Angie Savva, Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner was recently awarded the accolade of Practitioner of the Year, in the highly sought after ATMS Natural Medicine Awards.

We had the privilege of chatting to Angie to learn about her journey and passion for natural therapies.

Tell us a little about you and your background.

I am an integrative Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner passionate about working with women and children, and committed to ensuring the best health outcomes, both for my clients, and for future generations.

My practice is a beautiful, eco-friendly, multi-disciplinary natural health clinic, the Quan Yin Healing Centre, which is becoming a well-known oasis of healing and peace in the Blue Mountains, NSW.

Over the past fifteen years, I have enjoyed studying and practicing natural health, and have extended my skills with many additional qualifications including health coaching, aromatherapy, nutrition, massage, and infant massage instruction.

What originally led you to this type of natural medicine?

At a young age, I saw first-hand how Chinese Medicine could have a positive impact on people’s health. The older I got, the more I learned about it and I felt like it sang to my soul. My Mum also had a background in naturopathy and massage, and her respect and love for natural therapies has been a constant influence in my life.

In the professional world, my first steps into natural medicine came when I was living in London, where I completed a Diploma of Complementary Medicine. This only fuelled my aspiration to learn more, so on returning to Sydney, I completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine at UTS

Why are you passionate about Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine?

I absolutely love Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine – both receiving it and practising it! I love that it is so wide-ranging, holistic, and focused on the whole person – not only the disease or condition. Practising is so rewarding, especially when I see how Chinese Medicine can  provide my clients with such great results, and after 10 years – I am still amazed at the results we can achieve together. To play a small role in changing people’s lives – it is a beautiful feeling.

Tell us about your clinic and how you work with your clients in the Blue Mountains?

I moved from Sydney to the Blue Mountains six years ago, and after years of commuting, I   founded the Quan Yin Healing Centre in Springwood. My dream was to create a truly beautiful multi-disciplinary clinic that would be a joy both to visit and work in, and I’m so happy to have made that a reality. I believe that as natural health practitioners, we are stronger together, and I’m proud to now work with six practitioners in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Environmental sustainability is very important to me, and so the clinic is as eco-friendly as possible. I have always used 100% renewable energy, LED lighting, non-toxic products, and an extensive recycling program. This year I am moving towards making the clinic zero waste and carbon neutral.

Something I’m really proud of is my work with local charities. I offer subsidised treatments for people with cancer and their carers – helping to support them holistically, through an often-difficult journey. I am also a founding partner with a local charity that provides vital support to homeless and underprivileged people in our area.

I work in partnership with my clients in a respectful, affirming and compassionate manner. Everyone’s backgrounds and journeys are so different, and I enjoy working out the best way to help each individual person with their own unique needs – it’s like putting together pieces of a puzzle. I aim to foster empowerment in my clients, and so providing education and encouragement is a big part of what I do.

What types of conditions can Chinese Medicine be used for?

My main focus is women’s health and children’s health. I provide holistic treatments to help optimise fertility naturally, as well as support for people going through IVF during pregnancy and preparation for birth. I also support women who have gynaecological conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis and dysmenorrhea, as well as more general stress, sleep and digestive issues.

I work with many common children’s health concerns and have completed a number of post-graduate qualifications in Chinese Medicine paediatrics. Acupuncture is very quick (and painless) to administer for children under 8 as the needles aren’t retained. I also have a range of non-needle techniques for needle-phobic kids and teach parents simple health promoting techniques that they can use at home.

Chinese Medicine is holistic, so it looks at the whole-person and all aspects of a person’s life, with the goal of bringing everything back into balance. Because of this, it can really be applied to any health condition or complaint as an adjunctive therapy. There are many different branches within Chinese Medicine, and an abundance of research into its application to almost any condition you can think of.

I love seeing my clients faces when they have experienced their treatment – as well as the larger health benefits, they come out feeling incredibly relaxed and rested.

What’s your personal vision and mission for what you do?

To be the best practitioner that I can be, to truly serve people who I work with, and to make a big difference in people’s lives.

I believe if we focus on small steps; helping individual people feel happier and healthier, one-by-one, this can have a ripple effect from local communities, to states and countries – to make the world a better place.

What does the future look like for you – what are your plans?

I recently finished a health coaching certification with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, so I’m looking forward to integrating this with my acupuncture practice and focusing on preventative health care wherever I can. I’m currently working on creating some online courses which is very exciting!

My favourite ancient Chinese Proverb says: “A superior doctor prevents sickness; A mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness; An inferior doctor treats sickness.”

I’ll be aiming high.

What did it mean to you to win Practitioner of the Year?

It was such an incredible honour to be named Practitioner of the Year. I feel so humbled and blessed to be acknowledged in this way and by such a prestigious organisation.

Winning this award has only reinforced my burning desire to be the absolute best practitioner I can be, every single day. There’s so much more to learn and I look forward to the journey.

To find out more about Angie Savva, visit her website: http://www.angiesavva.com/