Training for acupuncture in the UK?

[zpexkudfipeiqaewa]

I am at a cross-roads and am thinking of quitting my PhD (I do it PT whilst working FT) and pursuing the study of a natural therapy. I've long been attracted to Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. Might I ask you all where in the UK offers the highest qualification (and quality of study) for this field? I have absolutely no idea where to start looking.

I've have other ideas for areas to study (I'm tossing lots of balls at the moment) so forgive me if you see me asking the same question about another therapy, at a later date.

Ava

[ps. Sorry, but I also put this same post in the General Therapies forum. I am a real belts and braces kinda girl.]

 

[Melbergine]

Hi there,

Acupuncture is a fantastic subject to study and it is possible to study at weekends whilst working full time. This is hard work but possible.

Here are the accredited colleges, some of which provide BSc courses:
BAAB FULLY ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS AND COURSES, December 2004COLLEGE OF INTEGRATED CHINESE MEDICINEReading, BerkshireCOLLEGE OF TRADITIONAL ACUPUNCTURERoyal Leamington Spa, WarwickshireINTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE UKEast Grinstead, West SussexLONDON COLLEGE OF TRADITIONAL ACUPUNCTURE AND ORIENTAL MEDICINELondonNORTHERN COLLEGE OF ACUPUNCTUREYork, YorkshireSCHOOL OF FIVE ELEMENT ACUPUNCTURELondonUNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTERLondonUNIVERSITY OF SALFORDSalford, Greater ManchesterBest of luck whatever you decide to do!Tahora x

 

[S B]

This is excellent. Thank you. Do you (or anyone else) have any experience with any of these courses? I am sure that some of them are better than others? Does anyone know which to avoid?

Ava

 

[JMc]

Hi Eva
I'd recommend getting hold of a layperson's acupuncture book (try searching for Angela Hicks in Amazon for titles; I also seem to remember quite a good one by Tom Williams).

Which college you chose will in part be influenced by your own personal attraction to the different styles of acupuncture (TCM, 5 Elements, Stems & Branches), and having a reasonable understanding of this from a book or two might help.

I trained at The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading, and would thoroughly recommend it. It would be a good idea to get a prospectus from the colleges and visit two or three open days.

Different colleges specialise in different styles and approaches. It's really hard to appreciate this before you start training, but visiting a few colleges should help!

Best of luck, whatever you decide.
Aragorn x

 

[Alpha]

Aragorn

This is invaluable information, thank you. I would have pursued the prospectus idea myself, but I didn't know there were different styles of acupuncture. And I will take your advice and read about them.

Thanks so much.

Ava

 

[hate late people]

Hi Ava

You're most welcome. I am studying at the London College of traditional acupuncture, which is also very good. Their greatest asset is that you are exposed to all styles of acupuncture. We have lecturers who trained most of the other colleges and also some who specialise in the various Japanese styles. All are happy to share their knowledge, though the basis of the course is TCM (traditional chinese medicine) with some 5 element. This course also gives you a BSc(hons) from Portsmouth Uni.

I've heard rummour that the school of 5 element acupuncture may be closing soonish, though it's possible i heard wrong.

Westminster University is more like a proper university course with a younger crowd and lectures during the week making work a bit tricky. (I've heard anyway - I've never actually been there)

CICM in Reading is in a lovely building and I've heard really good things about it and it's also a BSc course.

Where abouts are you based? That may help with the decision making!

Maybe have a read of their websites?

[link=http://www.lcta.com/]http://www.lcta.com/[/link](North London)

[link=http://www.orientalmed.ac.uk/]http://www.orientalmed.ac.uk/[/link] (East Grinstead)

[link=http://www.cicm.org.uk/]http://www.cicm.org.uk/[/link](Reading)

and i'm sure you can find the rest ;-)

Best Wishes!

 

[Navywife0827]

Hi folks. Middle aged site newbie here ( yea...scary ain't it ). Full time writer who, for family reasons, needs to learn acupuncture to help with nearest and dearest's full time back problem ( full time and life long, I should add ). Problem is...I can't stop working ( tsk...these bills! ) and so need a training option that allows me to a) stay in Stockport....b) ideally train in the evenings or weekends in the Stockport or Manchester area....c) preferably train one on one with tutor. Needless to say said tutor needn't be either Chinese or old or wise-looking ( although come to think of it....). So.....the question is....am I asking the impossible, or is there hope for me? PS: I should add that I am not easily deterred and am generally very determined ( especially where health and quality of life of said nearest and dearest is concerned.)
Opinions welcome...

 

[Melissa27Uk]

Hi Tahora, this is brilliant. I didn't expect such useful advice. I am in Edinburgh, but clearly I'd move if I studied FT in England. This is really great. I've got a lot of things to pursue now, and I'm grateful for your time sharing your advice.

Ava x

 

[¿HARUPALOOZA?]

Hi Mac, hi Ava

Ah Edinburgh would be a mission. Salford or York would be the closest I guess. I believe york is excellent for research etc, but I don't know much about Salford.

Mac, funnily enough I'm in Stockport too. I travel down to London at weekends for the course, but I didn't live here when I started. Salford or York for you too unless you fancy the travel. I work full time also and find it tiring, but not impossible. Salford is probably a weekday course as it's at the University, but I don't know about York.

xxx

 

[Skalite]

Hi Tahora,
Thanks for the thoughts. Unfortunately, my work means that I can't commit to travel even on a regular basis ( pain, yeah I know ), so that puts out anywhere but nearby. And the only 'official' and well thought of school nearby is Salford, which unfortunately only do full time. York would be cool but I would need to save more pennies and work two or three butts off just to get the travel and the timing right. You must be exhausted travelling to and from London. Much Admiration to you Tahora for the effort and the dedication. I think I'll need to look maybe for a tutor locally, possibly one on one, to start with, and then do the exams at a later stage. Wish me luck. Be well and take care.

Bryce

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hi Mack
There's really only one way to learn acupuncture to any level resembling competence, and that's to go to college! Even if you only want it to treat nearest and dearest: they deserve the highest possible standard of treatment just as much as anyone else, and without a college training, you will not be competent.
I don't think anyone will teach one-to-one, but if you were to find someone that agreed, please tell us here. I think it would be in breech of our acupuncturists Code of Conduct.

When I studied at a college in Reading, within the college at the time we had two people that travelled from Edinburgh, one from the Isle of Wight and another from Amsterdam!

If you have the commitment to learn this great medicine, you'll find a way to do it responsibly.

Best wishes
Aragorn

 

[?kittylover?]

Hi Aragorn,
Well, it looks as though I should learn from those who know better. I was under the impression, mistaken I take it, that there might be professionally trained acupuncturists out there who were also competent and willing enough to teach. Of course I realise now the error of my ways and understand that only a college has the ability, expertise and links with professional bodies ( and possibly indemnity ) to teach me. Am I right? If this is the case then it looks like York is my nearest competent teaching organisation...in which case I shall have to start saving my pennies since the course over the three/four years is about 5k a year. Looking around to see what I can sell to raise the money. As I said, it's a question of working full time (self-employed writer ) and earning enough to a) pay the bills and keep lupus from the frond door, and b) increasing earnings to afford the college fees. Thanks for the advice ( and yes, I know that my nearest and dearest deserves the best, but sometimes you find your arms are only so long and the thing you want is just that bit out of reach). So I guess I'll just have to grow my arms a little longer! As for commitment...that isn't even an issue, not when you see someone you love suffer so much, with western medicine deciding that morphine patches is the only thing they can offer to help.

Best wishes.

 

[OttDanuaie]

Hi Mack
York is an excellent college, from what I have heard. You'd do well there.

It sounds like you are trying to put yourself in a position to be able to help your nearest and dearest more than you currently are.

You know, you are helping them enormously everyday. Your commitment and consideration are huge supports.

In time, you will be able to add to that with a therapy like acupuncture. In the mean time, I'm sure you've considered using someone who is already qualified? Acupuncture's great like that: a little goes a long way.

Very best wishes
Aragorn

 

[jennifer h]

Hi Aragorn,
Well...York might be great but I think it might have to wait for the penny jar to fill up. Meanwhile, of course, nearest and dearest is having acupuncture treatments from a nice chinese doctor. And until such times as I can attend college, I am making sure that I am learning as much as I can. Oh well...back to the books and the acupoint charts.

Thanks for your help and encouragement.

 

[new001]

Hi Mac

Aragorn's words are wise - you need to be properly supervised at a college in order to fullyqualify and they're working on making it illegal to practice unless you've gone down that road.

I know of a guy locally who's very experienced, if you're looking for an acupuncturist, and only charges £25 for a treatment. In fact I think he's a lecturer part time. Let me know if you'd like his details.

My fees cost that too and I have managed it (just) and I only work as a kitchen assistant so it is possible. Virtually everyone is entitled to a career development loan of £8000 which helps for the first 2 years. The government pay the interest on this for the years that you are studying and you don't pay it off until you finish the course.

Although my course is a 3 year course, it is possible to do the same course over 4 or 5 years to help with time restrictions and fees. I don't know if york offer anything similar.

Here's a thought which may help:how about you look at a shortish course in tui na massage or acupupressure? You could ask what points your partners acupuncturist is using and possibly boost the treatment between sessions?


Best wishes Mac


Tahora x

 

[Glossy Hair]

hello,
very interesting posts here.

i have myself 2 questions, which will make you think i am quite undecisive...

1) i have post-nasal drip, mucous/lung sensitivity (react to tobacco smoke, pollution, dust mites, dust, milk...). never breathing long and deep.sometimes cough. have small lungs anyway. have been really stupid enough to smoke cigarettes in the past, like 2 per night on saturday nights in clubs (I am asahmed). my mum died last year of lung cancer: never smoked, no asbestos contact, just a stressed out depressed life in polluted big capital city. I do worry for me now, naturally.

Which therapy can cure/improve that? I use essential oils, love them, but doubt wether this affects my condition in the long term (would like something working on the whole system/energies). I think of homeopathy or accupuncture, but have read that homeopathy is incompatible with the use of essential oils...

2) love complementary therapies and any story about "natural wicth" inEuropean countryside who cure catlle, barren women and various illnesses with just their hands, their words and some water (am compiling research on water rituals).
Love aromatherapy, and the bits i read about reflexology, accupuncture and homeopathy. wonder if i should reconvert myself as a physiotherapist to give love and courage to people in hospital (the experience ofseeing my mum deteriorate and trying to help her last year has struck something inside, I want to help, to touch physically people, to share, listen), while earning a good living, as so far i have done all the choices of career (art, teaching part-time because not enough work available...)that give half a salary. I also want a job that allows me to live the city and live near the sea or mountains, for I choke in the traffic.
I am not sure which therapy is really for me, career wise, as aromatherapy involves lots of massage (maybe i am not strong enough) but i love the smells and there already are plenty of aromathrapists/reflexologists in the Uk, making half a living.

3) do all naturopathy (accupuncture, homeopathy) courses cost 3000 pounds a year, for 4 years??

All i know is that i love natural therapies, healing but want to make a good living, not be a debt-ridden student anylonger.

Any advice for an undecisive post-nasal patient?

thanks,
Fadette.

 

[Wems]

Hello everyone

Did anyone see the fascinating programme about Acupuncture last night at 21:00 on BBC 2?
This has completely confirmed that I would love to study this therapy and it will help my partner who’sgoing through the dx of MS and is in a lot of pain. I'm lucky to be very close tothe College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in
Reading, Berkshire. The only draw back is, my partner is unable to work at the mo, but is retraining in IT, but he will only ever be able to work part time and I’m not bringing in a great wage, how on earth can you fund such a programme of study?

Without being too nosey how do people manage?