Welcome to Health Connect Shen

Dr Nicola Macdonald (Chinese Medicine) has recently moved from Phillip Island where she owned and operated Safflower Chinese Medicine clinic from July 2019 until December 2021. Prior to that she had a lengthy and successful stint leading another Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine clinic in Brisbane.

For a long time, Safflower Clinic, previously a part of Health Connect Shen, has been the main Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic on Phillip Island, offering the highest quality support to its valued client community.

Dr Nicola has recently moved to Gravelly Beach, located just 28 kilometres north-west of Launceston, and has spent several weeks working with Sarah George Acupuncture. Dr Sarah is a long term colleague and friend of Dr Nicola’s and they have previously worked, collaborated and studied together.

Dr Nicola is taking over the lease at the House of Prana and will be operating from 2 treatment rooms from early January 2022. Dr Sarah will be working from Peppermint Cottage at Invermay from early January.

Our clients are literally from the full spectrum of the life span. We see babies through to the wise elders of the community. They visit us for a variety of reasons and our professional and highly experienced practitioners like to support you with anything you have that you want to change.

Dr Nicola has specialist interest and extensive experience in women’s health and fertility as well as pain management and has adopted a general practice approach to delivering Traditional Chinese Medicine. Being based in a rural location recently has meant being purpose fit to the community because we see people from all walks of life with all range of health concerns and wellbeing goals that they seek our assistance with.

With 22 years of clinical experience and a reliable reputation, Dr Nicola knows her clients regularly choose Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dr Nicola has always been able to build trust with her local communities and visitors alike.

In the future Health Connect Shen will evolve to include Health and Wellness Retreats at Gravelly Beach on the Tamar River, and larger international retreats which will follow Dr Nicola’s vision of supporting you.

The primary purpose of Health Connect Shen is to offer a diverse range of solutions, while continuing to deliver high quality support for all our clients. Health Connect Shen is currently able to offer Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Yoga, Qi Gong and massage therapy, which supports Dr Nicola to provide you with a tailored treatment plan to help you to achieve optimum health and wellbeing for the long term.

Meet Dr Nicola Macdonald (Chinese Medicine)

With a life long interest in health and wellbeing, owner and Director at Health Connect Shen, Nicola Macdonald has been in clinical practice as a Chinese Medicine Practitioner, supporting clients all over the world, for more than two decades.

She was led to Chinese Medicine by a chance encounter while living in London and before long found herself studying in Sydney on her return home to Australia. Nicola’s training included a treasured six months working in China where she refined her skills and gleaned valuable wisdom and expertise from well regarded masters.

Nicola managed her own successful private practice in Sydney before accepting an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ to work for Canyon Ranch Spa Club on the Queen Mary 2.

After a five year adventure on the high seas treating and educating people on the benefits of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Nicola returned to Australia at the end of 2008. She then worked at an Acupuncture IVF Support Clinic in Maroubra, Sydney, until relocating to Brisbane in 2009. In Brisbane Nicola took up the role of Senior Acupuncturist at the Acupuncture and Natural Therapy Centre West End.

In June 2009 Nicola opened Acupuncture Emporium, operating from two locations: West End and Indigo Health for Mind & Body at Mount Gravatt. In January 2013 Nicola purchased the Acupuncture and Natural therapy Centre from Phil Vanderzeil and has continued his legacy to provide the community with an excellent complementary health clinic.

Nicola’s philosophy is focused on really listening to clients so as to give them time to share their health concerns. Nicola has found, over her multiple decades of experience, that empathy and compassion is key to effective practice that supports clients to achieve optimal results.

Continuing professional education is also imperative to keep abreast of the latest research and innovations in both Allied Health and Western Medicine. Nicola’s passion is ‘to bring this Ancient Medicine into the Modern world’.

When she's not in Clinic with her fabulous clients you can find Nicola taking time to explore the beautiful area where she lives in Launceston, Tasmania. She'll either be at the beach, heading to a yoga class, in depth in learning about health, wellbeing and leading retreats, cooking up a storm or refining her new love, singing!

Nicola plans to begin hosting her own retreats in the near future so be sure to check back here soon or to follow the clinic on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest on her adventures and offers.

Nicola's Special interest areas:
• reproductive system including hormonal balancing, fertility, pregnancy care and after birth management
• treating children of all ages (starting from 6 months)
• acute viral infections, auto-immune disorders and long-term unresolved allergies and migraines
• digestive disorders and pain
• mental health concerns such as stress and anxiety related conditions

Nicola is a certified 350-hour yoga teacher with Yoga Australia in Hatha yoga with extra certifications in kids yoga, prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra. Nicola opened Yoga Connect Shen in July 2018 in Brisbane and will be bringing the studio to San Remo in the near future.

Nicola's Professional Qualifications and Training:
• Masters of Health Science in Chinese Medicine 2016
• Yoga Australia certified 350-hour yoga teacher
• Graduated with High Distinctions in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1999
• Completed an Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Intern at Nanjing 1st Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, China, in 2000
• Certified in Advanced Constitutional Facial Renewal Acupuncture (Mary Elizabeth Wakefield)
• Certified in Level 1 and 2 Acutonics (Donna Carey)

AHPRA Registered CMR0001710922