About The Practitioner Hub
About Our Mission
The Practitioner Hub at the Northern College of Acupuncture provides online and in-person professional development for acupuncturists. We support practitioners in sustaining their practice and fostering academic and spiritual growth. Our goal is to enhance the experience of new practitioners and engage experienced ones in continuing development. We emphasize high standards of intellectual rigor, critical thinking, compassion, and mutual respect. We also celebrate diversity among our members, teachers, and the methodologies taught.
Getting to know our team
Hannah Swift
What do you think about acupuncture?
Acupuncture is unusually multi-layered as a field of study so it feels like it will be interesting to learn some aspects of acupuncture or East Asian medicine for the rest of my life. It’s just really cool, it’s so amazing as a medicine.
What do you enjoy about being part of the Practitioner Hub?
I enjoy feeling that people are able to come together as a community. I enjoy meeting practitioners who practice in very different ways to each other. It’s a great opportunity to work with a great team and use our imaginations to combine different ideas and learning styles and traditions.
Favourite cake?
Flapjack with grated ginger.
What do you like to do on a weekend?
I like to explore new places and go swimming in wild water and go to live music events and do some painting.
Tom Laverick
What do you think about acupuncture?
I think it’s amazing to be honest, I was amazed when I had it for hayfever because I was miserably suffering with hay fever. I went to see Cheng at the NCA, and since then I’ve never had nose bleeds during the summer. I think it’s really relaxing as well as you’re forced to just mellow out for twenty minutes.
What do you enjoy about being part of the Practitioner Hub?
I like that it’s a collaborative way to enhance what the NCA does already. We’re providing ways to support people to develop their skills so that they can grow as practitioners, to provide better healthcare and service to people. We’re helping to lift practitioners up.
Favourite cake?
Victoria sponge.
What do you like to do on a weekend?
Relax and go with the flow! If it’s a nice day I like to go to Dalby forest, nice walks in nature, walking along the old Filey brig.
James Aston
What do you think about acupuncture?
I am really drawn to the cultural, social, and political history of Acupuncture. Understanding China through acupuncture and TCM would be a wonderfully insightful journey. Plus, a good excuse to revisit Shaw Brothers martial arts films to see where examples pop up!
What do you enjoy about being part of the Practitioner Hub?
The opportunity to learn about new things in accessible ways and to use that knowledge in practical terms has been invaluable so far in my first year at the NCA.
Favourite cake?
Jaffa Cake. Is it a cake? Is it a biscuit? Who cares, they’re delicious!
What do you like to do on a weekend?
Mainly solitary activities such as exercising and reading and wife and daughter quality time watching films, walking our two labradors, drinking in pubs, and binge watching TV. And absolutely no DIY!
