Tuina Diploma 2025

This newly revamped and refreshed post-graduate diploma now runs as a 6 month course at the college, starting on 10th January 2025.

 

The practical course is continuing to be presented by principal teacher Alex Evans, alongside Kevin Young with his 20+ years experience, with a special new addition of internationally renowned tuina author and teacher Sarah Pritchard, who is focusing on tuina and moxa for menstrual and fertility issues.

 

Given that tuina is one of the four main pillars of Chinese Medicine, this course will equip you to use tuina as a stand-alone therapy or as an effective therapeutic addition to your acupuncture practice.

 

Tuina is a complete medical system, with a comprehensive set of diagnostics and techniques. As such, it can increase the effectiveness of your treatments by:

• adding a thorough hands-on palpation-based approach to your existing skill set, diagnosing and treating a wide range of issues, from muscular-skeletal injuries to internal organs disharmonies, to Shen based issues

• enhancing your palpation abilities to be able to diagnose a wide range of pathologies by feeling the body’s qi and blood imbalances.

• providing you with a deeply calming and relaxing treatment which yields powerful results

• allowing you to apply pressure and stimulation to acupuncture points for needle phobic patients

• combining tuina with acupuncture to strengthen your treatments, speeding up the healing process and outcomes

• allowing you to stimulate parts of the body with appropriate tuina techniques, to address disharmony and nourish patients

 

 

Course overview:

As a highly practical course, there is a focus on developing the physical skills and techniques needed to become a competent tuina practitioner.

 

🖐️ Phase 1 - Techniques

Introduces you to the 20 most common techniques used in clinical practice, and the most common sinew stretches. This module will teach you to be able to use structural analysis and channel palpation skills, be able to diagnose and differentiate various pathologies by practicing on each other, match techniques with diagnosis, and protect yourself using qigong.

 

🖐️ Phase 2 - Diagnostics

You will be taught how to increase your palpation skills to diagnose and differentiate a wide range of pathologies - Qi Stagnation versus Blood stagnation for example. You will be able to use structural analysis and channel palpation skills by practicing on each other to match techniques with diagnosis.

 

🖐️ Phase 3 – Applications and Specialist Combined Techniques

Building on the techniques already taught and assessed, students will learn how to apply these techniques to a wide range of symptoms, including an in-depth focus on using tuina and moxa for menstrual and fertility issues. Compound tuina techniques will be demonstrated, as well as how to effectively combine acupuncture and tuina, such as using Master Tung points in tuina.

 

🖐️ Phase 4 - Pre Clinic Preparation

Prior to clinic, students will understand optimum patient positioning, and identify red flags or blocks to treatment. You will devise a treatment plan and be able to demonstrate this on a classmate.

 

🖐️ Phase 5 - Clinic

This takes place in the college clinic under supervision and will be assessed on an ongoing basis. In addition to clinic, there will be class discussions on patients, and lectures on various topics including standard treatments for common ailments, treating chronic conditions and the use of balms and oils.

 

Entry requirements:

A recognised three year qualification in acupuncture. Students are assessed on a regular basis and will need to complete both training and clinical assessment workbooks in order to successfully complete the course.  

 

 

Overview and dates:

The course runs at the college, primarily on Fridays, with an exception for Sarah Pritchard's fertility and menstrual teaching days, which also includes a Thursday. Phase 1 and Phase 5 are weekly, all other phases are fortnightly.

 

Phase 1: Techniques

Friday 10th January - course overview, qi gong & techniques

Friday 17th January - tuina techniques

Friday 24th January - tuina techniques 2

Friday 31st January - sinew stretches

 

Phase 2: Diagnostics

Friday 14th February - palpation & diagnosis

Friday 28th February - structured analysis with Kevin Young

 

Phase 3: Applications & Specialist Combined Techniques

Friday 14th March - full body back routine

Friday 28th March - full body front routine

Thursday 10th April - menstrual & fertility issues with Sarah Pritchard

Friday 11th April - menstrual & fertility issues with Sarah Pritchard

 

Phase 4: Pre Clinic Preparation

Friday 25th April - protecting the patient & red flags

Friday 2nd May - pre clinical review

 

Phase 5: Clinic

Friday 9th May - clinic overview & patient allocation

Friday 16th May - patient review & clinic

Friday 23rd May - balms & oils & clinic

Friday 30th May - common conditions & clinic

Friday 6th June - final clinic & diploma ceremony

 

Fees:

The course fee is £1850.

This includes a £100 non-refundable application fee which secures a place on the course and is offset against the fees.

We offer an early-bird discount of £100 if you pay in full before 10th November 2024. 

For those who don't take advantage of the early-bird discount, full fees are due by Friday 3rd January 2025, or fees can also be paid in instalments by monthly direct debit to spread out the investment.

 

How to apply:

Download an application form here and email the completed form to Jo Brown, our Registrar. To pay the £100 application fee please click here. The £100 non-refundable application fee secures your place on the course and is offset against the fees.

 

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Teachers

 

Alex Evans (course director and principal teacher)

Alex's first degree is in electronic engineering where he forged a successful career in the software industry, working in silicon valley companies as an executive vice president. He is a graduate of CICM and has diplomas in tuina and Chinese herbal medicine.  Alex studied Chinese herbal medicine in Beijing with Dr Suzanne Robidoux and Dr Feng Shi Lun.  He runs a thriving mulitbed clinic and our tuina clinic. He works with patients living with Cancer at the RBH with the charity My Cancer my Choices.

Kevin Young

Kevin studied acupuncture and tuina at Westminster University. He is a state registered, chartered physiotherapist and has qualified in sports therapy and sports massage, specialising in the treatment of sports injuries with acupuncture. Additionally, he has an MSc in lower limb musculo-skeletal studies from Cardiff University. Kevin lectures in anatomy, structural diagnosis, sports taping, tuina and lower limb and running mechanics on degree and master’s programmes.  He has a special interest in lower-limb injuries and treating tendinopathies with acupuncture and tuina.

Sarah Pritchard

One of the first westerners to practice Tui Na in the UK, Sarah is known as an inspiring teacher and workshop leader who shares her knowledge in an engaging and empowering way. Sarah is the author of two Tui Na books: ‘Chinese Massage Manual’ and ‘Tui Na - A Manual Of Chinese Massage Therapy’ published by Singing Dragon. Her Chinese Medicine studies began in 1992. Her education in Chinese Medicine was unorthodox in that she learnt Tui Na before acupuncture, initially training at the London School of Chinese Clinical Massage Therapy with her first mentor and inspiration the late Robert Cran. 

 

Registrar

 

Jo Brown

Jo joined the college in February 2020 and works as our registrar and is currently developing our VLE resources and capability. She is a qualified podiatrist and enjoys nature and being creative.  Jo is the person to contact with any application and administrative questions about this course.