Katherine Berry

I am an Australian Acupuncturist with a special interest in chemical dependence and mental health disorders.

I started my training in Sydney in 1995 and later finished my degree at Victoria University in Melbourne in 2000. Studying at two major teaching institutes gave me an opportunity to get to know some of Australia leading practitioners, which I feel grateful for. After graduating, I spent several months working and traveling in China, gaining certificates of advanced clinical practice from Dalian and Shen Yang teaching hospitals.

In Australia, AOM is growing rapidly in its popularity and broad application. Women’s health in particular has seen a massive uptake, which is being supported by private health insurance incentives and excellent research coming out of a university and hospital based in South Australia. With this growth, AOM practitioners are tending to specialize more…

Human behavior fascinates me, which is why I find drugs so interesting…. Why can some people use them and be totally fine and others behave like lunatics? And why can some people use them recreationally & frequently, while others develop problems or dependence?

I have worked with a broad range of people with chemical dependence issues who teach me about the complexities of life, love, loss and pain. And trying to heal and find self-worth amongst chaos, trauma and often shame… Acupuncture can be an excellent tool to help someone through these processes.

My work for a number of years has centered on training GPs and allied health professionals to better understand drug and alcohol issues in the hope that this will enhance their clinical practice. My vision has been to one day apply this to the AOM field and having met the Rootdown team in 2007 while visiting the USA, with their help this has finally come into fruition.

On a personal note, I am currently traveling around the world meeting acupuncturists and traditional healers. I am currently in Buenos Aires, Argentina!