Karen's Journey
Karen is an accomplished Chinese medicine practitioner, physiotherapist and a direct lineage holder of the Shen-Hammer Pulse Diagnosis System. She has 30 years of clinical experience gained in both the USA and Australia.
Her style of practice is influenced by long-term mentor Dr Leon Hammer, MD, renowned Chinese medicine practitioner, physician and child psychiatrist. During their 27 years together, she inherited the Menghe-Ding pulse method and the model of Chinese medical psychology defined by Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies (Hammer, 2005). These teachings were foundational in her non-pathologizing approach to medicine and provided an awareness of the subtle but distinctive energy transformations that result from our individual human experience. And how physiology manifests these patterns that can be accessed on the pulse. Her Classical approach of Jing Fang herbal prescription has been guided by her studies with Professors Heiner Fruehauf and Huang Huang.
Karen’s academic experience and contribution to the profession include doctoral studies evaluating the reliability of pulse diagnosis; co-authoring a Handbook of Contemporary Chinese Pulse Diagnosis; lecturing at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine NY, the University of Technology, Sydney, and the University of Western Sydney; publishing in peer review journals; presenting at conferences and teaching pulse diagnosis classes in China, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.
Currently her practice is based in Sydney, Australia. As a senior Shen-Hammer Pulse Diagnosis instructor Karen continues to share her knowledge and experience in pulse diagnosis and Chinese medicine psychology. More recently she has taken that beyond the Chinese medicine field introducing pulse diagnosis to medical practitioners, and Classical Chinese medicine concepts to physiotherapists and business leaders.
Holistic Approach
What is a holistic approach to health and well-being? The best way to describe this is to talk briefly about a case.
Classical Chinese medicine perceives our living body as an ongoing exchange of energy. The activity of physiology has a finely tuned time and direction for optimal function, that is, cellular activity courses through organs, and substances moves up/down and deep/superficial within our body in a cyclical motion.
Taking a recent case of steroidal dependent controlled rosacea. A dermatology specialist had biopsied the effected area and determined the diagnosis and prescribed a steroidal cream to control the symptoms. However, after 18 months the rosacea would return worse than previously when stopping use. In the reductionist approach of Western medicine, no other systems were considered within this treatment plan. The diagnostic priority is to look down the microscope and determine that skin cells of the effected area are normal - not precancerous. Good to know but not that useful in reversing the rosacea.
This same case from a Classical Chinese medicine perspective determined the person's constipation - passing a bowel movement every 4-5 days for the past several years as a major part of the problem. The digestive system which is the big downward movement of the body was not occurring effectively to eliminate pathogenic heat through the stool, so the residual heat within the body was flushing up and manifesting as inflammation on the face.
Implementation of acupuncture and Chinese herbs to descend activity, rectify elimination as well as dietary advice on when and what to eat settled the rosacea in four weeks.
So whether you seek relief from a specific health concern or desire to enhance your overall wellness, our approach is centered on providing effective, natural solutions that consider your body's intrinsic condition as well as how your environment effects physiology.
Experience the benefits of our integrative treatments, speaking engagements, and educational resources that help you to take control of your health. Take the first step towards a balanced and vibrant life. Your path to holistic well-being begins here.