|
Heather Bruce has been an acupuncturist, naturopath, herbalist and lifestyle counselor since 1979, when she opened her first practice in Brisbane, Australia.
Her key interests are in all levels of health and well-being, especially in exploring the nature of disease, and its contribution to our life tapestry. She is most known for her work in sub-fertility, birthing and general women's health issues.
Heather Bruce was admitted as a Member of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd (AACMA) on 11 April 1979 and was promoted to Fellow in 1996. She has been a Board member and lecturer and developed the original four year course at what is now the Australian College of Natural Medicine.
Heather has been involved, as organizer and presenter, in a large number of continuing education seminars and workshops in acupuncture in general and in her areas of special interest.
She is also author of a number of publications in healthcare, based on her knowledge and experience in acupuncture clinical practice.
What is so different about HB?
People often wonder what the differences between published authors and myself.
We all tend to have different career paths – some do the China route (I had too many babies to raise and others are much more external career-focussed), and some also embrace the academic and often the orthodox medical way. I have chosen the being a practical woman who is a natural healer and the natural medicine way. This means that we are all seeing things very differently – and are appearing at different ends of the spectrum.
As I see birthing and pregnancy as a transition and initiation into a new phase in coupledom/being a woman and inner growth, it is also where my focus is. I have seen so much in life that demonstrates that if we move the emotional blockages we instantly alter everything that seemed so imminent - energy shifts affect all aspects of being.
Working with women for all of this time and because I listened so well to the late Dr John Shen, (what he did resonated so much with my own professional and personal experiences) I have always asked very different questions of my patients, and have gotten a very different slant on what creates our life problems, and how to untangle them. Almost always there has been a drama around pregnancy /birthing/early mothering which really snaps something inside/for her – for the rest of her life. Or in the life of the infant . . . bending the sapling too much so that it does not grow straight.
|
|
|
Camilla ( Brisbane):
"What I gained from doing the workshop with you:
- for the first time since I graduated I felt excited about the prospect of being an Acupuncturist. I left feeling very enthusiastic with the thought that “yes, I can do that, I can help these women". Whereas before I wanted to help them but was somehow blocked, or lacking in all the tools. The workshop opened up my eyes to other methods of dealing with these cases outside TCM which I have always instinctively known but never had the permission to use without feeling like I was practicing un pure TCM.
- It reawakened my interest with the 8extras, a topic that was belittled sometime in the 4th year of college when we were doing the research subject.
- I confirmed some of my deep personal subconscious beliefs about birthing that I must have had passed down to me from my mother because they were never something we learnt at college.
- I gave me the confidence to clearly see what was REALLY happening when I visited one of my patients after a C-section in a private hospital a week later. The uneasy feeling about what was being done to here was more than an uneasy feeling but a clear picture of the patterns being laid down that would affect her and her babies for years to come.
And the main the course gave me was a passion and a need to be practicing in the area of women’s health which I have toyed with for years but never actively perused because I had the belief that I needed to have a general practice and not exclude all the other cases because if I did I would not have enough patients and would not be able to make a living, I now realise there are an abundance of birthing women who need our help."
|
|
|
April ( Brisbane):
"In the last six months I have been taken on a learning journey that has completely changed my views on acupuncture, and how I work as an acupuncturist. Since I have been watching Heather work I have been shown a completely new way of thinking/being. What I have learnt is to treat a person as someone who has lived a life, whose life has impacted upon their blueprint. We were not taught this at university."
Read more ...
|
|
|
Jennifer, UK:
“I am impressed by the depth of your research into Chinese medicine, your understanding of what women need and the sheer amount of work involved in what you have created.”
|
|
|
Mike, (Queensland):
"I plugged your 'sharpen-up...' website while guest lecturing at last night. Awesome video.
Well done and thank you."
|
|
|
Janet - (Spain):
‘I think your approach is brilliant, you are forthright and speak common sense, a rare commodity these days!’
|
|
|
Camilla ( Brisbane):
"What I gained from doing the workshop with you:
- for the first time since I graduated I felt excited about the prospect of being an Acupuncturist. I left feeling very enthusiastic with the thought that “yes, I can do that, I can help these women". Whereas before I wanted to help them but was somehow blocked, or lacking in all the tools. The workshop opened up my eyes to other methods of dealing with these cases outside TCM which I have always instinctively known but never had the permission to use without feeling like I was practicing un pure TCM.
- It reawakened my interest with the 8extras, a topic that was belittled sometime in the 4th year of college when we were doing the research subject.
- I confirmed some of my deep personal subconscious beliefs about birthing that I must have had passed down to me from my mother because they were never something we learnt at college.
- I gave me the confidence to clearly see what was REALLY happening when I visited one of my patients after a C-section in a private hospital a week later. The uneasy feeling about what was being done to here was more than an uneasy feeling but a clear picture of the patterns being laid down that would affect her and her babies for years to come.
And the main the course gave me was a passion and a need to be practicing in the area of women’s health which I have toyed with for years but never actively perused because I had the belief that I needed to have a general practice and not exclude all the other cases because if I did I would not have enough patients and would not be able to make a living, I now realise there are an abundance of birthing women who need our help."
|
|
|
Paddy McBride Dip Ch Ed, M Hlth Sci(TCM)
Nelson, New Zealand:
"As an acupuncturist and a Childbirth Educator and having worked with expectant couples and new parents on both sides of the Tasman, I am confident that Heather’s work can and will make a difference in the wonderful world of birth.
The techniques outlined by Heather are a current take on ancient wisdom, in a readily accessible package for anyone, regardless of their previous knowledge of either birth or acupuncture.
I especially appreciate Heather’s attention to referencing and cross-referencing her work, thus enabling the reader to quickly go to the part of the book they need with a minimum of effort.
Her work will be of interest not only to couples but also to other health professionals with an interest in facilitating natural childbirth."
|
|
|
Maurice (Netherlands):
"Thanks for sending me your books and DVDs to my address in Holland. I enjoyed your conference last year very much.
Your 'hands on' approach is just what I needed by that time, and it has influenced my way of working. I was getting too confused and fet up with all the theoretical textbooks.
Would be great if you can come another time and show us some more practical devices. big hug, M."
|
|
|
Kim (Los Altos, USA):
"A colleague of mine went to one of your classes and allowed me to view her DVDs of your lecture on Women's health.. and now I'm hooked!
I LOVE what you're teaching, and hope to catch up with you next lecture series in the states if there are any coming up.
I love how you weave the spiritual, feminine into your teaching."
With gratitude!
|
|
|
Marlene Farry (Acupuncturist, NZ):
"Heather Bruce is an outstanding clinician - achieving results in cases both chronic and complex.
Her contribution to Acupuncture and Holistic (wise woman) health in Australia and New Zealand is far sighted, revolutionary and thankfully, with thoughtful pragmatic application."
|
|
|
Robin Kerr, NZRA, NDA:
"I was a fortunate participant in Heathers course on 'removing blockages'.
It was great to have her years of experience and passion in working in women's health.
As a relatively new acupuncturist but with many years experience in women's health, this course gave confidence and validation to the work I do.
Many of her techniques and resources are used in my work now on a regular basis."
|
|
|
Mike (Sunshine Coast):
"I was extremely moved by your last post on the Need More info on OB/GYN and Infertility thread.
You wrote, among other amazing lines,:"but should we look as an experienced people observer, with the intent to help and heal and with an open enquiring mind, and the acupuncture/energy framework at our disposal, we can often attend to those where hope seems gone."
Well, I read that and I almost had tears in my eyes. It is people such as you who embody the very essence of inspiration for practitioners and students of acupuncture. When I read some of the things you write, they serve as great reminders that I am on the right path in life and in my job."
|
|
|
Nick:
“I opened myself up to being more shamanistic again. My roots have been lost in the more technical aspects of studying, and the spiritual is reasserting itself again. Your passion is thus inspiring. On a more personal note, I am examining your sexual concepts and the difference between potency and vitality”.
|
|
|
Camilla:
“For the first time since I graduated I felt excited about the prospect of being an acupuncturist.
I left feeling very enthusiastic with the thought that "yes, I can do that, I can help these women" - whereas before I wanted to help them but was somehow blocked, or lacking in all the tools.
The workshop opened up my eyes to other methods of dealing with these cases outside TCM which I have always instinctively known but never had the permission to use without feeling like I was practicing ‘impure’ TCM.
It also reawakened my interest with the 8 extras, a topic that was belittled sometime in the 4th year of college when we were doing our research subject.
It gave me the confidence to clearly see what was REALLY happening when I visited one of my patients after a C-section in a private hospital a week later.
The uneasy feeling about what was being done to here was more than an uneasy feeling but a clear picture of the patterns being laid down that would affect her and her babe for years to come”.
The course gave me was a passion and a need to be practicing in the area of women’s health which I have toyed with for years but never actively pursued.
I had the belief that I needed to have a general practice and not exclude all the other cases because if I did I would not have enough patients and would not be able to make a living, I now realise there are an abundance of birthing women who need our help.
Thankyou so much – you validated some of my deep personal subconscious beliefs about birthing that I must have had passed down to me from my mother because they were never something we learnt at college."
|
|
|
Mark:
“I came away from the seminar with an appreciation of your extensive experience – especially the application over time working out such things as the sacral massage. The next day, I was aware of the practical tips – like the different depths of needling affecting different meridians. The main thing I possibly got was the thought that I did not need to couple the eight extras when working with them.
“I learn visually, so I really liked the use of the whiteboard. In clinic – I had not thought of the role of the temperature the way that you explained and am working differently now with those coming in with infertility. Especially important was your concept of anything that creates heat as being a jing disruptor – a very useful tool for use in talking with patients”.
|
|
|
Sheridan:
“It definitely got me thinking and am doing things differently.
I am now more aware of blockages and am not automatically coupling the 8 extras as we do in the Japanese style.”
|
|
|
Wendy (Brisbane):
“Good on you for all the work you put in to practitioner tools and education, this is priceless for people like myself. Having just graduated, it is wonderful to have a senior and very successful practitioner sharing their work”.
|
|
|
|
About Heather