LGBTQIA+ Health
Good healthcare principles are universal – listening, understanding, and treating the whole person. Where my approach adapts is in recognising how being part of the LGBTQIA+ community can shape your experiences, your health needs, and your comfort accessing care.
For many LGBTQIA+ people, finding a health professional who actually gets it, someone who doesn’t make assumptions, uses your language, and treats your identity as a normal part of the conversation rather than something to tiptoe around, can be surprisingly hard to find. That shouldn’t be the case, and in my clinic it’s the baseline.
I’m a queer practitioner, and I built my practice with this community in mind. Your identity, your relationships, and your experiences are welcomed here. Whether your visit is directly related to your sexuality or gender, or has nothing to do with it at all, you’ll receive the same thoughtful, individualised care.
More Than a Rainbow Sticker
Inclusive care goes deeper than language and pronouns (though those matter too). It means understanding that LGBTQIA+ people can face specific health challenges, from the physical effects of hormone therapy to the mental health impacts of navigating systems that weren’t designed with you in mind. It means knowing that some members of the community have had negative experiences in healthcare settings, and that those experiences shape how easily you ask for help.
In Chinese Medicine, treatment is always holistic. I look at the whole person: physical health, emotional wellbeing, lifestyle, and the environment you live in. Your sexuality and gender are part of that picture. They inform how I understand your health needs without dictating your treatment. Two people with the same symptoms will still receive individualised care based on their own patterns.
What’s different in my clinic is that you don’t have to explain yourself, educate your practitioner, or wonder whether you’ll be understood. That groundwork is already done.
Support for Trans and Gender Diverse Patients
For trans and gender diverse patients, care is tailored to wherever you are in your journey. There’s no single path, and your treatment plan will reflect your individual needs, goals, and circumstances.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can be used to support:
- Mental and emotional wellbeing during times of change
- Side effects from hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Pre- and post-operative recovery
- Scar tissue management following surgery, with the aim of supporting comfort and mobility
- General resilience and balance during physically or emotionally demanding times
If you’re exploring gender-affirming care, currently undergoing treatment, or years into your transition and looking for ongoing health support, you’re welcome here at any stage. Treatment is always respectful, guided by your priorities, and adapted to your comfort level.
What Treatment Looks Like
Your first appointment is a conversation. I’ll ask about your health, your concerns, and your goals. You set the pace for what you’re comfortable discussing, and nothing is assumed. From there, I’ll put together a treatment plan that fits your needs.
Treatment may include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and practical lifestyle guidance. Depending on your presentation, techniques like cupping or moxibustion may also be used. Everything is explained before it happens, and your consent and comfort are the priority at every stage.
You can read more about specific areas of care on the pages that feel most relevant to you, including mental health, sexual health, skin health, fertility support, and pain management. All of these pages reflect the same inclusive approach described here.
Working With Your Other Practitioners
I work collaboratively with GPs, psychologists, endocrinologists, surgeons, and other health professionals involved in your care. If you’re receiving gender-affirming treatment, acupuncture can sit alongside that without conflict. If you need referrals to LGBTQIA+ affirming practitioners in other fields, I can help with that too.
Your care should feel connected, coordinated, and centred on you.
Looking for a Practitioner Who Gets It?
If you’ve been looking for a safe, affirming space for your health and wellbeing, my clinic is here for you. I practice from Zhong Centre in St Kilda, Melbourne.