Supporting you in peace and health with Chinese Medicine and Mindfulness Practices.
About Cara: Bio
Cara brings a joyful East meets West approach to holistic medicine and meditative practice. Born in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, she spent many years in Asia and then Canada. Cara has trained in mind-body integrative health for two decades.
Cara takes a whole person approach to good health and a peaceful mind. Diverse factors including our various life experiences, injuries and daily activities are all part of the full picture. By helping our mind, body return to a centred experience of peace, our health can re-emerge and flourish naturally.
Clinical experience and training: Chinese Medicine
Cara was a Registered Acupuncturist in British Columbia, Canada from 2016-2024, and operated Cranbrook Acupuncture Clinic for seven years. Returning to New Zealand in 2025, Cara is now a New Zealand registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner (Acupuncture) and operates out of her home clinic in Taitoko Levin.
Formal education:
- Victoria University of Wellington (2001-2004) — Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Geography and Chinese.
- Canadian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2012-2016) — Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine Diploma and Acupuncture Diploma.
Main clinical practice mentors:
- Felip Caudet – moxibustionist and lineage holder of Fukaya-kyu Japanese moxibustion, developer of kinseikyu postural balancing technique.
- Slate Burris – developer of neoclassical acupuncture, an innovative, palpatory based system that reduces the number of needles required per treatment.
Other influences and inspiration:
- Taichi-Qigong-Shibashi with Fabrice Piche.
- Medical Qigong with Caroline Kimoto.
- Neijing based gongfu with Ethan Murchie and the Montreal Gongfu Research Institute.
- Seven Rays of Healing with Angela Knapp and Wesley Knapp.
- The work of Dr Brendan Kelly (TCM) in the treatment of long covid.
Meditation and mindfulness training
Cara’s has two decades of buddhist based meditation and mindfulness experience.
The many inspiring teachers in her life have shared a wide range of approaches to mindfulness, healing and heart-mind connection. These include Theravada, Zen and Vajrayana Buddhist teachings, modern meditative tools and more recently the Western Mysteries.
Experiencing depression, she began meditating as a young woman. Her first retreat was was at the Kyoto Vipassana centre while teaching english in Japan. She then met her primary meditation teacher there–Qapel Doug Duncan. She studied and practiced with him, and later his co-teacher Catherine Pawasarat and their centre’s community for 18 years–11 of which she served residentially at Clear Sky Centre.
She has also received and/or continues to receive teachings from Sonam Senge, Cecile Kwiat, Mira Riddiford, Chime Shore, Tarchin Hearn, Angela Knapp and Wesley Knapp.
Testimonials
As a practitioner, Cara brings in-depth knowledge of the human body and somatic psychology which she explains clearly in each treatment. She listens carefully and attentively, which has allowed us to work as a team to lessen the effects of various medical issues. Cara is practitioner who encourages you to listen to your body and trust your inner wisdom. She provides techniques that her patients can use outside of the treatment room to mitigate issues that arise. Cara is a genuine, warm, creative, & reliable. Without hesitation, her treatments are highly recommended.
My doctor referred me to Cara and I’m glad he did. This was my second experience with acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine, and it was apparent from the start that I was in good hands with Cara.
She is certainly knowledgeable and professional in her practice, but also very caring and empathetic while she uses her skills to open the body’s channels to healing. Cara makes one feel completely at ease while in her care. And two weeks after the last of five sessions, the outcomes for my particular health concerns have been very positive. What more needs to be said, except “Highly Recommended.” Thanks Cara!
Cara is great to work with. She was very generous with her time during the initial consultation and treatment. I had noticable improvements in my physical and mental health after the first few sessions.
