Supporting you in health with Chinese Medicine and Mindfulness Practices.
Chinese Medicine for Today
Would you like to feel more balanced, vibrant and healthful?
Chinese (East Asian) medicine has a long history as the medicine of the people – one rooted in day to day healthy living.
First, we start with a common sense approach to diet, lifestyle, exercise and spirit–and to observe and respect the rhythms of nature and our place between earth and sky.
If and when we might need it, chinese medicine clinicians have several main methods to support the natural function of our bodies. These are acupuncture and moxibustion, herbal medicine, tuina massage and qigong therapy.
In my clinic, I focus on acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as diet/lifestyle recommendations and taichi-qigong classes. I work with other practitioners who specialise in herbal medicine.
It is also our goal to make chinese medicine treatment accessible, affordable and delivered in a collaborative community based setting, as was done traditionally in asia for centuries.
Book an Acupuncture Appointment
with Cara Conroy-Lau, Chinese Medicine Practitioner (Acupuncture)
Chinese Medicine Council of NZ registration #3028 and ACC provider #10818
Standard Appointments (Non-ACC)
New patients, your first appointment starts with a thorough initial consultation and if acupuncture is a good fit for you, we will continue with an acupuncture treatment at the same visit. Please allow 60-90 minutes for your first session. Book here:
If you have already seen me for your initial consultation and first treatment, you can use the following link to book your follow-up appointments.
Follow up appointments are held in a traditional multi-bed community room, with your own treatment table, fully dressed but we ask that you wear loose clothing/ t-shirt/shorts so we can access up to the knee and elbows. Book here:
Fees for standard appointments
- Initial consultation and treatment $90.
- Follow up appointments (multi-bed setting) $50.
- We accept cash or bank transfer only, on the day of treatment.
- Please inquire for special rates for community services card holders.
ACC Appointments
If you have an approved ACC 45 claim, your injury was less than 52 weeks ago and you have not already used your acupuncture quota with another acupuncturist, then you can book with me up to 12 acupuncture sessions within 12 weeks.
New patients, your first appointment starts with a thorough initial consultation and if acupuncture is a good fit for you, we will continue with an acupuncture treatment at the same visit. Please allow 60-90 minutes for your first session. Book here:
If you have already seen me for your initial consultation and first treatment, you can use the following link to book your follow-up appointments.
Follow up appointments are held in a traditional multi-bed community room, with your own treatment table, fully dressed but we ask that you wear loose clothing/ t-shirt/shorts so we can access up to the knee and elbows. Book here:
Fees for ACC appointments
- Co-payment surcharge for all ACC appointments: $30
- Community services card rate: $20
- We accept cash or bank transfer only, on the day of treatment.
What is Acupuncture and Moxibustion?
We don’t often associate needles with relaxation, but that’s precisely what happens during an acupuncture session.
Tiny needles are inserted just below the surface of the skin. The needles stimulate the central nervous system, which sends a signal to the brain. The brain responds to the signal by increasing circulation and sending anti-inflammatories and beta-Endorphin (a hormone that decreases bodily pain and stress) to the stimulated area. This process alleviates areas of the body that may be blocked or injured by allowing for increased energy flow, decreased inflammation and toxin removal.
When we are sick or injured, it often creates a domino effect of symptoms. For example, compensating for an injured knee can create a sore back, which leads to interrupted sleep and a sense of fogginess and dissatisfaction in our daily lives. By getting to the core of the issue, you will find that acupuncture creates ripple effects of wellbeing. Someone getting acupuncture for their injured knee may find that the treatments have them sleeping better, having more energy at work.
Acupuncture’s benefits are immense. While creating an overall feeling of calm and relaxation, it lets the body produce comprehensive healing. Pathways in the body that may have become stagnant or blocked due to injury, illness or stress can begin to circulate and flow better.
And, there’s more – Moxibustion (Moxa)
Acupuncture is traditionally paired with moxibustion – a non-needle option that is also part of an acupuncturist’s therapeutic toolkit. Interestingly, the original Chinese word for acupuncture is zhen jiu / 针灸, which actually means “acupuncture and moxibustion”. I specialise in Japanese Fukaya, Kinseikyu and ontake style moxibustion, which is gentle and less strong scented than some forms of moxa.
About Cara Conroy-Lau, Chinese Medicine Practitioner (Acupuncture)
Chinese Medicine education and training
Cara brings a joyful East meets West approach to holistic medicine. Born in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, she has pākehā and chinese ancestry, living in Singapore, China and Japan before basing herself in the Canadian BC Rockies for 15 years.
Cara’s great grandfather was a Teochew chinese herbal doctor and acupuncturist, practicing in her mother’s birthplace, Singapore. This must have been in her blood because in her late twenties she followed her calling and from 2012-2016 completed a four year intensive Chinese Medicine Diploma at the Canadian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Calgary.
Beyond chinese medicine, Cara has trained in mind-body integrative health and buddhist meditation for over 20 years.
Her current clinical influences and inspirations are:
- Japanese style Moxbustion with Felip Caudet, Spain.
- Neoclassical acupuncture with Slate Burris, USA.
- Taichi-Qigong with Fabrice Piche, and Ethan Murchie at the Gongfu Research Institute, Quebec Canada.
