Shelley Beer
Clinical Practitioner & Mentor, Academic Consultant
SERVICES
Services
Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture.
Exploration of the Body-mind, diet and lifestyle choices are examined to promote health and well being.
Shelley has expertise in treating women's health, a keen interest in treating babies & children and is able to treat complex clinical conditiions by offering supportive therapy through individual treatments.
Coaching Program
Due to her extensive clinical experience, Shelley has a wealth of knowldege that she's offerring to share. If you value formalised support, please follow this link for subscription details.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
1.What is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?
At the core of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the belief that the human body possesses an innate harmony or internal balance. The task of the physician is to identify disharmony when it occurs and assist the body in regaining its natural state of well-being.
TCM aims to treat not only the presenting complaint, but also looks for the cause of a problem. Rather than concentrating on easing symptoms temporarily, the emphasis is on treatment of the whole person. This means taking into account the body mind responses: the physical symptoms and the person's inner feelings. All areas of life can have an influence on the quality of the flow of energy through the body. For example, the symptoms of how you feel about becoming sick can be just as important as the illness itself.
By treating the body-mind as one integral whole, the physician selects from a number of treatment options to correct the free flow of qi (energy), blood and body fluids between the organs and meridian pathways. When the body exists in a state of harmony and balance you will feel good - experience a sense of well being.
2. How can Chinese Medicine be used?
The World Health Organisation has announced publicly that acupuncture is suitable for treating the following: 1. Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders.
2. Respiratory Disorders.
3. Gastrointestinal Disorders.
4. Eye Disorders.
5. Neurological and Muscular Disorders.
Chinese Medicine has managed to keep a quarter of the world's population healthy for over 2000 years in China, treating a host of other problems, such as knee pain, sprains and strains and most gynaecological complaints.
It is also used in the West to manage stressful lifestyles, to treat bacterial and viral infections, regulate gastrointestinal function and to assist withdrawal programmes.
Treatments not only resolve illness, but are also used to restore and maintain health and well-being. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are used commonly to prevent future illnesses from occurring.
3. How many treatments will I need?
If you've had a problem a long time, then it will take time to change that. If a problem is new, it will respond straight away. If you are using Chinese Medicine for on-going well-being, then you may like to use it as a regular feature of your routine. Periods of extra stress benefit from treatments more often. Each case is unique.
It is a good idea to have three sessions then assess your progress. Gynaecological conditions are best assessed after 3 cycles of treatment. Choose to make the time to come regularly for greater effect.
4. How will I know if I need herbs or acupuncture?
If you are needle phobic, or you don't like the idea of taking something regularly, then you can decide for yourself which you prefer.
Most conditions can be treated with either system. Some conditions are known to be better treated by herbs, whereas others are better treated with acupuncture. Your practitioner can advise you. Generally, skin conditions and gynaecology are the specialty of herbalists, while musculoskeletal/neuromuscular conditions (backs, RSI , Bell's palsy, hemiplegia after stroke and the like) are the forte of acupuncturists. This is not absolute. Gynaecolgy and 'backs' respond better if both herbs and acupuncture are combined. An acupuncturist can effectively treat your skin condition and periods, or a herbalist can help your back, regardless of the generalisation above. The range of conditions that TCM can treat is not limited to only these examples (see "So What's Next" for a more detailed list).
Most conditions respond more effectively to a combination of both herbs and acupuncture, with a greater net effect.
5. Who pays for the treatment?
Consultations are a private arrangement for which you pay at the time of visiting the clinic. Some insurance schemes rebate for acupuncture and herbal medicine services. You should check with your employer or health fund.
6. Is there anything I need to do before a consultation?
For the maximum benefit from your treatment:- Arrive with time to sit quietly. Racing in will change the pulse quality. The pulse is an important guide to diagnosis.
- Do not clean your tongue, or consume foods and drinks just before you come, e.g. 1 hour. The tongue is also an important guide.
- Avoid treatment when excessively fatigued, hungry, or shortly after consuming alcohol, coffee or a large meal.
If you are new to Chinese Medicine, then it would be a good idea to familiarise yourself with more detail from the herbs/acupuncture pages. Otherwise progress to Practice Style if you want to know a bit more about the consultation experience with Shelley Beer, this will give you a snapshot of what to expect.
Chinese Herbs
1. What are Chinese herbs?
Although called "Chinese", they are not exclusively from China, and although called "herbs", they are not exclusively from plants. Most are from plants, some are animal by-products, and some are minerals.
2. Then, why are they called "Chinese"?
They are herbs that are used according to the system of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This system uses a diagnostic method that gathers information through analysing the pulse and tongue (among other things) and diagnoses according to TCM theory. The treatment is then based on the TCM diagnosis, not a western biomedical disease.
3. I am vegetarian, I don't want animal by-products.
This is not a problem. Tell the practitioner and they can select only plant herbs
4. I have heard that endangered species such as rhinos and tigers are used. Is this true?
The traditional pharmacopoeia historically used these products. In the 21st century these products are forbidden by law. Just as substitutions can be made for vegetarians, these traditional herbs are now replaced with other herbs with similar effects. Their use is no longer required.
5. How involved is the preparation of Chinese Herbs?
Shelley prefers to use raw herbs, however, she also stocks herbs that have already been pre-cooked and dehydrated. You don'thave to cook them yourself.
6. Don't herbs taste revolting?
These pre-prepared herbs have overcome the bad taste reputation that raw herbs have.
7. Do herbs have any side effects?
Side effects are unwanted symptoms. If the herbs are prescribed according to a TCM diagnosis, then there should be no adverse reactions.
Sometimes as the body adjusts back towards health, there may be some slight, but predictable effects that the practitioner will explain to you.
8. I like the ritual of cooking up the herbs, I love to look at the different barks and fruits; I love to feel their texture and smell them before they are cooked. The time it takes to prepare them is special time in my routine. Can I still get raw herbs?
Shelley stocks a full working raw herbs dispensary,which has been heartfully created by a local wood artisan, Stephen Oram of the Old Butter Factory. The recycled Jarrah carefully crafted keeps the herbs airtight fresh, so you are assured of a sensory experience as each draw reveals its fragrance during the weighing out of individual prescriptions.
Introducing Shelley Beer
If you are looking for experience, then 21 years in clinical practice, including concurrent teaching Chinese Medicine at Victoria University for 16 of those while also serving on the Chinese Medicine Registration Board from 2000-2009, indicates a deep commitment to this ancient medical system. More recently she has mentored a number of successful registration applicants and higher education students.
Shelley came from a background rich in life experiences, before choosing to specialise in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Her orthodox training involved a Bachelor's Degree from Monash University in Botany, a Graduate Diploma in Women's Health and Ph D from the University of Melbourne.
Upon graduation of fours years training in Chinese medicine, she undertook an internship in China at Dongzhimen Hospital of the Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in 1989. There she worked in the Acupuncture Department and the Gynaecology Department using Internal (Herbal) Medicine. She has since completed a further 4 hospital internships over the past 20 years - Lanzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing.
She has worked extensively within multi-disciplinary clinics. On return from China, she consulted for Bayside Natural Therapies and Clifton Hill Natural Health Centre before setting up her own practice as a founding practitioner of The Greville Street Clinic in Prahran. She is the founding director of Daylesford Health Professionals- a multi -disciplinary clinic in the Spa country of Victorian central highlands- working with a dedicated, very experienced collection of private practitioners (see http://dhphealth.info)
She is proud to have founded the first dedicated Chinese Herbal Medicine degree in an Australian university in 1996. In December 2000, she was appointed to the inaugural Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria and completed her nine year term during 2009. She Lectured in Traditional Chinese Medicine for 16 years, until 2008.
Shelley consults in Daylesford. She now lives in Glenlyon with her remaining cat "Possum", dog "Dyson", 12 chickens, one rooster and two new Dexter cows- Megan- the proud mother of a one week bull calf as this is typed. "Diana”, the Friesian cross is in calf, due early December 2010...She transposed her Daylesford rose & iris garden, much to the annoyance of her life partner: lucky they don't need much of the rain water. She loves to play golf but a busy clinic and 1 acre property don't leave much other time. She wonders how she ever had time to teach full time, continue clinic after hours and finish her PhD.
I enjoy writing, the discovery of the changing seasons in the garden, photography and living in Glenlyon.....one of the joys of my work is the places I go to and the people I come into contact with. Keep an eye out for my personal pages now I have created a little more time, finally concluding nearly 2 years of keeping a city practice one day a week in addition to 4 days in Daylesford. As much as I loved consulting the last year in South Melbourne, the benefits of living in this beautiful spa country can be enjoyed more now.
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Acupuncture, Herbalists, Traditional Chinese Medicine
|
|
|
