Your Teachers

Elio Basagni is the Principal of ICOM. He has practised and taught Liu He Ba Fa (六合八法) under the guide of the Daoist Master J. W. Shadow since 1993.  He has taught at the International College of Oriental Medicine, where he gained a first class degree in Oriental Medicine/Acupuncture  at the end of a four-year full time course, since 2010. Elio feels part of the movement, defined as Classical Chinese Medicine, led by scholars like Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee, Jeffrey Yuen and dr. Liu Lihong calling for a re-evaluation of Chinese medicine based on focusing on the classics. Elio teaches Chinese Medicine, Personal & Professional Development, STC Course Leader and is a Clinic Supervisor.

Tom Ings is the Director of Studies at ICOM. After graduating in 2007 with a first class honors degree he joined the faculty in 2008 and has been teaching at ICOM ever since. He runs a busy multi-bed community acupuncture clinic in Brighton and also practices in the college. His strong interest is in the psychology of Chinese medicine, in its potential to help patients live more freely and more wisely. It becomes increasingly evident that our state of mind is of paramount importance to our sense of well-being. He is passionate about the possibilities Chinese Medicine has to help in this sphere. Tom teaches across the curriculum including on: Point Location, Chinese Medicine, Practical Clinic and Personal and Professional Development.

Before teaching, Robert Elliott worked for 19 years in NHS medical laboratories in and around London specialising in laboratory haematology and gained a wide knowledge of health and health-related subjects.

In 1980 he became a full-time lecturer in Higher Education, initially teaching medical sciences. Subsequently he moved into the School of Integrated Health at the University of Westminster where he taught health sciences, as well as aspects of research and personal development, to students of alternative and complementary medicine.

Since ‘retiring’ from full-time University work in 2010, Robert has enjoyed being a member of the Faculty at ICOM and teaching Pathophysiology. He also teaches part-time at The London School of Osteopathy and City College of Acupuncture.

Robert teaches Western Medicine (Pathology).

Tony has been practising acupuncture and moxibustion since 2000. He also practises Chinese herbal medicine, shiatsu, and lectures internationally for the Institute of Classics and East Asian Medicine (ICEAM). Since graduating from ICOM in 2000 he has continued to study with leading teachers in the UK, Europe and Japan.This has included training in Manaka style acupuncture as well as Japanese meridian therapy and Korean Hand Acupuncture. Since 2003 he has been a member of the European Branch of the Toyohari association and in 2005 undertook training in Kanpo (Japanese herbalism), followed by further studies in Chinese Herbal medicine, specialising in Shanghan Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue with Arnaud Versluys and the ICEAM. In 2013-4 he completed studies in Internal and External Chinese Medicine with Andrew Nugent-Head. Tony teaches Applied Chinese Medicine, Chinese Medicine and is a Clinic Supervisor.

Deborah Woolf has been in clinical practice and teaching since 2000, gaining her PGCert a year after starting teaching. She has expanded her knowledge and understanding by regular post graduate seminars of various world renowned teachers and acupuncturists, such as Elizabeth Rochat de la Vallee, Peter Firebrace, Bob Flaws, Joan Duveen, Peter van Kervel, Arnaud Versluys, Heiner Fruehauf, Jane Lyttleton and many more. Deborah is particularly interested in Classical Chinese and the Classical Chinese Medicine texts that are the basis of her teaching. In practice she is especially interested in women and children and psycho-emotional issues. Deborah has been lecturing in Chinese Medicine at ICOM for 15 years. She now co-runs and practices as an acupuncturist at a multi-bed Acupuncture clinic and multi-disciplinary complementary medicine practice in Brighton. Deborah teaches Chinese Medicine and Personal & Professional Development.

Suzi Broad originally trained in London as a Beauty and Massage therapist in 1999. She worked in Notting Hill Gate for Aveda as a beauty therapist and went on to study the Vodder Manual Lymphatic drainage technique. In 2002 she moved to Italy where she worked as a massage therapist at a renowned clinic in Florence and after two years at the prestigious boutique hotel Villa Mangiacane, as Spa Manager and Head Therapist. At this time she trained in Hot Stone massage which was extremely popular and worked with local artisan, herbal products. In 2008 she moved back to the UK to embark on her career in Acupuncture. Since graduating from ICOM acupuncture with a First Class BSc (Hons) degree in 2012, Suzi now also works in the ICOM clinic as a practitioner. Suzi teaches Point Location and Chinese Medicine.

Ben Carrigan graduated from ICOM with a First Class BSc (Hons) degree in Acupuncture awarded by Greenwich University. He is a fully certified member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). Having initially studied and practised as a jazz musician, and having garnered 25 years of experience as a session musician and composer, Ben’s fascination with Chinese Medicine and philosophy lead to a change of career. He now runs his own clinic, Acupuncture West London, which is based in Wandsworth, London SW18. Ben teaches the final year module on Practice Management and Development.

Kirsten Germann qualified as an acupuncturist in 1994 after attending the acupuncture course at ICOM. She is a member of the British Acupuncture Council. Since then she has been working at the Eastbourne Clinic of Natural Medicine and at the Chilston Clinic in Tunbridge Wells. She moved her Tunbridge Wells practise to Hamblys in Wadhurst in 2007. She has also been teaching and studying yoga for many years, travelling extensively to India to further her knowledge and is currently working on several charitable projects in South India. In recent years, Kirsten has been part of an Acupuncture Training Program in northern Myanmar (Burma), enabling local traditional doctors to use acupuncture as an effective tool to help their many patients. Kirsten is a Clinic Supervisor.

Prior to studying Acupuncture, Roy Haitzin travelled extensively for 10 years in South America and the Indian subcontinent. Living with, and exposure to, diverse range of indigenous cultures has sparked a long lasting interest in human communication, cultural practices and belief systems. While living in India, Roy was introduced to Chinese medical theory, which led to his enrolment to study at ICOM.  Roy graduated from ICOM in 2008 and has been in practice since then. In 2009, together with a fellow gradate, Roy established the Brighton Multibed Acupuncture Clinic – an affordable community acupuncture clinic in Kemp Town, Brighton. In 2013 Roy joined the Western Medicine faculty at ICOM as the Physiology Course Coordinator and the Anatomy lecturer. Roy teaches Physiology and Anatomy and is a Clinic Supervisor.

Ping Ho was born in a small rural village in the south east of mainland China. She grew up in Hong Kong where Chinese Medicine has been an integral part of people’s lives. As a child, she observed her grandfather using herbs, acupressure and gua sha techniques in treating ailments of his own and his family. Ping moved to the UK in 2003 and later studied at the International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM).  She practises traditional Acupuncture and Chinese tui na massage in Forest Row, East Grinstead and Crawley.  Apart from her private clinics, she also treats cancer patients on their recovery journeys for Macmillan (Queen Victoria Hospital) and The Olive Tree (Crawley Hospital). Ping teaches Point Location.

Galit Hughes was born in Jerusalem, Israel and trained as a Swedish massage therapist there in 1988. From 1990 to 1994 Galit trained to become an Acupuncturist at ICOM, and became a member of the British Acupuncture Council. After graduating she married her British husband, Rob, and had 3 beautiful children, now young adults. From 1995 she taught and practised Acupuncture at MEDICINE Acupuncture College in Tel-Aviv. Currently Galit teaches Acupuncture at ICOM and runs acupuncture clinics from Horam Natural Therapy Centre, Gaia Natural Health and ICOM as well as facilitating Inner Guidance workshop and one-to-one sessions from her home studio and via video calls. Galit is the author of  ‘Baby Massage – A Comprehensive Step-by Step Guide’, published in 2000.

She is also a qualified Hypnotherapist, a Kundalini Yoga teacher, Inner Dance and Inner Guidance Facilitator and Access Bar Practitioner. She has been dancing since a very young age and did a GCSE in classical and modern dance. As well as teaching belly dance for many years, she now incorporates dance and movement in her workshops. Galit is a Clinic Supervisor at ICOM.

Rick Mudie has worked in natural health since 1997. He has a BSc degree from Edinburgh University, were he studied Psychology and Anthropology, and a BSc (Hons) in Oriental Medicine from Brighton University. In 1997 he began studying anatomy and physiology, completed a two-year diploma in therapeutic and remedial massage and started treating people, in a small clinic in Edinburgh.In 2000 Rick moved south to study acupuncture at ICOM and in 2004, after graduation, Rick started Sussex Acupuncture to provide high quality, traditional, acupuncture within Sussex and the South-East. From 2004 to 2008 he worked alongside Pauline van Buren, in her home clinic. Regularly sitting in with Pauline’s patients, Rick really began to understand the depth and power of Wu-Xing (Five-Element) diagnosis and treatment, and the value of Chinese pulse taking. At this same time, from 2005 to 2010, Rick worked within a tier 2, substance misuse, setting in London, treating vulnerable patients with a variety of mental health and substance misuse issues. There he trained in the NADA protocol. Since 2010 he has been working part-time as an acupuncture consultant at The Agora Gynaecology and Fertility Centre, in Hove. He currently works there 2 days a week and has general acupuncture practices in Brighton and Lewes. Rick teaches Applied Chinese Medicine, Personal and Professional Development and is a Clinic Supervisor.

Jinal Shah is a Clinic Supervisor and teaches and practises in the ICOM Acupuncture Clinic as well as running a private acupuncture and bodywork practice in London. He has over 15 years experience as an acupuncturist, over 17 years as a massage therapist and has been a lecturer in various subjects (including Applied Chinese Medicine, Point Location and Massage) at ICOM for over 14 years. He has previously worked in an NHS clinic in London. After initially training at ICOM Jinal has done further studies and training in China as well as around Europe and the UK. He is trained in and pursues the Classical tradition based on the Huang di Nei jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon). Jinal is also an avid meditator and practices Dao Yin and Qi Gong and is interested in Yoga and ancient Indian philosophies.  Jinal teaches Applied Chinese Medicine, Personal and Professional Development and is a Clinic Supervisor.