Dr. Shirley O’Dwyer
Acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Herbalist and Fertility Awareness Instructor
When I think back to high school years and the pressure I felt to choose the direction my education would take I am so grateful I was able to tap into my inner flame and see that my love for the human body, biology and the power of natural healing was where I wanted to do my life's work.
A big part of that decision was based on my own previous experience with Chinese herbal decoctions; my Mum would buy them from our local Chinese medicine practitioner and brew them up for me when I was sick with the latest bug I had brought home from school. They tasted terrible, but I soon realised that they worked, and I preferred drinking them to being sick with a snotty nose! Later, in my early adolescence I began experiencing migraines, and this was my first encounter with acupuncture. I was only 14, and I was very wary of needles but with a bit of encouragement from my Mum, and the growing need for relief from the weekly pain and auras, I went along for acupuncture. That week I didn’t have any migraines, so I agreed to go again. From that day on I have never had migraines like what I experienced as a teenager. I am still someone who is prone to hormonal headaches, but they are manageable, and I now know what to do (or not to do!) such as avoid certain foods, drink plenty of water, rest at certain times of my cycle and practice yoga regularly. I think that sums up health; we all have our tendencies, our predispositions but in the end our body always wants to be well and with the right tweaks and practices we can live the best versions of ourselves. My aim as a natural medicine practitioner is to guide my patients to listen carefully to what their bodies are telling them and in return to love deeply the skin that they are in. Some conditions that I love to treat are:
- Women's hormonal health issues ranging from adolescence to menopause
- Digestive complaints
- Stress, anxiety, depression
- Pain
- Skin conditions and allergies
- Poor immunity and chronic coughs
- Cancer support
I practice on Wednesdays and Saturdays and outside of that I am kept busy with two little people, a husband and a black and white fluffy fur baby. I love yoga, dancing in my kitchen, drinking tea, cooking up feasts or working up a sweat in our steep hill's garden. If there is anything that you would like to ask please message or email me.
