Dr Frances Nininahazwe
Dr Frances Nininahazwe
Chinese Medicine Practitioner & Acupuncturist
BAppSc(ChinMed/HumBiol) RMIT, Master of International Health Monash, Cert. Cosmetic Acupuncture
17 yrs clinical experience (Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine)
2007 Clinical internship, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital, Nanjing CHINA
Co-ordinator of the ASRC Acupuncture Project
Owner/Founder Torquay Chinese Medicine & Glow Cosmetic Acupuncture
About Frances
'As a practitioner, Frances has adopted a holistic approach to health - recognising that health care is not simply just about patients taking medicine and receiving medical treatments, but also about the relationship each patient has with their own body: the food they ingest, the environment they live in, and the relationships they have with the people around them. During treatments, Frances often explains the underlying Chinese Medicine diagnosis to the patient so that they can begin to understand and manage their own health in their day-to-day life.'
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
She gained her valuable learning experience by undertaking a double bachelor degree in Chinese Medicine and Human Biology at RMIT University, graduating in 2007 with Distinction. You can read more about this university course here. As part of her university studies, she also completed a 6 month clinical internship at Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Observing and practising Chinese Medicine and acupuncture at its roots and as it is applied in China was invaluable to her current understanding of the strengths and multitude of applications that Chinese Medicine has to offer.
To further her understanding of public health, the social determinants of health, climate change, and epidemiology (the prevention and control of diseases), Frances has also completed a Master of International Health at Monash University, also graduating with Distinction.
Having also completed further training in Cosmetic Acupuncture, she is also now one of the few registered Acupuncturists in Geelong and the Surf Coast region to be offering this new and exciting therapy that’s understood to boost the body’s own natural collagen and elastin production. For more information about Cosmetic Acupuncture, please click here.
SPECIAL INTERESTS
As the previous co-ordinator of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Acupuncture Project at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Footscray, Frances has acquired experience treating conditions unique to patients who have an asylum seeker status, and a special interest in treating conditions such as Anxiety, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and poor sleep quality.
In addition to the psycho-emotional disorders listed above, Frances also has particular interest in treating cases of women's hormonal imbalances and infertility - combining Chinese herbal medicine, Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine Dietary Therapy, and lifestyle advice according to each individual case. She also frequently employs acupuncture as a conjunct supportive therapy for patients undergoing IVF and western medical fertility treatments. For more information about how Frances might be able to help you with fertility & preconception care, please click here.
In line with Chinese Medicine principles, Frances recognises that both the internal body environment and our external environment are continually communicating and we are not separate from nature, rather a living part of it. Passionate about natural health and living, she trusts in the human body’s innate ability to heal itself if provided with the right conditions. She also has the strong belief that, in relation to the human body and our ever-changing environment, health practitioners should be forever open to learning.