NeedlePro Australia Presents...
Roots & Wings:
Supporting Emotional and Cognitive Development in Children and Teens
with Chinese Medicine
- Rebecca Avern
When you were in acupuncture school, pediatrics may have received little more than a passing mention—perhaps a single day of study. You might even have been actively discouraged from treating children and teens.
Yet pediatrics has been a dedicated specialty within Chinese Medicine for nearly 1,500 years. Despite this rich tradition, young people today are among the least likely to benefit from our powerful medicine.
Our 3 days together will enable you to take our extraordinary medicine to those that need it most.
As well as transforming the lives of young people, it will transform your practice.
Treating young people can reignite your passion for the medicine and deepen your clinical fulfillment.
Over 3 days, we'll take a deep dive into the treatment of emotional, cognitive, and developmental conditions—the very challenges that most often bring young people into our clinics.
3-Day Workshop Schedule
DAY 1
Child and teen mental-emotional development: how does it happen and why does it go wrong?
Reactive development issues: how do we 'make things right'
Brain (nao): what is the brain according to CM and how do we treat it?
DAY 2
Scattered minds: a comprehensive approach to the treatment of ADHD and ADD with acupuncture
Tics, Twitches and Tourettes: how do we calm the wind storm?
Supporting children with autism in clinic: how to promote speech and sleep, and enhance emotional regulation
DAY 3
Liberating the shen: easing anxiety and lifting depression in young people
Eating disorders: The 4 Seas and the 5 Elements
Self harm: a Luo channel approach
Throughout the 3 Days You Will:
Expand your point repertoire to better attend to the shen of young people
Expand your treatment modalities, so more young people benefit
Enhance your diagnostic skills, so you improve your clinical outcomes
Clinical Focus: Treatment of Common Conditions
In-Depth Exploration of Key Questions
How does a child develop from a Chinese Medicine perspective?
What happens when development is disrupted, and how can we support realignment through treatment?
What is the brain in CM terms—and how do we treat it with acupuncture?
What happens when development is disrupted, and how can we support realignment through treatment?
How are emotions understood in Chinese Medicine?
Why do they become dysregulated, and how can we help restore balance?
How do we determine if the Eight Extraordinary Vessels are involved?
Why do they become dysregulated, and how can we help restore balance?
When is Five Element constitutional treatment appropriate?
Discover the role of Five Element theory in treating children and teens effectively.
How do we engage monosyllabic teens or hyperactive children?
Discover the role of Five Element theory in treating children and teens effectively.
How can we work safely with highly vulnerable young people?
Establish ethical frameworks and safety protocols for working with at-risk youth.
Hands-On Techniques & Modalities
Gentle Needling
Child-friendly needling techniques that ensure comfort and compliance
Essential Oils
Essential oil point therapy for needle-free treatment options
Tuning Forks
Vibrational healing through tuning fork applications
Magnet Therapy
Non-invasive magnet therapy protocols for pediatric care
Moxibustion
Safe, child-appropriate moxibustion methods
Cupping
Modified cupping techniques suitable for young patients
This is more than just a seminar—it's a movement toward empowering the next generation through one of the world's oldest healing systems. If you're ready to expand your scope, enhance your skills, and bring healing where it’s needed most, we invite you to join us in Melbourne in 2026.
Rebecca Avern is a published author on this subject...
About Rebecca Avern
Rebecca Avern BA (Hons), Lic. Ac; Dip. Paed. Ac; FBAcC
Rebecca Avern is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities in Chinese Medicine pediatrics. With over 25 years of clinical experience, she has dedicated her practice exclusively to treating children and teenagers with acupuncture.
Based in Oxford, UK, she is the founder of two specialist paediatric acupuncture clinics, including one that provides affordable treatment to ensure broader access to care.Rebecca is the author of two influential books: Acupuncture for Babies, Children and Teenagers and Chinese Medicine for Childhood Anxiety and Depression, a practical guide for both parents and practitioners. Her third book is set to be published later this year.A passionate educator, Rebecca teaches paediatrics across the UK, online, and internationally. She is celebrated for her warm, clear, and engaging teaching style—one that consistently inspires practitioners to begin working with young people, even those who had never considered it before.
Rebecca is also the founder of the Hub of Paediatric Acupuncture (HOPA), a global online community dedicated to supporting practitioners in treating children. Through this initiative, she continues her mission to make Chinese Medicine more accessible to the next generation—ensuring more children benefit from its profound healing potential.
More about Rebecca's Acupuncture Training...
- Licence in Acupuncture from the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine: a three and half year course from which I graduated in 2001.
- Four years studying with and working alongside the late Giovanni Maciocia (one of the most eminent doctors of Chinese medicine in the West)
- Assisted in the writing of a major text book for acupuncture students – Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine.
- Diploma in Paediatric Acupuncture (2012): She is one of only a small number of acupuncturists in the UK who have done post-graduate training in paediatric acupuncture with Julian Scott, author of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children.
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Training in paediatric tui na (2012): with Dr Hongchun Yin (specialist from the Shangdong University of TCM)
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Training in Japanese paediatric acupuncture techniques (shonishin) (2013): with Stephen Birch (author of Shonishin: Japanese Paediatric Acupuncture).
TESTIMONIALS
"Not only is the content fascinating, but Rebecca’s teaching style and delivery is so clear and effective."
Lucinda
The course is well organised with great lectures which are excellently delivered. Rebecca is passionate about her profession and a great advocate for children and their well-being. I loved every minute of it.
Mandy
The course was outstanding, enjoyable, informative, and focussed. I can’t fault it.
Annie
It's not often these days that I can be present at a 3-day seminar and be completely engaged and interested in the content and presentation after 24 years of clinical practice. Its obvious by Rebecca’s warm and compassionate nature why she is one of the pre-eminent practitioners and teachers of Paediatric Acupuncture.
I loved every minute of the 3 days and have learned an incredible amount of useful and practical information to take back to my clinical practice.
I feel inspired and grateful for this wealth of knowledge that Rebecca has so generously imparted. Best seminar I have done in many years.
- Nicky (Nicola) Macdonald
Content was great it covered a broad range of subjects.
I really, really enjoyed this course, especially being practical in showing how to apply the techniques and when. I found this really helpful.
Rebecca is an amazing teacher, her presentation of the course is fantastic. She gives us a lot of time for us to ask questions and discuss cases.
Bree Pash-Davidson
Presentation & content were just amazing. So practical and easy to apply in clinic. Rebecca has so much valuable knowledge, and it’s so good of her to share this. Such a valuable seminar.
Can’t wait for her to come back to Australia.
Marieke Ohallaoran
I love it; it’s my first pediatric seminar. I found it very informative and loved how we actually got to practice the techniques and cement them into our knowledge.
Emilia Quijano
Rebecca’s knowledge and experience in treating children are incredibly inspirational. The practical tips learned in her course were extremely helpful, and I feel so much more confident treating children in my own clinic with the knowledge and practical experience I gained.
The course is extremely well-structured and detailed but presented in a way that is easily absorbed in a delightfully personal manner.
Jodi Pritchard
Hard to fault!
So grateful you fly all this wat to be with us in person.
You are so generous and humble with at all.
Treating the kids in the room provides insight/learning and tangents of questions that often have the shiniest pearls and take homes. The practical side this year will/has accelerated my confidence and scope of tools and techniques to use and choose.
Please come back, see you on Hopa!
your fellow ‘Hubster’ Kerry x
Hard to fault!
So grateful you fly all this wat to be with us in person.
You are so generous and humble with at all.
Treating the kids in the room provides insight/learning and tangents of questions that often have the shiniest pearls and take homes. The practical side this year will/has accelerated my confidence and scope of tools and techniques to use and choose.
Please come back, see you on Hopa!
your fellow ‘Hubster’ Kerry x
Informative, articulate and relative to the problems seen in my clinic.
Rebecca has a calm Qi, great nature and is obviously a wonderful practitioner mentor.
Loved it!
Sandra
This was such an incredible course. Rebecca is so knowledgeable and is wonderfully skilled at sharing her knowledge, whilst helping you develop your skills a a paediatric acupuncturist.
Rebecca H
The paediatric course was brilliantly taught, very clear and effective. Rebecca is an inspiring teaching and acupuncturist.
Cal
I highly recommend the course. Rebecca’s passion for treating children is inspirational and contagious.
Sofya
I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent at your seminar. Thank you for coming to Australia and sharing your wealth of knowledge with us.
The content was so helpful and very practically given.
Watching you treat children was a privilege, and I felt this provided a good way of putting all the information together.
The parents and children in your area are very blessed to have you.
Kirsty Dollison
Rebecca’s teachings are very straightforward and easy to understand. She is extremely knowledgeable and is always giving us different ways and methods to treat paediatric patients completely. Rebecca’s training has boosted my confidence in treating children in my own practice.
Marta Dunin-Labedzki
Absolutely fabulous! I’ve done Thomas Weinicke’s shonishin and this is such a different way of teaching. Feel more confident now having more tools to treat children I feel more confident now. Thank you so much for coming to Australia to teach and share your knowledge. Thank you for teaching my son :)
Julie Bridson
I love “preparedness” with notes + topics, yet the free flow of knowledge. You’re so generous with sharing your experience, Thank you.
The greatest value is to see you in action, and I would love a 3-day course of just patients – that would be amazing. Your humbleness is refreshing and encouraging.
Thank you for your time, both away from family + clinic.
See you next time!
Holly C
The slides were concise but informative. Just the right amount of information! Rebecca is a fantastic teacher. Her passion and kindness shine through her teachings. Her knowledge is extensive!
I’m so grateful she traveled this far to educate us all!
Thank you very much to everyone who organized this event!