Nadia Sempels Acupuncture

14/11/2025

As acupuncture is not statutory regulated (unfortunately), always make sure whoever you are seeing has undertaken a safe level of basic and continued training. You can search the BAcC's website for someone local to you!

29/10/2025

Great explanation of the acupuncture styles I "integrate" into my treatment. Since graduating from the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine more than 16 years ago now, I have also studied other styles, such as the Master Tung style mentioned. My core training at CICM remains my main style though.

☯️ What is integration? ☯️

You’ll hear us talk a lot about how we teach an integrated style of acupuncture here at CICM, and it’s even in our name - the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine - but what does it actually mean?

What does it mean for our students, for our practitioners, and ultimately for the patients that we treat?

Well, you may or may not know, that there are many styles of acupuncture practised in the UK and all over the world.

These traditions can include TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Five Element acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, the Stems and Branches style, Korean acupuncture, Master Tung acupuncture and so on…

At CICM our degree course brings together the two main styles of acupuncture taught in this country - five element constitutional acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Five Element Acupuncture is a style of acupuncture that focuses on the five elements of nature - fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

Practitioners of this style understand that imbalances in a patient’s dominant element can lead to illness. Five element acupuncture tends to treat the patient’s deepest constitutional imbalance, and is particularly suited to emotional life challenges.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is perhaps the most well-known and widely practiced style of acupuncture. TCM uses acupuncture points along the meridians to balance the flow of Qi and promote wellness. Yin and Yang are important concepts in this style of acupuncture and it is used to treat a wide range of physical and emotional conditions.

So having this integrated combination allows our graduates to treat patients with a wide variety of issues, both chronic and acute, benefitting from both styles of treatment - it truly is the best of both worlds!

☯️ And did you know that we are unlike any other acupuncture college in the UK, because we offer this integrated curriculum?

🙏 Come and learn more about our college, and our unique style of teaching…

Our next open day events are on:

📆 Thursday 13th November - 19:00 - 20:30 | online
📆 Saturday 10th January – 11:30 - 13:30 | at the college


➡️ Book on to any session via messenger here - https://m.me/cicmcollege?ref=Open

📧 Or get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo directly - registrar@cicm.org.uk or on 01189 508 889

🎓 See more info about our BSc degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too!

👍 Every like, comment, save and share helps us spread this amazing ancient wisdom, with the wider world!

14/10/2025

Very proud to see this new CICM cohort starting containing a patient of mine! Exactly 20 years ago, my classmates and I were in the same position! I remember that first week with 05.2 as if it was yesterday. CICM is a lovely college, so if you ever want to consider starting an acupuncture degree, please visit them on one of their open days!

14/10/2025

Male fertility is often overlooked, even though it is an important issue - and becoming more so in recent years. The limited NHS s***m tests only supply the couple with a basic diagnosis and if a problem is uncovered, no treatment as such is offered - only a straight line to ICSI (a form of IVF where the best s***m is selected and injected into the egg). Even if a couple is deemed "ok" and a diagnosis of unexplained infertility is arrived at, it might just be as a result of a lack of in depth testing. This often results in emotionally, financially and physically tough IVF cycles failing. Mr Ramsay is one of the few specialists in this country who can offer extra guidance, unfortunately only really available privately. My colleague Collette went to see him for an interview.

By Colette Assor Male fertility is a vital yet often overlooked part of the fertility journey.  I recently had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Jonatha

08/10/2025

After a short break, I am happy to be part of the Zita West Network again. Keep an eye out for updates!

16/08/2025

Very interesting, as the implantation process is still widely under researched
Scientists capture first footage of human embryo implanting in a uterus

Groundbreaking footage shows ‘surprisingly invasive’ process and may help to improve infertility treatments

22/07/2025

Interesting CPD day today

13/06/2025

Want to Help Support Brain Fog Research?

A UCL research team is looking to recruit UK women for the pilot of their new psychological intervention supporting women with brain fog during menopause.

If you are interested in helping follow the link - or scan the QR code.

https://qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_8HSK5AUr6DxHlKC?Q_CHL=qr

09/06/2025

As reported in BBC News today, the NHS has raised significant concern over an estimated 200,000 blood donor shortfall and has urgently called for more donors to come forward. The British Acupuncture Council has consistently lobbied for a change in blood donation regulations because they are unnecess...

26/03/2025

According to an article published in the Guardian, Independent, BBC Radio 4 and BBC News today.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has issued a warning to those undergoing IVF about “unproven extras” to increase their chances of having a baby. Acupuncture is highlighted as one of these “unproven extras”. However, recent systematic reviews indicate that acupuncture may increase the likelihood of having a baby.
It is very important that people are given the information they need to help them make an informed decision. There are a number of issues that the articles do not fully explore.
Ian Appleyard Research and Policy Manager has detailed these in his response.

https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/three-quarters-of-uk-fertility-patients-using-unproven-add-on-treatments-baccs-response/

Alex Jacobs CEO has released the following statement to the media outlets, we hope they choose to publish our statement to make their articles a more holistic view of the evidence.

Recent systematic reviews indicate that acupuncture may well be beneficial for those undergoing IVF. For example, Smith et al. (2019) suggests that 'acupuncture may be effective when compared with no adjunctive treatment.' In addition, there are significant methodological factors which may lead the research to underestimate the true effect of acupuncture. Clinical trials often only use a fixed protocol of acupuncture points, one or two treatments and do not factor in that placebo acupuncture is still an active treatment. BAcC members have a minimum 3 year degree-level training and can tailor the treatment according to the specific needs of the individual patient.

18/11/2024

With reference to my post yesterday: this is the lovely College where I studied.

📣 We're enrolling now for our next BSc Acupuncture degree cohort!

✨ Did you know that we are unlike any other acupuncture college in the UK?

We offer:

☯️ Integrated teaching of Five Element acupuncture & TCM
🎓 Degree awarded by the University College of Osteopathy
✅ Fully accredited by British Acupuncture Accreditation Board
🧑‍🎓 Student loans for eligible students
💰 Monthly payment options
🗓 Weekend & weekday cohorts, every spring & autumn
🔄 50% theory & 50% practical
🖥 A blend of online & in-person teaching
📍 Central location in Reading, 25 minutes from London


🏫 We hold regular online and in-person open days, which are the perfect opportunity to ask all your questions and get a feel for the course and college.


Our next open day events are on:

⁠📆 Thursday 5th December - 19:00 - 20:30 | online
📆 Saturday 11th January - 11.30 - 1.30 | at the college⁠


➡️ Book your place by commenting OPEN DAY below, and we will send you the details via messenger!

☎️ Or get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo on 01189 508 889 or email her at registrar@cicm.org.uk

🎓 See more info about our degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

🏫 She can also arrange for you to have a tour around the college any time, at your convenience, so please don’t hesitate to ask!

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too - we know that so many of us have trained at CICM because of our own acupuncturists!