I qualified to practise in 2006 with a Licentiate in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I then travelled to China to continue with post graduate training at the Zhejiang Medical University in Hangzhou, where I was awarded an Advanced Clinical Certificate in Chinese Medicine. Through the university, I gained extensive clinical experience during an internship at the Red Cross Hospital and the Acupuncture and Tuina Hospital. During this time I also worked in a Gynecology ward that specialised in fertility. In 2012 I completed a B.Sc (Hons) level course in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tuina and Advanced Acupuncture at the College of Oriental Medicine. I established a clinic in Athlone in 2006 and I have been in professional practise for the last eighteen years. In 2010 I completed a one year teacher training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, where I trained with Professor Mark Williams from the Oxford Mindfulness Institute and I am qualified to teach this both as an 8 week course or on a one to one basis. I have many years of experience as a meditation teacher and facilitating group meditations. Acupuncture supports fertility and IVF by enhancing blood flow to reproductive organs, regulating hormone levels, and reducing stress. Improved blood circulation to the uterus and ovaries creates a favorable environment for egg development and implantation. By balancing hormones, acupuncture helps regulate menstrual cycles and improve ovarian function, essential for fertility. It also reduces stress and anxiety, positively impacting fertility outcomes. In IVF, acupuncture before and after embryo transfer has been shown in clinical trials to improve implantation rates. Overall, acupuncture serves as a complementary therapy, potentially increasing the success rates of fertility treatments. Mindfulness meditation helps reduce stress which benefits fertility and is a helpful support for women dealing with fertility issues and IVF.
