What to look for when choosing an acupuncturist
We are often told that it is our testimonials or word of mouth recommendations that prompted someone to get in touch. That is really great, but it's not enough! If you are seeking help for something you should additionally check that your therapist is qualified, insured and registered with a professional body who can hold them accountable if you have a complaint. In traditional acupuncture (a 'voluntary' regulated therapy) you ideally want to find someone who has trained to licentiate diploma, degree or higher level. This will take a minimum of three years part-time to qualify as a traditional acupuncturist. A licensed traditional acupuncturist will have the letters Lic.Ac (or BSc. or MSc) with the licence awarded after extensive supervised clinical training (which we completed in year four). You will also come across "dip.ac" which is also valid, but has involved less supervised training. There are other shorter courses in traditional acupuncture, but at the moment three years is the standard required by our regulator, the AFPA.
We are currently registered with the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA). On the AFPA website you can check if a member is registered with them (if not, they may be registered with another organisation). If you have a complaint about any practitioner, you can approach their regulator. The regulator insists that registered practitioner adhere to strict professional and ethical codes. The AFPA is one of the largest regulators on the island of Ireland. There are several other reputable organisations particularly The British Acupuncture Council which is one of the largest acupuncture regulators in the United Kingdom. We are insured through the AFPA block insurance scheme.
After checking that someone is qualified, registered and insured, it will come down to personal needs and preferences. Practitioners often have particular skills and areas of interest or expertise, and you can check what further training they have undertaken in order to establish if they are likely to be a good fit. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Auricular (ear) acupuncture requires a special mention. It is part of traditional acupuncture but has also emerged in recent decades as an easy 5-point protocol. This simple protocol can be delivered in some contexts by other professionals who have undertaken a short training course. According to NADA this training should be updated annually.
'Dry needling' is different since these are short courses for other healthcare providers who want to learn how to use acupuncture needles for particular things such as 'trigger points'. These courses are generally anatomically informed but borrow heavily from traditional acupuncture in terms of acupuncture point locations, and typically run over one day or several days.
Author: Emma Van Loock MSc. Lic.Ac (2021)
We are often told that it is our testimonials or word of mouth recommendations that prompted someone to get in touch. That is really great, but it's not enough! If you are seeking help for something you should additionally check that your therapist is qualified, insured and registered with a professional body who can hold them accountable if you have a complaint. In traditional acupuncture (a 'voluntary' regulated therapy) you ideally want to find someone who has trained to licentiate diploma, degree or higher level. This will take a minimum of three years part-time to qualify as a traditional acupuncturist. A licensed traditional acupuncturist will have the letters Lic.Ac (or BSc. or MSc) with the licence awarded after extensive supervised clinical training (which we completed in year four). You will also come across "dip.ac" which is also valid, but has involved less supervised training. There are other shorter courses in traditional acupuncture, but at the moment three years is the standard required by our regulator, the AFPA.
We are currently registered with the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA). On the AFPA website you can check if a member is registered with them (if not, they may be registered with another organisation). If you have a complaint about any practitioner, you can approach their regulator. The regulator insists that registered practitioner adhere to strict professional and ethical codes. The AFPA is one of the largest regulators on the island of Ireland. There are several other reputable organisations particularly The British Acupuncture Council which is one of the largest acupuncture regulators in the United Kingdom. We are insured through the AFPA block insurance scheme.
After checking that someone is qualified, registered and insured, it will come down to personal needs and preferences. Practitioners often have particular skills and areas of interest or expertise, and you can check what further training they have undertaken in order to establish if they are likely to be a good fit. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Auricular (ear) acupuncture requires a special mention. It is part of traditional acupuncture but has also emerged in recent decades as an easy 5-point protocol. This simple protocol can be delivered in some contexts by other professionals who have undertaken a short training course. According to NADA this training should be updated annually.
'Dry needling' is different since these are short courses for other healthcare providers who want to learn how to use acupuncture needles for particular things such as 'trigger points'. These courses are generally anatomically informed but borrow heavily from traditional acupuncture in terms of acupuncture point locations, and typically run over one day or several days.
Author: Emma Van Loock MSc. Lic.Ac (2021)