All about fertile ground

Natural therapies for health

Susan Horrocks MBAcC MRCHM

About me

Hello, and welcome to my website. My name is Susan Horrocks and I established Fertile Ground more than 27 years ago after graduating from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (LSTCA) and the School of Chinese Herbal Medicine.

When I set up Fertile Ground, I wanted to create a caring and supportive environment for treating women’s health problems, especially for those who are having difficulty conceiving or carrying a baby to term.

For me, Chinese medicine,, with its ‘energetic’ view of life, its description of how different parts and aspects of the mind and body relate, and its unique treatment methods, offers an effective, personal, and compassionate method of supporting health and treating illnesses..

I have always been interested in health, especially the relationship between mind and body, and how, with a little encouragement, our bodies are able to heal themselves.

I love what I do and consider myself very fortunate to work in such a fascinating and rewarding field.

Qualifications & memberships

At the time I decided to study Chinese medicine, there were no degree courses in the subject. In fact my course at the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine was accredited for and became the Westminster University degree course in, the year I qualified

I studied herbs at the School of Chinese Herbal Medicine under two luminaries of the herbal world, Michael McIntyre and Mazin al Khafaji.

I have clinical practice certificates in both acupuncture and herbal medicine from Nanjing University’s foreign student program

I also have ITEC certificates in diet and nutrition.

Perhaps most importantly, however, I have over 27 years of experience.

I am a member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) and the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM)

As a member of these professional bodies, I do many hours of mandatory continuing professional development every year. Although it’s mandatory, I actually do it because it’s fascinating!

Working with you

The most important thing about my practice is establishing a working partnership with my patients . This is your health, and what you do and what you think about it is just as important as anything I can do to support you.

I think it’s really helpful to have a brief chat before you make an appointment so you can get a feel for whether we would work well together. It also gives me the opportunity to tell you whether I think I can help.

My approach is always ‘holistic’ – that is, focused on you and everything that affects your health, from your environment and stress, to diet, sleep and exercise. And because you are not like anyone else, your treatment too will be unique to you.

If you’re coming for fertility issues and have been trying to get pregnant for quite a while, or you’re starting to think about IVF it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, lost and adrift, I would want to help you get back on track and if at all possible, get pregnant naturally

Call me if you’d like to book in for a treatment, or, if you’d like a little more time to talk things through and explore your options, why not book in for a half hour ‘nice cup of tea and a chat’.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Your first visit

When you come for treatment, at your first visit, I will ask you loads of questions about your condition, your general health, health history and anything that may run in the family. I’ll look at your tongue and take your pulses – an important part of Chinese diagnosis, It’s also important for me to hear about your worries and concerns.

All this information together paints a picture of you, your energetic strengths and weaknesses and the energetic ‘pattern’ of your health and points to a diagnosis.

Once I’ve reached a diagnosis, we can discuss the best treatment options and make a treatment plan. I might recommend single therapies or a combination. Together we may choose acupuncture, and/or herbal medicine,or combine them with any of a range of other techniques.

Many, or even most, of my patients arrive with a western diagnosis, so although Chinese medicine has its own unique way of diagnosing conditions, it’s important that I also understand your western diagnosis and blood test results and the drugs you may be taking.

If you’d like to have a short chat to find out more or make a booking, please give me a call.