Does this resonate with you?
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You're exhausted from seeing so many different practitioners and you don’t feel any better
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You want the freedom and vitality to get back to doing all the things you love to do
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You wish you didn’t have to spend so much money to get the results you desire
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You don’t want to take any more medications
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You want somebody to treat you as a whole person
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You want someone to give you clear guidance about your specific health needs & make a really good plan for your healing
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You don’t want to take any more medications
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You want the freedom and vitality to get back to doing all the things you love to do
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You want someone to give you clear guidance about your specific health needs & make a really good plan for your healing
"Karina has helped me many times to overcome emotional blockages and distress through classical acupuncture.
She practices with a unparalleled level of kindness, intuition and generosity."
Jessica Gaunt
Meet Karina
As a doctor of Chinese Medicine, I absolutely love witnessing the amazing transformations in my patients’ health. It doesn’t matter the condition; pain, mental health, autoimmune disease, chronic illness, digestive issues (although I do have a soft spot for helping people on their fertility journey).
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Underneath the medical condition, is a human being going through an experience of limitation by a diagnosis, or a story about their health, that is preventing them from living their life to the fullest.
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You might be coming to see me for shoulder pain, but we will probably find that during your healing journey with me, that you feel so much better, in ways you didn’t even know you weren’t feeling great before.
I graduated from Southern School of Natural Therapies (Fitzroy, Melbourne) in 2019, with a Bachelor of Health Science, Chinese Medicine Major, after which I began practicing Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in the style of TCM.
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Since that time, I have studied under the extraordinary mentorship of Ann Cecil Sterman; a long-time student of Master Jeffrey Yuen; who teaches the ancient wisdom of the complement acupuncture channels of Chinese Medicine, dating back to the Han Dynasty in China.
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This system of Classical Chinese Medicine includes many of the acupuncture channels written out of history, and offers my patients a complete tool kit to meet their health needs wherever they are on their journey.
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Over a series of sessions, I offer my patients a broad mix of customised body work, acupuncture, herbal therapy, and diet and lifestyle advice, depending on their health needs, in order to help them achieve their health goals.
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I have a beautiful and calm home clinic space in Newport 3015, Melbourne, where I have created a very peaceful place for my patients to rest and heal.
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You may be greeted by my big beautiful therapy dog, Larry the Greyhound, who absolutely loves to say hello and set the tone for a deeply restful experience while you are here with us.
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I look forward to seeing how much better you are going to feel very soon.
"I go in hobbling and sore, leave walking and happy. I love my sessions with Karina, she has a lovely calm way and full of knowledge about our bodies! I’ve learnt a lot."
Dimi Simeonidis
Your Chinese Medicine Appointment
During your first appointment with me, you will be warmly greeted and invited to the treatment room.
I will have a number of questions to ask you so I can begin to get a good understanding of your body, your health, and how to begin correcting the imbalances.
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Part of my method is feeling your pulses and looking at your tongue.
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I will then be able to give you a good idea of how many treatments, and how often you will need them, to rebalance your current state of health.
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Depending on what you share with me, and what we discover, I will then begin an Acupuncture treatment, possibly adding in some massage, cupping and/or moxibustion. Very often herbal medicine is also required to support the internal aspect of your body.
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You will leave the session with a clear understanding of the treatment plan, and how we as a team will be working together to help you achieve your health goals.
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A series of treatments is usually required to make significant changes to a person's state of health, especially if the health concern is chronic.
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I very much look forward to working with you.
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Karina x
Therapies
Dr. Karina Smith offers a range of services at her Newport Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture Clinic to help support women's health, pain management, stress and anxiety, and digestion issues.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the ancient practice of inserting very fine metal needles into specific locations on the body to help stimulate Qi flow (energy), in order to help a person return back to a state of balance and harmony.
Acupuncture has a cumulative effect on the body; meaning that each session builds upon the next session as a patients’ energy flow is slowly restored and rebalanced.
Classical Acupuncture pre-dates the Han Dynasty in China, making it at least 2500 years old.
The type and method of Acupuncture utilised in a session, will depend on the exact needs of the patient. This is determined by a diagnosis made from information found in the pulse and on the tongue of the patient.
Cupping & Massage
Massage is another great tool in the Chinese medicine tool kit to help loosen the physical tissues of the body and move stagnant Qi. It can be a great addition to the start of a treatment to help a patient relax into their breath and open up their receptivity for healing and care. It also provides another avenue for the practitioner to feel into the energetic state of the patient to understand what imbalances need to be addressed in that session.
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Cupping is another wonderful tool used in a Chinese medicine treatment. Better known for the marks left on the skin (which is a great conversation starter at the pool or beach). The cups are suctioned onto the skin with either a flame (the flame removes the oxygen from the glass cup), or a suction pump.
The suctioning nature of the cups on the skin then pulls blood and fluid through the tissues below which can help rehydrate layers of fascia that have become dry, tangled and stuck (essentially what we would call a muscle “knot”).
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The marks on the skin can vary from a pale red to a dark purple. Sometimes this is just a result of how tight the cups were suctioned onto the skin, or it can be a sign of how stagnant the blood and fluids were in that area.
A common result for sore tight muscles areas is a darker cup mark. These marks are cleaned up by a healthy circulation within a few days, sometimes up to a week. The marks are not painful to touch (so please make sure you mention that when you are talking about your acupuncturist at the pool or beach).
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is an ancient method of applying heat to the body to improve circulation, move qi, blood, and help to open up the channels of the body to expel cold. There are direct, and indirect methods of moxibustion.
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Direct methods include rolling the moxa (it looks a bit like soft cotton, or wall insulation), into small cones, placing them on the body, and lighting the top. The patient will soon feel a warm sensation flowing from the moxa into the body. The practitioner may repeat this process many times until the patient is feeling the heat very quickly, and then they will know that the body has received the heat and does not need any more.
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Indirect moxa has the same intention as direct moxibustion, however the moxa is rolled into a cylindrical stick (kind of like a slim cigar). The end of the moxa stick is then lit, emitting heat, and the stick is then held close to the body at specific acupuncture points to warm them and pour hot qi into the body.
Herbal Medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine is an entire medicinal branch of its own. Traditionally, practitioners dedicated themselves either to the art of acupuncture or herbalism. Nowadays many practitioners offer both acupuncture and herbs as part of their practice.
Herbal medicine has great strength at supporting internal medicine imbalances: such as digestion, mental health, gynaecology, sleep issues, skin complaints, energy levels and allergies. Often these kinds of imbalances will have a chronic nature and may need a dedicated period of time on a herbal formula to make sustainable changes.
Chinese herbs can be taken in a variety of ways: they can be given as a raw formula (think a bag of twigs, leaves, fruits and other minerals), which will need to be cooked in hot water with specific instructions to yield a liquid decoction which is then consumed each day of the treatment plan. This makes for a very potent kind of administration, however sometimes patients do not have the time for this kind of preparation.
Another way that herbs are given is in a granulated/powdered form. These are measured out by the spoonful into hot water, mixed and consumed like a tea (drink it quickly, these are not always pleasant tasting and it's best to just chug it down).
Granulated herbs can be a little bit more manageable to take for a patient with a busy lifestyle, and whilst they are still very effective, they are not quite as potent as taking the herbs in their raw form.
Cosmetic Acupuncture
Cosmetic Acupuncture is the modern application of an ancient practice to help care for, restore, lift and rehydrate the skin of the face.
By stimulating the skin of the face, nutrients and blood flow is increased to the skin, supporting the cellular structure of the collagen, namely simulating fibroblasts that maintain the collagen in our connective tissue.
Cosmetic Acupuncture sessions begin with facial gua sha to increase healthy blood flow to the face before the acupuncture is applied.
As acupuncture has a cumulative effect, cosmetic acupuncture yields its best results with a series of sessions, these sessions are greatly enhanced if a patient is also doing their own daily facial gua sha routine at home.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the ancient practice of inserting very fine metal needles into specific locations on the body to help stimulate Qi flow (energy), in order to help a person return back to a state of balance and harmony.
Acupuncture has a cumulative effect on the body; meaning that each session builds upon the next session as a patients’ energy flow is slowly restored and rebalanced.
Classical Acupuncture pre-dates the Han Dynasty in China, making it at least 2500 years old.
The type and method of Acupuncture utilised in a session, will depend on the exact needs of the patient. This is determined by a diagnosis made from information found in the pulse and on the tongue of the patient.
What I can support you with
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Chronic health issues and degeneration issues
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Anxiety/depression/mental health
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Infertility in men and woman
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Musculoskeletal pain
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Digestive issues
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Autoimmune
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Unresolved emotional issues
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Unresolved childhood emotions
Fee Information
New Patient Consultation
60 minutes, $170
During your first consultation with Karina you will be invited to share what your health needs are, and together with Karina, you will make a treatment plan on how to support you moving towards those goals. Prior to this appointment, you will have received a phone call with Karina where she will introduce herself and have a brief chat with you about what you need, and how she can best support you.​ Upon booking you will receive a confirmation email. Please fill out the new patient online form before your appointment.  Acupuncture will be included in your first appointment (and appointments to follow), and depending on your specific needs, cupping, moxibustion, and herbal medicine may also be included. Any supplements and Chinese herbal medicine required as part of the treatment plan, are an extra cost.​ This appointment is suitable for any general health concerns.
New Patient Fertility Consultation
60 minutes, $170
During your first consultation with Karina you will be invited to share your story and where you are I your fertility journey. Whether you are trying to conceive naturally, or are on an IVF pathway, Karina will meet you wherever you are. Together with Karina, you will make a treatment plan on how to support you moving towards your fertility goals. This plan will outline the number of appointments needed, dietary/lifestyle advice changes, further tests or information needed, and any herbal medicine prescriptions. ​Prior to this appointment, you will have received a phone call with Karina where she will introduce herself and have a brief chat with you about what you need, and how she can best support you. ​Upon booking you will receive a confirmation email. Please fill out the new patient online form before your appointment. ​Acupuncture will be included in your first appointment (and appointments to follow), and depending on your specific needs, cupping, moxibustion, and herbal medicine may also be included. ​Any supplements and Chinese herbal medicine required as part of the treatment plan, are an extra cost. This appointment is suitable for anyone needing help with their fertility.
Standard Follow-up Acupuncture
45 minutes, $115
This appointment is suitable for a follow-up appointment to continue with your treatment plan, whether you are receiving general care, or your are having fertility support. This is also a suitable appointment if you are having an acupuncture tune up after a period of time between treatments. Chinese herbal medicine may be required as part of the treatment plan, which is an extra cost.
Cosmetic Acupuncture
45 minutes, $130
This appointment is suitable for anyone, new or returning, wanting to experience how Acupuncture can support the lift, tone, and overall health of your facial complexion. ​ This appointment begins with a facial gua sha routine, followed by facial acupuncture to help support the hydration, lift and appearance of your skin. ​ There will be other acupuncture points selected on the body to support the entire body as well as the face.
Long Nourishing Acupuncture
60 minutes, $150
This follow up treatment, for returning patients, includes relaxation body massage, acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion. ​Suitable for a follow-up treatment where you have the time and space for a longer and more luxurious treatment. Chinese herbal medicine may be required as part of the treatment plan, which is an extra cost.
