After working in an Acupuncture clinic during her school years, Rachel was always fascinated by this seemingly mysterious medicine. However, she followed her passion for science and medical research spending 4 years at the University of Edinburgh where she gained a BSc with honours in Pharmacology. Lacking inspiration and deterred by the ethics of the pharmaceutical industry she decided to investigate an alternative route. Rachel graduated from the Northern College of Acupuncture after completing a 3 year BSc degree. It was here that she developed a love for treating and caring for people, through the gentle medicine of Acupuncture. She is a licensed acupuncturist and member of the British Acupuncture Council BAcC, the regulatory body for Acupuncturists in the UK, and as such is required to keep her skills up to date and to maintain a high standard of safe and professional practice.
Being a member allows certain health insurers such as Bupa, Vitality and Simply Health to cover Acupuncture treatments. Check to see if you are covered here or contact your provider directly.
Nepal Experience
After qualifying Rachel joined a charity, Acupuncture Relief Project, where she spent three months in Nepal providing acupuncture and primary healthcare to rural communities with limited or no access to healthcare. Following the aftermath of the earthquake in 2014 an already poor country was left devastated with even fewer resources for medical care. Her time there showed her that even with the most basic provisions and limited clinic environment, acupuncture is a powerful medicine that can help to restore our bodies back to health. Having seen over 600 patients in the space of 9 weeks, the invaluable experience she gained there is being put into practice. If you would like to read more about her time there, take a look at this blog that gives a small insight into the challenges faced there each day. It was with her friend and colleague, Kim Shepherd, a Sheffield based acupuncturist that she shared this once in a life time experience.
Her aim
With her scientific background Rachel takes an integrated approach to healing, looking to find a way that acupuncture can work alongside, and is some cases reduce any medication that you may be taking. Her main aim is to make patients feel comfortable and at ease, and ultimately well again.