where Qi might gather. Each acupuncture point has the ability to generate a number of specific changes within the mind and body. By gently needling the points, the patient can be encouraged to re-engage with the flow of Nature by bringing all their systems, whether they be physical or energetic, back into alignment.
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Does it hurt?
In China there are many words for the sensations generated by acupuncture needles – tingling, dull ache, warm glow, buzzing. Unfortunately many of us are unaccustomed to paying precise attention to our bodies, so when we feel anything we simply call it either pleasure or pain.

The aim of acupuncture is to realign the mind-body with the natural order of things. The needles are intended to generate bodily sensations, differently for each person and differently at each point. Most people find an acupuncture treatment to be deeply relaxing and rejuvenating, often in a profound and inexplicable way.
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What can acupuncture heal?
Chinese Medicine as it is practiced in the West is a truly holistic and integrated medicine. It combines Western understandings of biomedicine with a deep commitment to a vision of true healing and wellness. Acupuncture is recognized by the World Health Organization as being able to effectively treat a range of symptoms including:

Joint and back pain,

Menstrual irregularities,

Insomnia,

Hayfever and other respiratory conditions,

Gastro-intestinal irregularities, and

Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
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How many times should I come?
This depends entirely on the issues that you bring to my clinic.
A course of treatment for an acute condition, say a bad winter cold, might usually involve four sessions over four weeks. However in that time we might discover that there are other aspects of your life that you would like addressed.
Generally speaking, for the time that your system has been out-of-balance, it will take about half this time to come back into balance.
I would also encourage you to see Chinese Medicine as a preventative healthcare practice, so for example, you might come for a few sessions in Winter in order to strengthen your lungs before your Spring hayfever.
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Why Chinese Medicine?
I believe Chinese Medicine is an amazingly integrated form of medical practice. One of the great hallmarks of Chinese Medicine is its attention to each particular person, and its ability to create a unique diagnosis and treatment plan for that person at that time. Chinese Medicine is a truly holistic medicine, taking into account the whole sphere of information that makes up an individual, from your physical manifestations, through to details of your sleep, appetite, mental-emotional state, tendencies and your spiritual aspirations.
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Fees
Private Health Care Rebates Available

First consultation
Adult : $90 -1.5hrs
Child : $60 -1 hr

Follow up consultations:
Adult : $75 -1hr
Child : $45 - 1/2 hr

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Qualifications
Bachelor of Science in Acupuncture (Honours), LCTA, UK.
Licence to Practice Acupuncture in the UK (LicAc).
Registered to practice with the Chinese Medicine Board of Victoria (CMRBV)
Registered to practice with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC).
Member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society.


Bachelor of Arts (BA), majoring in Psychology and Philosophy, The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Honours, The University of Melbourne.

I have undergone training in Reiki, Insight Meditation, Energetic and Shamanic Healing, Soul-Centered Psychotherapy and Zen Shiatsu.

I have attended numerous seminars giving me extended training in Chinese Medicine and spiritual acupuncture, as well as a number of different Open Dharma meditation retreats.
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