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Acupuncture Lecturers

Our lecturers have all known and worked with each other for years and leapt at the chance to put together the course that they wish they had all studied on!

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Ilze Black - Programme Leader
  • LicAc, Dip Tui Na, PhD, MSc, MBAcC

  • Acupuncture Programme Leader

  • Tui Na and Acupuncture Clinician

  • Acupuncture and Tui Na practitioner in private practice

https://tcmpractice.co.uk


Ilze studied Acupuncture and Tui Na at The City College of Acupuncture, graduating in 2021.  She is a member of the CCA clinician team and joined the programme leadership team in 2023.

Ilze is a member of the British Acupuncture Council, the Acupuncture Fertility Network UK, the UK Reiki Federation and is the founder of the TCM Practice Clinics in Islington and Hackney.  Previously, she has worked as a programme leader and course administrator at Westminster College and the University of London.

“I was first introduced to Traditional Chinese Medicine practices about 20 years ago when I started to practice Shaolin Qi Gong. Qi Gong, the practice of ‘internal alchemy', is one of the five pillars or branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  My Qi Gong daily practice supported me greatly over the years, but the stresses of teaching, completing a PhD and child birth depleted me greatly, leading me to extreme tiredness and pain which my GP could only help with pain killers.  Luckily, I discovered the CCA student clinic and the great practitioners working here. Acupuncture and Tui Na restored my balance and this encounter with CCA bought me to my new path of becoming a practitioner myself, and subsequently the Acupuncture Programme Leader.

I am passionate about the benefits of Chinese medicine, an integrative approach to healthcare, and the education of new generations of practitioners.

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Paul Johnson
  • LicAc, MBAcC, LicOHM, MRCHM, BA (Hons), PGCertLTHE, AHE

  • Anatomical and Energetic Structures (AES) Lecturer

  • Chinese Medicine 1 (CM1) Lecturer

  • Acupoints and Practical Skills (APS) Lecturer

  • Chinese Medicine Practice 2 (CMP2) Lecturer

  • Acupuncture Clinic (ACL) Supervisor

  • Qualified Higher Education (HE) teacher

  • Acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist in private practice

  • World Health Organisation consultant on “Standards of Terminologies on Chinese Medicine”

www.surreyacupuncture.co.uk


www.fertilitysurreyacupuncture.co.uk

Paul has taught acupuncture for over a decade and brings a real sense of commitment to making complex skills and ideas as accessible as possible. He combines a deep understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a thorough, hands-on approach to Higher Education.


A presenter on ‘How To Locate Acupuncture Points - the Definitive DVD’, Paul has had articles printed in The Chinese Medicine Times, CAM Magazine, Lifescape, and Yoga magazine amongst others.

‘I first had acupuncture to cure a long-standing problem that was preventing me from delivering the projects I was working on as an illustrator for Marvel and DC Comics.  After months of pain I found myself back at work after just two acupuncture treatments!  Having treatment on-and-off for several years was such a life-changing experience for me that I decided that I wanted to retrain and be able to help people in the way that I had been helped.  As much as I loved my previous career, I’ve never looked back.  I love my new life and feel privileged to be able to work with so many people in such a profound way.


Our teaching staff met when they all taught together at the London College Of Traditional Medicine and Oriental Medicine (LCTA). Their passion for the subject they teach meant that they leapt at the opportunity to work together again!’

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Anne-Sophie Morel
  • PhD (Immunology), BSc (Hons), LicAc, MBAcC, Dip Tui Na

  • Acupoints and Practical Skills (APS) Co-ordinator

  • Anatomical and Energetic Structures (AES) Lecturer

  • Experienced undergraduate and postgraduate lecturer

  • Acupuncturist and Tui Na practitioner in private practice

www.equilibreacupuncture.co.uk


Anne-Sophie has previously worked in medical research in the private and public sector, most recently at Imperial College.  She has also taught at BSc, MSc and PhD level before retraining as an acupuncturist, Tai Chi instructor, and Tui Na practitioner. She brings a unique mix of Western and Chinese Medicine and educational skills to her role with passion and integrity.

“I have always been curious to make sense of the world.  A scientist by training my journey so far has taken me from the microscopic reductionist world of Western Medicine into a world preoccupied with the interactions between all things and at all levels.  Through her studies in Chinese philosophy, Tai Chi, and Chinese Medicine a new perspective on the world has and continues to be a true inspiration. Being able to share this vision with students and patients alike, and help them take one more step on their journey is both wondrous and joyful.  Best job in the world! However I haven’t left my scientific roots behind;

Chinese Medicine is both an art and a science; enabling the patient to heal comes both from the heart and the head, a perfect balance between compassion and reasoning. The (life-long) journey there is certainly challenging, but also enriching and exciting, and I am loving every step of it."

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Anand Marshall
  • BSc, LicAc, Dip Kanpo, MBAcC, MRCHM

  • Acupuncture Clinic (ACL) Co-ordinator

  • Chinese Medicine Practice 1 (CMP1) Lecturer

  • Acupuncturist and herbalist in private practice and the NHS


Anand Marshall qualified as a Traditional Acupuncturist from the London School of Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and as a Kanpo Herbalist (Japanese herbalist) from the Japanese Herbal Medicine apprenticeship course. He undertook post-graduate training in Japanese Acupuncture with Dr Stephen Birch. He attended postgraduate training with Dr Arnauld Versluys focussing on the Shan Han Lun Herbal medicine.

“Before I qualified as a practitioner I worked as a senior social worker in Children’s Families teams and later in a Youth Offending team. As much as I valued this job, I realised it was not a career that I could envisage undertaking for the rest of my life.

Due to the stressful nature of my job, I developed pains and sleep problems and out of desperation sought the help of an acupuncturist. Within a few sessions my energy increased, my pain reduced, and I was sleeping well. After a few more years of occasional treatments, I decided to embark on my new career and have never looked back.

I worked from 2001 to 2014 in Westminster as part of an NHS complementary medicine service – the first of its kind in Britain – where I treated GP-referred patients suffering from insomnia, menstrual problems, peripheral joint pains and muscular skeletal conditions.”

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Joanna Attwell
  • BSc (Hons), LicAc, MBAcC, PGDip CHM, PGDip Nutrition

  • Chinese Medicine (CM1 & CM2) Co-ordinator 

  • Chinese Medicine Practice 1 (CMP1) Lecturer

  • Professional and Practitioner Development (PPD-PR) Lecturer

  • Acupuncture Clinic (ACL) Supervisor

  • Experienced undergraduate lecturer

  • Acupuncturist, Nutritional Therapist & Chinese Herbalist in private practice


Joanna studied at the University of Westminster, and she has been a qualified Chinese Medicine practitioner in private practice for over 16 years. She has been teaching Chinese Medicine since 2001. She also holds a PgDip in Nutrition. Her integrated approach to Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, herbs and nutrition, coupled with her own experiences, allow her to deliver complex teaching material in an enjoyable and achievable manner.

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Julia Exposito
  • LicAc, MBAcC, MSc Nursing

  • Integrative Practice (IP) Co-ordinator

  • Western Medical Sciences (WMS) Lecturer

  • Acupuncturist in private practice

www.juliaexposito.co.uk


Julia qualified as an acupuncturist from the London College of Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2003 followed by a year studying Chinese herbal treatments. In 2013 she completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing and in 2015 she obtained her MSc in Nursing after researching the use of acupuncture for emotional health and well-being for her dissertation.

Julia is the Integrative Practice Co-ordinator, and she teaches on the Western Medical Sciences module. She has supervised in our student clinic for 5 years, bringing her eighteen years’ experience in private practice treating women’s health and mental health, and a deep understanding of how to integrate Chinese and Western modalities of treatment.

“What I love most about being an acupuncturist is the variety it brings in understanding human emotions and its causes. Ever since I started practising, I have found that each patient brings a new puzzle to solve and I’m always looking for new approaches and ideas to treatment that can be beneficial to my patients.”

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Kate Henley
  • BSc (Hons), LicAc, MBAcC, ACT, CSM

  • Professional and Practitioner Development (PPD-PR) Co-ordinator and Lecturer

  • Professional and Reflective Practice (PRP) Lecturer

  • Acupuncture and Business (AB) Lecturer

  • Acupuncturist, Supervisor and Mentor


Kate graduated from the University of Westminster with a BSc in Acupuncture in 1998 and has been in private practice ever since. Most of her work has been in GP surgeries as she has been a strong supporter of integrated medicine and offering people choice in their health journeys. To reflect her specialist knowledge in supporting fertility and pregnancy patients, Kate is the founder and Chair of the Acupuncture Childbirth Team (ACT) in Hertfordshire. She also co-founded a successful multi-bed Maternity Acupuncture Unit at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. In addition to her private practice, Kate also teaches Five Element and Meridian Theory workshops to yoga groups in the UK and abroad. She also holds a certificate in Supervision and Mentoring and runs several Supervision groups for acupuncturists.

 

Kate is in charge of the Practitioner Development stream of the programme across years one and two.

 

“I am a passionate advocate of TCM and seasonal living. I thrive by watching and encouraging others to grow with this knowledge in order to work mindfully, authentically and from the heart.”

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Julia Oji
  • BA, Dip Tui Na, Clin Cert. Tui Na (Nanjing), Lic Ac, MRTCM, MBAcC

  • Tui Na Lecturer and Clinical Supervisor

  • Tui Na and acupuncture practitioner in private practice

  • Chinese Medicine Practice 2 (CMP 2) Co-ordinator

www.brackenburyclinic.co.uk


Julia Oji graduated with a Diploma in Tui Na from the London School of Chinese Massage Therapy in 1994, having completed her clinical training in Nanjing, China. She later went on to study acupuncture at the London College of Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and was awarded a Licentiate in Acupuncture.

“Having been a teacher of various disciplines all my working life (more than 20 years), combining this passion with my love of Chinese medicine has been a wonderfully enriching experience.

In private practice I see patients, of all ages, with a broad range of clinical conditions, combining tui na and acupuncture in my treatments. However, over the past 10 years I have been particularly drawn to two phases of life: the beginning and the ending. I work a lot with women during their pregnancies, something that ties in with my role as a yoga teacher specializing in pre- and postnatal yoga. I also work with very elderly patients, conducting home and care home on-site treatment.”

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Tom Watson
  • BSc (Hons), MBAcC

  • Chinese Medicine Practice 1 (CMP1) Co-ordinator 

  • Chinese Medicine Practice 2 (CMP2) Lecturer

  • Acupuncturist and Qi Gong Instructor (College of Elemental Qi Gong)

  • Holistic Massage Dip (ITEC) therapist


Tom was born and raised in London and has cultivated a lifelong interest in Oriental movement and healing arts. As well as teaching at City College, Tom runs several busy acupuncture clinics in central and North London.  Tom works as a qualified acupuncturist and also teaches weekly qigong classes and runs regular retreats and workshops. He lives in North London with his wife and two daughters.

“Having come to my practice through the Eastern martial art traditions, my dedication to Qi Gong has led me to the study of acupuncture and healing. I love the precision of acupuncture, combined with its poetic theoretical basis. It connects us to our spirit but is firmly rooted in the physical body.”

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Tony Booker
  • MSc, PhD, MRSC, MRCHM, FLS

  • Research Module (RES) Co-ordinator

  • Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner, Acupuncturist, Researcher and Lecturer


Tony Booker obtained his PhD at University College London in Ethnopharmacy and Pharmacognosy in 2014. His research thesis focused on the value chains of Curcuma longa (Turmeric) and how different value chains can affect both the livelihoods of the producing farmers and the quality of the finished products. He is a member of The British Pharmacopoeia expert advisory group on Complementary and Herbal Medicines, a Member and past president of The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, a Member of The Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of The Linnean Society.

“During my two post-doctoral projects at UCL, I investigated the quality of herbal medicinal products and their ingredients. I publish in a wide variety of scientific journals and books and my current research interests focus on improving the quality and efficacy of traditional medicines through testing their biological and energetic properties.”

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Josephine Cerqua

  • BSc(Hons), LicAc, MBAcC, BA(Hons)

  • Professional and Practitioner Development (PPD-PA) Co-ordinator and Lecturer

  • Professional and Reflective Practice (PRP) Co-ordinator and Lecturer

  • Acupuncture Clinic (ACL) Supervisor

  • Acupuncturist in private practice


Josephine graduated from the University of Westminster over twenty years ago. She has a special interest in women’s health and has worked in many different roles including in the NHS Gateway multibed clinic in south London and the Westminster Polyclinic; she also contributed to David Mayor’s Electro-Acupuncture textbook.

As well as running her own private practice, Josephine is a member of a team of practitioners at a London-based integrated fertility clinic, working alongside consultants, midwives, and nurses.

 

“I fell into studying acupuncture, not having had any personal experience of treatment. However, I can still remember the joy I felt the day I learnt I had been accepted onto the course. It was the start of a truly wonderful journey and after many years on the path, I remain excited about the people, the learning, and experiences to come”

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Alex Jacobs
  • MA, MSc, BSc, LicAc, MBAcC, MRCHM

  • Acupuncture Clinic (ACL) Supervisor

  • Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Tuina Massage Practitioner

  • Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Yangsheng Teacher

  • President of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine


Alex became interested in Chinese medicine while studying Mandarin in Taiwan, and on his return to the UK he trained in Acupuncture, Tui Na and Chinese Herbal Medicine. In 2011 he founded the London Chinese Medicine Meetup Group to teach Yangsheng self-help techniques to the public. He organised the conference for the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine for 8 years and in 2020 was elected president.

Alex is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, written and spoken, and regularly makes trips to Taiwan to continue his studies and deepen his practice.

 

‘I was fortunate enough to see a very high level of acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice in Taiwan in my early 20s. At that point, I became aware that this is a real, effective, and serious medicine, and that I had to study it. From that point, it has been an incredible journey from training to clinical practice and to an ever-deepening appreciation of the medicine. I feel humbled to walk in the footsteps of the thousands of years of Chinese medicine physicians who came before me.’

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Vanessa Menendez Covelo
  • LicAc, MBAcC, BSc, MSc, MPhil

  • Anatomical and Energetic Structures (AES) Co-ordinator and Lecturer

  • Acupoints and Practical Skills (APS) Lecturer

  • Acupuncturist in private practice

Vanessa initially turned to acupuncture to cope with the demands of a career in financial technology and an intense Ashtanga yoga practice. Inspired by the improvements in her own well-being, she then enrolled in CCA’s acupuncture licentiate and started her own acupuncture clinic just a few months before the Covid pandemic. Her clinic is now thriving and she has joined the CCA teaching staff to share her passion for traditional Chinese medicine.

“As a naturally curious person, practicing acupuncture provides me with the intellectual satisfaction of problem solving and the human factor of being able to help people”.

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Alice Douglas
  • LicAc, MBAcC

  • Acupuncture and Business (AB) Co-ordinator

  • Acupuncturist

www.adacupuncture.com


www.hilltopacupuncture.co.uk


Alice trained at CCA and qualified as an acupuncturist. After having acupuncture as a child and finding it a life changing experience, Alice began her time at CCA straight after finishing her A-levels. Alice owns two clinics based in South East London, one private practise, and one multibed clinic. Alice’s success in building her businesses, and her passion for teaching, lead to her being invited to teach at CCA on the business unit.

“I truly believe I have the best job in the world. Not only do I love the work, but it provides so much freedom throughout your life. It is a combination of art and science, theory and practical, therapist and businesswomen. A well-run clinic will give you endless opportunity.”

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Dr. Shelley Berlinsky
  • MD, LicAc, MBAcC, LicOHM,MRCHM

  • Acupuncture Clinical (ACL) Supervisor

  • Acupuncturist and Herbalist in private practice

  • BAcC-Registered Mentor-Supervisor

  • Qualified Medical Doctor

  • Mindfulness Teacher


Shelley has trained extensively, in Israel and in England, and gained both a diploma in Chinese Medicine from ICOM, and a doctorate in Western Medicine (MD, LicAc, MBAcC). Shelley is a fully trained acupuncturist and herbalist, and has been practicing Chinese Medicine since 1997.

“I have conducted primary research into complementary and alternative medicine and bring my understanding and love of acupuncture and Western Medical Sciences together to make them approachable and relevant to the acupuncturist.”

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Francesca Scotti
  • MPharm, MSc, PhD

  • Research Module (RES) Lecturer

  • Research Associate at UCL School of Pharmacy


Francesca worked as a pharmacist in Italy before moving to the UK to study for an MSc in Pharmacognosy. Being interested in research, she obtained a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and moved on to join Prof. Michael Heinrich’s group where she generally conducts research on the chemistry of medicinal and food plants, assesses the quality of marketed herbal products and that of raw herbal materials.

“After my first degree I felt pulled towards research – the topic didn’t necessarily matter, but the methodology, the searching, and the challenges of knowledge did. I love plants and have a deep interest in herbalism, economic botany and agronomy, including a profound respect for the environment, which I inherited from my grandparents, so I feel like I hit the jackpot.”

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James Woodward
  • BA, LicAc, Dip Tui Na, MBAcC, VTCT

  • Professional and Practitioner Development (PPD-PA) Lecturer

  • Chinese Medicine 2 (CM2) Lecturer

  • Professional and Reflective Practice (PRP) Lecturer

  • Acupuncture Clinic (ACL) Supervisor

  • Tui Na Lecturer

  • Holistic Therapist

James studied Acupuncture at The City College of Acupuncture, graduating in 2017. He then returned to us to study Tui Na, graduating in 2019, and has since become a very welcome member of the CCA teaching team.

He studied Holistic Therapies at Canterbury College, completing a VTCT Diploma in 2009. This included Swedish massage, reflexology and aromatherapy.

James first started practicing reiki in 2006 and has studied with a range of teachers with different styles. In 2009 James qualified as a reiki teacher, and in 2012 founded the South East Kent Reiki Hands on Healing School. James volunteered for the NHS practicing reiki in the Supportive Therapies Unit for cancer patients at Canterbury Hospital, where his curiosity for acupuncture lead to his training at The City

College of Acupuncture. He practices the Japanese style of reiki, and has his own YouTube channel with instructional videos for reiki techniques.

He runs his own practice, The Tranquillity Space in Herne Bay.

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Awais Mian
  • BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, BSc (Hons) TCM, MBAcC, MBCCMA, PGCHE, FHEA

  • Western Medical Sciences 1 & 2 (WMS1 & WMS2) Co-ordinator

  • Integrative Practice (IP) Lecturer

www.sevenheavens.co.uk 

www.wustyle.uk.com 


Awais originally trained in Biological Chemistry and Cell Biology, and then Traditional Chinese medicine.  Graduating in Acupuncture in 2006, Awais has worked in both public and private practice using an integrated approach. 

 

Awais is an experienced teacher of both Biomedicine and TCM, and he was previously the Biomedical lead at LSBU on the acupuncture course.  

 

He has published research into the benefits of Tai Chi.  He is a 6th generation teacher of Wu style Tai Chi and Qigong.  He is the vice chairperson of the Wushi Taiji & Qigong Association (UK).  

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Sunila Prasad
  • MBBS, BSc in Reproductive Sciences, MRCPCH, Lic Ac

  • Paediatric doctor

  • Acupuncturist

  • Western Medical Sciences (WMS) Lecturer

https://www.spacupuncture.org/


Sunila is an alumni from The City College of Acupuncture, and practices Acupuncture privately in Croydon and Kentish Town.  She completed her medical degree with distinctions in Clinical Science and Clinical Practice and received 1st class honours for her BSc in Reproductive Sciences, both completed at Imperial College London.  Having worked in the NHS since 2017, Sunila furthered her passion for providing holistic care to patients by completing a Licentiate in Acupuncture. 

 

‘I thoroughly enjoy utilising both my Western and Chinese medical knowledge when seeing patients.  My professional experience allows me to see a patient as a whole, and combining both paradigms of knowledge is an incredibly rewarding experience.’

Why not try something new and train as a Tui Na practitioner?

Call us on 020 7253 1133 or drop us an email at cca@citycollege.ac.uk

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