Emotional Health

The AcuMedic Emotional Health Clinic provides specialist syndrome acupuncture treatment and powerful Chinese herbal medicine specifically tailored to treating emotional, mental and psychological conditions.

Treatment is performed by a fully qualified CMIR-registered doctor with extensive Western medical training.

Treatment at our emotional health clinic includes:

• A full Chinese Medical diagnosis with personalised lifestyle advice
• Syndrome acupuncture
• An optional Chinese herbal prescription (charged separately) tailored to your individual condition and health needs

How we can help you

Our Emotional Health Clinic offers treatment for conditions such as:

• Depression
• Stress
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Sadness
• Over-thinking
• Low self esteem
• Autism spectrum conditions (including Infantile Autism)
• Attention Deficit Disorder or Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD);
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD);
• Mysophobia and other types of Phobia and Anxiety caused by a traumatic life event;
• Psychosis (with symptoms such as visual and auditory Hallucinations).

If your condition is not on this list, just ask for Free Health Advice and our doctors will let you know if, and how, they can help. You can also visit our centre and one of our doctors will speak to you as a free walk-in service.

The Emotional Health Clinic at AcuMedic provides an individualised combination of syndrome acupuncture and herbal medicine to tune your body to balance your emotional, psychological and physiological state. In addition to alleviating the symptoms, the treatment can also strengthen your body’s ability to better control stress as well as other triggers of mental and emotional issues.

Stress, depression, anxiety and anger have now become amongst the most common health issues in the UK and throughout the West. Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, used at the AcuMedic Emotional Health Clinic in London, is unique in its understanding of the relationship between psycho-emotional health and the functional state of the internal organs.

For advice on how to use Chinese Medicine for stress relief, please see our free guide: 3 Steps to Rise Above Stress. 

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+ About the Acupuncture at AcuMedic

Acupuncture treatment is available all over the world but not all acupuncturists are the same. Many acupuncturists in the West are only trained in a small modality of acupuncture such as trigger point acupuncture or perhaps 5 Element acupuncture. AcuMedicin London treats with syndrome acupuncture which is based on the complete system of theories in Chinese Medicine (including trigger point and 5 Element). This is authentic acupuncture treatment as practised in China and is based on Syndrome Differentiation diagnosis.

+ How it Works

Chinese Medicine uses acupuncture and Chinese herbs to restore internal health imbalances affecting your emotional and mental state and treat the mental or psychological condition at its root.

Chinese Medicine recognises the connections between various emotions, psychological conditions and organs in the body. By using various Chinese herbs and stimulating certain acupuncture points, emotions and mood can be naturally regulated, thus helping you to better control the difficult emotions or the psychological condition affecting you, and to better manage mood changes and their triggers.

For example, the organ predominantly associated with depression is the Liver whose main function is to store blood and maintain a good flow of Qi (your essential energy) throughout the body. Unrestricted anger, seen often in a short tempered person, can directly affect Liver, causing a stagnation of the Liver energy (the Liver-Qi) which is often the underlying problem in depression as well as in stress and anxiety.

Thus depression often occurs when the circulation of blood and essential energy in the body is stagnating as a result of some adverse effects (such as emotional upset or stress) on the body, particularly Liver. Therefore, Chinese herbs known to move the Qi and tonify Liver are often used to treat depression. The Chinese herbal medicine works to re-energise, strengthen and nourish the Liver in order to improve the essential circulation throughout the body. Acupuncture is used to help stimulate the circulation whilst also releasing endorphines which can make you feel better in the process.

When the circulation of essential energy in your body is rebalanced, unlocked and replenished by tonifying Liver, it will be easier to attain and maintain a more positive mental outlook, which includes an improved self esteem and better control of anger and other emotional and psychological manifestations.

In addition to Chinese herbs and syndrome acupuncture, Chinese Medical treatment for any emotional issues usually also involves advice on diet and lifestyle since a change in these two aspects might be vital to a successful outcome. It is important to stress that the Chinese Medical treatment should be tailored to your individual symptoms and requirements.

To find out more read our brief Introduction to Chinese Medicine.

+ What to expect

An AcuMedic doctor will carry out a full Chinese Medical diagnosis (including tongue- and pulse-diagnoses to check internal health) and will talk to you to learn a bit about your emotional or psychological issues.

An appointment at the Emotional Health Clinic usually lasts between 25-40 minutes. This includes consultation, diagnosis and acupuncture treatment. If you are prescribed raw Chinese herbs then this can take up to half an hour to prepare after your appointment.

+ Diagnosis and Consultation

There are four main diagnostic methods in Chinese Medicine which are observing, pulse diagnosis, questioning and listening. Each method has a unique function in the process of collecting different clinical information and understanding your condition. Therefore all four diagnostic methods must be used to make an accurate diagnosis of your emotional and psychological health and individualise the treatment so that optimal results can be achieved.

Observing involves looking at all the outward manifestations of your mental and psychological health. This is done by observing your general vitality, complexion, figure and your skin. One of the most well known parts of observing is tongue diagnosis. The tongue is like a mirror showing the state of your internal organs. The AcuMedic doctor will be able to judge the condition of your essential energy (Qi), identify the relevant internal organs affected, determine what is exactly is wrong and identify how your condition might progress just from looking at your tongue.

There are over 50 different pulse types and the AcuMedic doctor will take your pulse on both wrists to determine which pulse type you have. Your pulse is identified in terms of depth, speed, strength, shape and rhythm. Your pulse is an indicator of how Qi and blood are moving around your body, therefore how well your internal organs are functioning. From your pulse the doctor can determine a great deal about the nature of your condition, whether it involves emotional, psychological or mental issues. This information is very important for determining the right treatment for you.

The doctor will ask you a huge variety of questions to learn about your symptoms and general lifestyle. It may seem like some of these questions are odd, but it all goes towards building a complete picture of you and your overall health. No matter how trivial something might seem to you, tell your doctor. No symptom that you have is unrelated or unimportant to your mental health and diagnosis. It is also very useful for your doctor to see the results of any medical tests you have had so make sure you bring them along to your first consultation and whenever you get new results through.

Once the doctor has finished diagnosing you, they will tell you about your particular Chinese Medical syndrome. These syndromes often have funny sounding names, like Liver Qi Stagnation or Kidney Yin Deficiency, but do not let that put you off. They will accurately explain why you have the symptoms you have and therefore what treatment you need to alleviate your mental and psychological issues.

The doctor will then suggest an acupuncture treatment plan based on the diagnosis to return you to good health, thereby easing all of the different symptoms (including many physical issues) at the same time while tackling the mental or psychological condition at its root.

If the doctor feels that you should take some Chinese herbal medicines in addition to acupuncture then a prescription will be written for you. This is charged separately to your treatment. The prescription may be in the form of raw Chinese herbs or herbal extract capsules which are assembled and dispensed by our expert dispensary on our premises.

+ The Treatment

After consultation you will be asked to lie on the bed and remove some clothing to receive acupuncture. The doctor will provide you with a blanket to cover yourself. Micro-fine needles will be inserted and you will be left alone to relax for about 20-40 minutes.

Please be aware that this is crucial treatment time for the acupuncture to have a therapeutic effect and you have not been forgotten. Just relax and enjoy the sensation of the acupuncture treatment (many patients will fall asleep). If you need to call the Clinic reception then there is a bell to alert us to come and talk with you.

Usually, the acupuncture needles do not hurt when they are inserted, although if a lot of blocked energy has built up at one area of your body, you may feel a pricking and pulling sensation as the Qi begins to flow again in there. Most people find acupuncture incredibly relaxing.

AcuMedic doctors only use sterile disposable acupuncture needles. AcuMedic actually invented the disposable acupuncture needle.

For people who are afraid of acupuncture needles, please speak to your doctor who may recommend a different treatment based on electro-acupuncture instead of needles. Electro-acupuncture works in the same way as conventional acupuncture, but instead of using needles, an electronic pointer is used to stimulate the acupuncture points on the body.

+ After the Treatment

After the treatment you should feel an improvement in your symptoms and overall health. You should feel more relaxed, calmer and more in control of your emotions and energy. You might find you have a more normal appetite and you should find sleep to be more enjoyable, consistent and restful.

While this treatment will aim to help the patient to a complete recovery, the realistic expectations of the treatment outcomes will always depend on the extent of the patient’s conditions.

View the AcuMedic Patient Handbook.