My journey into the world of acupuncture is relatively recent. I first tried acupuncture in January 2021, while trying to navigate the seemingly endless list of side effects left behind by my cancer treatment. Hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, anxiety, peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, joint pain… the list goes on, but you get the idea. My body was under a lot of pressure and in need of some serious support.

Many of these issues were direct side effects of the medication I’d needed over the previous year, and the solution offered by my oncologist was, understandably, more medication. But my body was already dealing with a lot, and I knew I wanted to explore a more holistic approach alongside my medical care.

I discovered an amazing low-cost acupuncture clinic in Lower Clapton and thought, why not? I’d been out of work throughout my treatment, so finding an affordable clinic was a total godsend. There was no way I could have afforded the standard cost of regular one-to-one acupuncture sessions at the time.

I started going weekly, and it really didn’t take long before I began to notice a difference. Then, one day, I realised something quite remarkable: I was feeling really well. Maybe even better than I had in a very long time.

I was completely sold. That experience was what inspired me to retrain as an acupuncturist.

I discovered low-cost acupuncture at a time when I desperately needed it, and since graduating, it’s been important to me to find a way of making acupuncture more accessible to other people too..