International College of Oriental Medicine - ICOM

11/12/2025

CPD: Taxation and Exhaustion with Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée - a series of 7 different 90-minute seminars.

This online CPD is for acupuncturists and practitioners of classical Chinese medicine.

Fatigue and depletion are among the most common patterns we see in clinic today. But Chinese medicine has been thinking about taxation for over two millennia.

In this two-part online series, Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée takes us directly into the classics: the Suwen, Lingshu, Jingui Yaolüe and the writings of Zhang Jiebin to understand:
• how taxation develops
• why emotions are central in chronic fatigue
• how jing, yang qi and organ systems deteriorate under strain
• how symptoms point to root causes
• and what the classical texts teach about prevention.

Part 2 turns to the practitioner: how to treat without becoming depleted, how to protect clarity of mind, and how to guide patients without imposing.

This is a rare opportunity to study with one of the world’s most respected classical scholars in Chinese medicine.

Dates:
Part 1: 20, 27 Jan; 3, 10 Feb 2026
Part 2: 3, 10, 17 Mar 2026
Time: 6–7.30pm (UK)
Cost: £140 Part 1, £105 Part 2, £245 both
Open to: Acupuncturists and those with classical CM training.

Book via the CPD page on our website.

https://orientalmed.ac.uk/product/exhaustion/

10/12/2025

10/12/2025

Thank you to one of our recent patients for their kind testimony about our student teaching clinic.
 
“It was a very positive experience & I felt comfortable in the consultation with one student leading 2 observing plus a tutor. I felt very relaxed from their general being & attitude to the case taking, pulse taking & then the treatment. Everything was explained & I felt comfortable to ask questions.”

People of all ages can benefit from having acupuncture to help manage a range of health conditions.

Often, people turn to acupuncture to take back control of their health whilst others want to understand their body in a deeper way, wanting to look after their health, mind and soul.

Acupuncture is safe for children and teenagers. They can often be treated without the use of needles.

Our ICOM student teaching clinic has been serving the local community for over 50 years.

If you would like an appointment or know of someone who may, please call our Reception 01342 313106 and we will get you booked in.

You can read more FAQs on our ICOM clinic website.

https://acupunctureeastgrinstead.org/frequently-asked-questions/

09/12/2025

Being an Acupuncturist is fascinating and rewarding. Traditional Acupuncture is a career that attracts people from all walks of life.

For some, Acupuncture is their first career, but many people switch to a career in Acupuncture after following a very different career path, whilst others have been pursuing a similar career in healthcare and decide to branch out.

We have an article on our website explaining more about training options, accreditation, and professional recognition.

Curious to know more? Come along to our next Open Day on Thursday 22 January, where you’ll have plenty of opportunities to chat to our staff and students and ask any questions about pursuing a rewarding career in Acupuncture and the benefits of training at ICOM.

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Read more here:

Being an Acupuncturist is highly rewarding and it attracts people from all walks of life. So what's a career in acupuncture really like?

08/12/2025

Give the gift of Acupuncture this festive season with our community clinic gift cards!

Our gift cards do not expire and can be used to subsidise the cost of Acupuncture appointments with any of our Acupuncture practitioners based at the ICOM Acupuncture Clinic in East Grinstead.

Did you know you can choose from 13 fully-qualified Acupuncture practitioners at our ICOM community clinic?

ICOM clinic is open Monday-Saturday. Opening times vary so please check our website for details.

The appointments will take place in the Mulberry room – a newly refurbished garden room in the grounds of Van Buren House.

The value of each gift card can only be redeemed once. To purchase a gift card you can drop us a message, email, call or visit the clinic in-person - full Ts&Cs available on our clinic website.

Our friendly receptionist staff are always happy to help.

Call us: 01342 313106
Email: clinic@orientalmed.ac.uk
Visit our website: acupunctureeastgrinstead.org

05/12/2025

The ancient Chinese observed the cycles of nature: day and night and the changing seasons. They recognised that the natural rhythms of nature underlie the most fundamental aspects of our lives and are thus fundamental to our health.

In the Lunisolar calendar also known as the Chinese 24 Solar Terms, Dàxuě (大雪) translated as 'Major Snow' arrives on 7 December and marks the deepening of winter.

This means colder temperatures, increased yin, and a seasonal invitation to slow down. It is a time when nature turns inward, conserving energy and strengthening what lies beneath the surface.

Classical Chinese Medicine encourages us to follow these rhythms. At this time of year we focus on rest, warmth, nourishment and protecting the Kidney system, the root of our vitality through the winter months.

If you'd like to explore how seasonal living can support your health and wellbeing, read our new blog series: Chinese Medicine Tips for Seasonal Self-Care

Read here: https://orientalmed.ac.uk/classical-chinese-medicine-tips-for-seasonal-self-care

Image: Record of the Chinese lunisolar calendar for 1834, 1835, and 1836 during the Qing dynasty under the Daoguang Emperor's Reign (道光十四年，道光十五年，道光十六年)

04/12/2025

Join us at our next Open Day in January 2026.

Applications are open to join our Acupuncture Course at the start of the Autumn term. We hold regular Open Days, both online and in person at the college. These Open Days give you a real feel for the college and the course. We encourage you to come along to one of these if you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to study with us. The next open day dates are below. Please register via the form below, indicating which you’d like to attend and you’ll be sent more information.

Thursday 22 January 2026 10am-2pm (in person)

Come along to meet us in person at the college. We’ve got lots planned including a presentation by the Principal, an Acupuncture demonstration and some great activities for you. You’ll get a great insight into our course and what sets us apart from other colleges and you’ll meet some current students and find out about college life.

Register your place: https://orientalmed.ac.uk/college/open-days/

03/12/2025

To celebrate three new ICOM graduates joining our ICOM clinic we are offering discounted appointments to welcome new patients to the clinic.

Magalie, Lucy and Kristine are all offering £10 off ALL appointments with them, until 31 December. Give us a call or book online and use the code NEW2025 on the appointment booking page.

The discounted appointment will be £45 instead of £55. What's more, you can use the code as many times as they like until 31 December.

Our friendly team of clinic reception staff are on hand to answer any questions you may have.

Website: acupunctureeastgrinstead.org.uk
Call: 01342 313106

02/12/2025

Last chance to join us tonight for Kitchen Medicine: External Applications with Lorraine Wilcox

If you’ve ever wanted to make simple, effective remedies at home using everyday kitchen ingredients, this session is for you.

In this two-hour online seminar, Lorraine Wilcox will teach you how to prepare:
• A nourishing potion to support jing/essence
• A compress to ease inflammation
• A foot soak to calm and settle the body
• And other time-tested household remedies

These techniques draw on centuries of Chinese medical wisdom, yet use ingredients many of us already have at home: ginger, salt, green onion, radish, mugwort, spices and more.

Open to everyone - no background in Chinese medicine required.

Kitchen Medicine: External Applications
Tuesday 2 December, 6–8pm (London time)
£40 | Online

There’s still time to book. Join us this evening and learn practical remedies you can use straight away.

Booking link here: https://orientalmed.ac.uk/product/kitchen-medicine-external-applications/

Image: Edvard Munch - Footbath, 1912.

01/12/2025

New CPD Series for Acupuncturists: Taxation and Exhaustion with Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée.

Fatigue and depletion are among the most common patterns presenting in clinic today. Classical Chinese medicine offers a rich framework for understanding how taxation, strain, and long-term depletion take root – and how they can be transformed.

This two-part series of 90-minute classes explores:
• How the classical texts describe taxation and exhaustion
• How these patterns manifest in modern clinical practice
• How practitioners can protect and restore their own vitality
• Strategies for sustainable, long-term clinical work

Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée brings her unparalleled expertise in classical sources to guide you through both the theory and the practical clinical implications.

Course details
Part 1: Tuesdays 20 & 27 January, 3 & 10 February 2026
Part 2: Tuesdays 3, 10 & 17 March 2026
Price: starts from £105

Read more or book your place on our website.

Part 1 explores how classical Chinese medicine deals with fatigue & exhaustion. Part 2 covers how we as practitioners can protect ourselves from exhaustion.

29/11/2025

Interested in food, cooking, and making your own natural home remedies?

ICOM is hosting an accessible online workshop that explores the long tradition of simple, effective treatments made with everyday kitchen ingredients.

Webinar: Kitchen Medicine: External Application
With Lorraine Wilcox Lic.Ac
Tuesday 2 December, 6–8pm (London time)
Online | £40

For thousands of years, alongside the long and complex formulas of scholar-physicians, households across China relied on quick, practical remedies made from what was already in the kitchen. These treatments were recorded in classical medical texts and passed down because they worked.

In this two-hour online class, you’ll learn how to make external applications for injuries, pain, rashes, and even some internal complaints, using ingredients you may already have at home — such as salt, ginger, green onions, daikon, chrysanthemum, fennel seeds, mugwort, cloves, and Sichuan pepper.

Your teacher, Lorraine Wilcox, is a respected translator, author and long-standing practitioner of Chinese Medicine who specialises in uncovering practical remedies from classical texts and reviving traditional medicine-making.

This session is ideal for anyone curious about herbal traditions, kitchen medicine, natural first aid, or expanding what you can do at home with simple tools.
Book here: https://orientalmed.ac.uk/product/kitchen-medicine-external-application/

Join us online to learn some effective home remedies for injuries, pain, rashes and even internal complaints, using simple ingredients often found at home.

29/11/2025