About Matthew
I have been in full-time practice since 1995, and have been in continual training in Europe and in Japan throughout. I am now one of ten advanced Toyohari-style acupuncture practitioners in the UK, and being on the board of Toyohari UK for seven years, have been involved in organising workshops and training events nationally, and assisted in the delivering of them. Recently, I have been asked to lecture on the topic of neck and shoulder pain to the international Toyohari community on zoom, and in Barcelona next June. My research project on the subject is about to be published (in the International Toyohari news).
I have had a lifelong interest in health and healing. As a lad, I was a keen sportsman, and became fascinated by the philosophy underpinning oriental martial arts. My first work after graduating from university was as an editor on the Mind and Body pages at Time Out Magazine in London. After a few years as a teacher, I decided to embark on a 3 year training course in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) style acupuncture at the Northern College of acupuncture, York. This college was one of the few to be fully accredited by the British Acupuncture Council. I graduated, with distinction, in 1995, and have been in full-time practice ever since, until the lockdown.
After a few years of practicing TCM style acupuncture, I felt that something was missing. TCM is actually the modern style practised in China today- so the ‘traditional’ tag is something of a misnomer. In 2000, I came across an amazing teacher at a workshop on Japanese acupuncture, and embarked on a 9 month intensive training programme in the Netherlands and then Japan, in a rare system (in this country) of acupuncture called Toyohari, developed originally by blind practitioners in Japan (I have been taught by many of these masters). I have been continually training ever since, as the Toyohari association is the only one that insists on practitioners undergoing a programme of supervised practice every year, as the needling techniques are hard to master, and easy to forget. In 2019, I completed an 18 month advanced course, and am proud to say that I am now 1 of 10 advanced practitioners in the country, and the only one in Norfolk. My research project was chosen to be published by the association, and I have been asked to lecture and deliver workshops on the subject (treating neck and shoulder pain). I have also been on the board of the Toyohari UK association for 7 years until 2020, helping to run the association and organise and deliver training events. I travel each year to attend the European Toyohari training workshop. Held in a different city each year, it is a great way to meet and learn from colleagues from all over the continent, and especially from the masters who travel from Japan to train us.
Prices
- First treatment (90 minutes) £60
- Follow up sessions (1 hour) £50
I have a contactless card machine for payment.
