StartTime: Sun 29 November 2026 9:00 am
Location: Online
Cost:
This Webinar is FREE for AcNZ Members - See the latest member email for details on how to register for the Zoom
Non AcNZ Members you are very welcome to join us - The cost is $50
To register for the webinar, email admin@acupuncture.org.nz
The Nervous System Knows: A Neuro-Affirming Approach to Acupuncture Practice
Join acupuncturists Trish O’Hara, James Woodward and Ioonah Woods for a neurodivergent-led webinar exploring how neuro-affirming principles can be brought into everyday acupuncture practice.
Drawing on both professional and lived experience, we’ll look at practical ways to better understand and support neurodivergent patients in the treatment room.
Together, we’ll explore:
- What neuro-affirming practice can look like in an acupuncture clinic
- Sensory processing and how differences in touch, sound, light, temperature and the clinic environment can affect a patient’s experience
- Communication and declarative language, and how small changes in the way we communicate can make a difference
- Consent, choice and autonomy within treatment
- Practical changes that can make our clinics more comfortable and accessible
- Lived experience and real examples from acupuncture practice
There is no single neurodivergent experience and no one approach thatwill work for everyone. This webinar is about developing a better understanding of different nervous systems and becoming more flexible in how we communicate and practise.
Whether you’re new to neurodiversity or already thinking about neuro-affirming care, the session will offer practical ideas that can be used in everyday acupuncture practice, with time for questions and discussion.