Jess Strachan

Acupuncturist & Herbalist

Jess graduated from RMIT University with a double degree in Health Science and Applied Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine, complementing her longstanding practice through her diploma of Shiatsu bodywork.   Jess has experience working with people who live with embodied trauma or have diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She combines Traditional East Asian medicine practices from Japan and China, alongside Polyvagal Theory to support patients who not only experience the mental and emotional difficulties of trauma, but also the flow on embodied experiences such as changes to sleep, gastrointestinal disturbances, gynaecological changes and pain. Working in collaboration with CoHealth's Victims Assistance Program Jess has experience in treating victims and survivors of crime in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs and is also the resident body-based practitioner at the Western Region Centre Against Sexual Assault (WestCASA) collaborating with counsellors to support survivors of sexual assault. She believes in the importance of combining talk therapy with body-focused treatments for patients with PTSD and other mental health conditions and is an advocate for collaborative medicine with general practitioners, specialists and other allied health care providers.   Jess first encountered Chinese medicine as a young child when she broke out in psoriasis which covered her entire abdomen. With many attempts over the years to treat her skin, she finally met with a Chinese Medicine Doctor in Altona who was able to treat the condition using Chinese Herbs, diet and lifestyle alterations.   Through lived experience she understands the importance of time and education when treating dermatological conditions, the ups and downs of skin flares and the challenges of dietary and lifestyle alterations that patients experience.   Jess’ broad based approach to a wide range of ailments and experiences draws on the diverse training she has pursued and the community which she treats. She aims to understand each individual and their history to tailor focused and responsive treatment to meet each person’s needs and objectives.