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College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

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College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

CICM Acupuncture at HSU Reading teaches both Five Element and TCM styles of acupuncture in a BSc (hons) degree. Excellence in acupuncture education.

Now part of the Health Sciences University group. The College was created in 1993 and is one of the largest in the UK. Our reputation is founded on the quality and unique nature of our acupuncture course, which is validated as BSc honours degree by University College of Osteopathy. This course brings together the strengths of Five Element acupuncture and TCM theory in a style known as integration.

28/08/2026

🌾 Another poetic explanation from the classics of how the elements influence and affect our bodies and our emotions…

💛 “The mysterious forces of the Earth create moisture in the Heavens and fertile soil upon the Earth; they create the flesh within the body and the stomach [and spleen]. They create the yellow colour… give the voice the ability to sing… they create the mouth, the sweet flavour, and the emotions of anxiety and worry.”

🌎 It’s not just arbitrary associations that happen to be aligned with the earth element during late summer, it is how the forces of nature create these energies during the season, and then they impact upon us in those ways…

🌾 The moisture in the earth creates fertile soil for the crops and vegetables, which in turn feeds the stomach, nourishing our bodies and sustaining our energy… and if this were not to happen, we would most certainly feel anxious, and worry about whether we might have food to support ourselves.

🌎 We are but smaller versions of nature, of the earth. We are reflections of nature. We are part of nature. We ARE nature. This is the true essence of the five element model of acupuncture.

💛 Learn more by coming to an open day at the college… (or do you know a patient, friend or loved one who would be a great practitioner?)

🎓 We are still enrolling for our September 2026 intake, which has weekday classes on Mondays and Tuesdays.

🌼 If weekend classes would suit your schedule better, then our Spring 2027 intake is for you - our next open day events are on:

📆 Saturday 12th September - 11:30 – 13:30 | at the college
📆 Thursday 19th November - 19:00 – 20:30 | online

➡️ Book your place here via whatsapp - https://wa.me/13343578459?text=Click%20send%20to%20book%20open%20day

☎️ Any questions at all, just get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo Brown on 01189 508 889 or email her at [email protected]

🎓 See more info about our degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too!

👍 Every like, comment, save and share helps us spread this amazing ancient wisdom with the wider world!

📕 Quote from the ancient classic text "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine", within “Wood Becomes Water; Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life” - Gail Reichstein.

27/08/2026

📣 We're enrolling now for our next BSc Acupuncture degree cohort!

✨ Did you know that we are unlike any other acupuncture college in the UK?

We offer:

☯️ Integrated teaching of Five Element acupuncture & TCM
🎓 Degree awarded by the Health Sciences University
✅ Fully accredited by British Acupuncture Accreditation Board
🧑‍🎓 Student loans for eligible students
💰 Monthly payment options
🗓 Weekend & weekday cohorts, every spring & autumn
🔄 50% theory & 50% practical
🖥 A blend of online & in-person teaching
📍 Central location in Reading, 25 minutes from London

🏫 We hold regular online and in-person open days, which are the perfect opportunity to ask all your questions and get a feel for the course and college.

Our next open day events are on:

📆 Saturday 12th September - 11:30 – 13:30 | at the college
📆 Thursday 19th November - 19:00 – 20:30 | online

➡️ Book your place via WhatsApp here - https://wa.me/13343578459?text=Click%20send%20to%20book%20open%20day

☎️ Or get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo on 01189 508 889 or email her at [email protected]

🎓 See more info about our degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

🏫 She can also arrange for you to have a tour around the college any time, at your convenience, so please don’t hesitate to ask!

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too - we know that so many of us have trained at CICM because of our own acupuncturists!

26/08/2026

💛 Did you know we have a fifth season in Chinese medicine? It is called late summer…

🌎 Late summer is the season associated with the earth element, and it is when everything starts to slow down, the yang energy starts to wane, the sun is lower in the sky…

🦶 Everyone becomes more grounded, putting their feet back on the earth (literally if they have been flying off on summer holidays!) before heading back to school and work…

☀️ But not before there is one last hoorah from the sunshine - this is when we can get what people refer to as an “Indian summer”, and with it can come one last hot spell before we head towards the truly yin seasons of Autumn and Winter…

🌾 This “extra” season is shorter than the others, but no less potent… the fields are golden, full and abundant with crops…

🌼 The earth element themes of nurture, nourishment, warmth and support are easily evident when we look at mother nature right now…

☑️ Stay tuned for more seasonal information according to Chinese medicine and how living in sync with these energies can help us feel better…

25/08/2026

Face Reading is one of the original pillars of Chinese Medicine, dating back over 3000 years.

In this 1-day class, you will discover how to read signs on the face that provide valuable insights about the health and vitality of the female reproductive organs, as well as the organ systems that support optimal hormonal balance, such as those involved in detoxification and elimination, stress response, and blood sugar balance.

A significant advantage of Face Reading is that signs on the face can reveal early indications of health imbalances before they appear on tests, as well as providing clues on how to restore balance.

In addition, the face clearly reveals areas of deficiency, as well as the current state of the immune system, both of which can impact the vitality of the womb and ovaries.

Face Reading can also shed light on underlying emotional factors that may be impacting fertility & womb health, recognising that personality characteristics, previous life challenges, current imbalances and constitutional strength are inextricably interwoven in any health challenge.

This class will be valuable for anyone working to support menstrual health, fertility & hormonal balance, including the transition of perimenopause and menopause.

📚 Chinese Face Reading for Women’s Health & Fertility
🧑‍🏫 Natalie McGrorty
📆 Saturday 10th October 2026
⏰ 10am - 5pm
🏫 in person at CICM
💰 £150 fixed price
✅ For acupuncture grads, 3rd year clinical students, & other certified health professionals working in women's health / fertility

Please note that whilst this course is open to other certified health professionals working in women's health / fertility, there will be a basis within Chinese Medicine theory, but with a focus on how to visually see imbalances within the reproductive system, and related systems, on the face.

Natalie McGrorty is a Master Face Reader and women's health specialist. She teaches Face Reading to health professionals, alongside her women’s health practice. Natalie trained in Face Reading with Lillian Pearl Bridges in 2006 and is a faculty member of the Lotus Institute, supporting students undertaking their Master Face Reading Program.

To book on to this in-person workshop click here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/cpd-courses/chinese-face-reading-for-womens-health-and-fertility/

24/08/2026

🎥 Here is our lovely registrar Jo Brown, talking about her role at the college and how she is ready to answer all your questions about studying with us for a BSc degree in acupuncture!

🍁 Jo is currently enrolling students into our Autumn cohort that starts in September 2026, and has classes on Mondays and Tuesdays.

🌸 Or we have a Spring cohort starting in April 2027, that has classes on weekends, if that suits your life scheduling better!

🏫 We hold regular online and in-person open days, and the next chance to come and visit the college is coming up in September…

Our next open day events are on:

📆 Saturday 12th September - 11:30 – 13:30 | at the college
📆 Thursday 19th November - 19:00 – 20:30 | online

➡️ Book your place via whatsapp here - https://wa.me/13343578459?text=Click%20send%20to%20book%20open%20day

☎️ Or get in touch with Jo on 01189 508 889 or email her at [email protected]

🎓 See more info about our degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too - we know that so many of us have trained at CICM because of our own acupuncturists!

23/08/2026

🖐️ Want to improve your pulse-taking skills in 2026? Want to deepen your understanding of the information you can gain from the different pulse positions? Don't miss out on this intimate workshop in September for only 14 practitioners - book your place now!

🖐️ In this blended learning CPD, with 2 online study sessions first, then a 3-day in-person workshop, you will learn how to palpate the pulse, how to recognise the most common pulse qualities, and assess the different depths on the pulse. This is a powerful pulse diagnostic method to enhance your clinical results.

🖐️ The online teaching sessions cover the theory side beforehand, so that when you are in-person at CICM it can truly be 3 days of hands on experience! The online learning zoom sessions will be recorded and participants will get access to the recordings, but they MUST be watched before attending the in-person weekend. Book before 1st September, to attend the online calls live with Claus.

🖐️ At the college, you will get the direct feedback that is essential for the learning process with pulse diagnosis, as it is only a small group. There will be a combination of theory, practical work, demonstrations and discussions.

🖐️ In the Shen-Hammer pulse tradition Dr Shen formulated a Systems Model, about Liu Jing, the Six Conformations. We can follow the 6 sweeping motions of Liu Jing on the pulse.

🖐️ This tradition starts with palpating what we call the entire pulse, so the entire artery (from cun to chi) is palpated with 3 fingers used as one unit.

🖐️ The aim of this course is to get hands on experience (or improve your current skills) with common pulse qualities and start to be able to follow the movement of the life force through our body.

📚 Shen-Hammer Pulse Diagnosis
🧑‍🏫 Claus Sorenson
💻 2 online study sessions 2nd & 16th Sept
🏫 then 3 days in-person at CICM
📆 Fri 25th, Sat 26th & Sun 27th Sept 2026
⏰ 10am - 5pm
➡️ Book before 1st Sept to attend the live calls
💰 £320
🐦 Early bird rate £300 - if booked more than 6 weeks before
✅ For acupuncture grads
🙋🏻‍♀️ Only 14 places available in total - book now!

Claus Sorenson has taught pulse diagnosis for more than a decade around Europe and in the US. At the Rothenberg Congress 2022 he gave a lecture on Dr Shen’s Systems Model and Liu Jing. Most of this will also be taught in this seminar. Claus is a CICM graduate from 2002.

To book on to this 2 online study sessions, with 3 days in-person CPD click here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/cpd-courses/shen-hammer-pulse-diagnosis/

22/08/2026

🖐️ This popular post-graduate course now runs as a 6 month program at the college, starting on Friday 8th January 2027.

The course is presented by principal teacher Alex Evans, alongside Kevin Young, plus internationally renowned tuina author and teacher Sarah Pritchard, who is focusing on tuina and moxa for menstrual and fertility issues.

Given that tuina is one of the four main pillars of Chinese Medicine, this course will equip you to use tuina as a stand-alone therapy or as an effective therapeutic addition to your acupuncture practice.

Tuina is a complete medical system, with a comprehensive set of diagnostics and techniques. As such, it can increase the effectiveness of your treatments by:

✅ adding a thorough hands-on palpation-based approach to your existing skill set, diagnosing and treating a wide range of issues, from muscular-skeletal injuries to internal organs disharmonies, to Shen based issues

✅ enhancing your palpation abilities to be able to diagnose a wide range of pathologies by feeling the body’s qi and blood imbalances.

✅ providing you with a deeply calming and relaxing treatment which yields powerful results

✅ allowing you to apply pressure and stimulation to acupuncture points for needle phobic patients

✅ combining tuina with acupuncture to strengthen your treatments, speeding up the healing process and outcomes

✅ allowing you to stimulate parts of the body with appropriate tuina techniques, to address disharmony and nourish patients

📚 Tuina Diploma - 6 months
🧑‍🏫 Alex Evans, Kevin Young & Sarah Pritchard
📆 Starts Friday 8th January 2027
🏫 In-person at CICM
💰 £1850
🐦 Early bird discount of £100, if paid in full by 8th Nov 2026
💳 Payment plans by monthly direct debit also available
🤲 Open to those with a recognised 3 year qualification in acupuncture

As a highly practical course, there is a focus on developing the physical skills and techniques needed to become a competent tuina practitioner.

🖐️ Phase 1 - Techniques

Introduces you to the 20 most common techniques used in clinical practice, and the most common sinew stretches. This module will teach you to be able to use structural analysis and channel palpation skills, be able to diagnose and differentiate various pathologies by practicing on each other, match techniques with diagnosis, and protect yourself using qigong.

🖐️ Phase 2 - Diagnostics

You will be taught how to increase your palpation skills to diagnose and differentiate a wide range of pathologies - Qi Stagnation versus Blood stagnation for example. You will be able to use structural analysis and channel palpation skills by practicing on each other to match techniques with diagnosis.

🖐️ Phase 3 – Applications and Specialist Combined Techniques

Building on the techniques already taught and assessed, students will learn how to apply these techniques to a wide range of symptoms, including an in-depth focus on using tuina and moxa for menstrual and fertility issues. Compound tuina techniques will be demonstrated, as well as how to effectively combine acupuncture and tuina, such as using Master Tung points in tuina.

🖐️ Phase 4 - Pre Clinic Preparation

Prior to clinic, students will understand optimum patient positioning, and identify red flags or blocks to treatment. You will devise a treatment plan and be able to demonstrate this on a classmate.

🖐️ Phase 5 - Clinic

This takes place in the college clinic under supervision and will be assessed on an ongoing basis. In addition to clinic, there will be class discussions on patients, and lectures on various topics including standard treatments for common ailments, treating chronic conditions and the use of balms and oils.

For more information, course dates and to book your place, click here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/info/courses/post-graduate-courses/tuina-2027/

Or get in touch with our registrar Jo Brown, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this course - [email protected] or on 01189 508 889

21/08/2026

Join Yvonne Farrell to explore the basic theories of the Pi Wei Lun (Spleen/Stomach School), Yin Fire and their relationship to the modern theories around the gut-brain axis.

This 4-hour online course will provide the framework for understanding the relationship between the Gut-Brain axis and the classical theories of Li D**g Yuan (founder of the Earth School).

The course will provide a clear context for modern, chronic, difficult to treat digestive disorders.

Participants will learn:

💛 Foundational theories of the Spleen-Stomach school.
💛 Relationship between habit, survival, digestion & illness.
💛 How Poly-vagal theory is understood in CCM.
💛 Importance of gall bladder as the link between brain & gut.
💛 The Triune Brain & the 3 levels of qi.
💛 Mental-emotional disruption associated with digestive disorders.
💛 How Yin Fire & Gu Syndrome are the root of most chronic, intractable digestive disorders.

Some protocols will be provided, but there will be more focus on treatment approaches for these difficult conditions seen in clinic.

📚 Chronic Digestive Disorders: The Gut-Brain Axis (online)
🧑‍🏫 Yvonne Farrell
📆 Saturday 19th September 2026
⏰ 3pm - 7pm BST (due to timezone of speaker)
💻 online (no recording - must be attended live)
💰 £95
✅ Qualified acupuncturists & 3rd year students

Due to Yvonne being in America and trying to align timezones, please be aware that the timings for this course are a little different to our normal CPD courses, at 3pm - 7pm BST.
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Please note - this online course will NOT be recorded, there are no replays, and MUST be attended live.

To book on to this half day online CPD course click here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/cpd-courses/chronic-digestive-disorders-the-gut-brain-axis-online/

Dr. Yvonne Farrell has been practicing and teaching since 1997. As a long-time student of Jeffrey Yuen (1995) her approach to treatment is based on Channel Theory with a Taoist influence. She believes that acupuncture is an incredible tool for growth and development and cultivation of the practitioner is an essential part of the process. She teaches continuing education in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Yvonne is the author of two books: Psycho-Emotional Pain and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and her latest, Acupuncture for Surviving Adversity published by Singing Dragon.

20/08/2026

☯️ What is integration? ☯️

You’ll hear us talk a lot about how we teach an integrated style of acupuncture here at CICM, and it’s even in our name - the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine - but what does it actually mean?

What does it mean for our students, for our practitioners, and ultimately for the patients that we treat?

Well, you may or may not know, that there are many styles of acupuncture practised in the UK and all over the world.

These traditions can include TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Five Element acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, the Stems and Branches style, Korean acupuncture, Master Tung acupuncture and so on…

At CICM our degree course brings together the two main styles of acupuncture taught in this country - five element constitutional acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Five Element Acupuncture is a style of acupuncture that focuses on the five elements of nature - fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

Practitioners of this style understand that imbalances in a patient’s dominant element can lead to illness. Five element acupuncture tends to treat the patient’s deepest constitutional imbalance, and is particularly suited to emotional life challenges.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is perhaps the most well-known and widely practiced style of acupuncture. TCM uses acupuncture points along the meridians to balance the flow of Qi and promote wellness. Yin and Yang are important concepts in this style of acupuncture and it is used to treat a wide range of physical and emotional conditions.

So having this integrated combination allows our graduates to treat patients with a wide variety of issues, both chronic and acute, benefitting from both styles of treatment - it truly is the best of both worlds!

☯️ And did you know that we are unlike any other acupuncture college in the UK, because we offer this integrated curriculum?

🙏 Come and learn more about our college, and our unique style of teaching…

Our next open day events are on:

📆 Saturday 12th September - 11:30 – 13:30 | at the college
📆 Thursday 19th November - 19:00 – 20:30 | online

➡️ Book on to any session via WhatsApp here - https://wa.me/13343578459?text=Click%20send%20to%20book%20open%20day

📧 Or get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo directly - [email protected] or on 01189 508 889

🎓 See more info about our BSc degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too!

👍 Every like, comment, save and share helps us spread this amazing ancient wisdom, with the wider world!

19/08/2026

Thinking of becoming an acupuncturist? Are you seeking a more fulfilling career? Want to help support other people?

Come to one of our next open day events and find out more about our BSc acupuncture degree...

📆 Thursday 20th August - 19:00 – 20:30 | online
📆 Saturday 12th September - 11:30 – 13:30 | at the college

➡️ Book your place via WhatsApp here - https://wa.me/13343578459?text=Click%20send%20to%20book%20open%20day

☎️ Or get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo on 01189 508 889 or email her at [email protected]

🎓 See more info about our degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree

📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too - we know that so many of us have trained at CICM because of our own acupuncturists!

Address

19 Castle Street
Reading
RG1

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9:30am - 5pm
Sunday	9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441189508889

Website

https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/

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