The first visit is a complete Chinese medicine consultation and treatment session.

I assess your situation using traditional Four Diagnostic Methods — observing, listening/smelling, asking, and palpation. This includes a detailed consultation, often beyond main symptom, to understand the underlying pattern.

The session may include:

• • thorough questions about sleep, digestion, energy, stress, urination and bowel movements, and other body signals
• • tongue observation and pulse diagnosis
• • palpation when needed
• • treatment in the same session (usually acupuncture, with additional methods when appropriate)
• • personalised aftercare suggestions

Some Dutch insurers reimburse acupuncture / Chinese medicine through supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering). Whether this applies depends on your insurer and your specific policy.

Chinese Wellbeing Center is affiliated with NBCG-Yi, which is recognised by many insurers for complementary care reimbursement.

Please note that herbal products are generally not reimbursed.

To avoid surprises, I recommend checking your reimbursement conditions with your insurer before booking.

Link for overview of current reimbursements →

Most people find acupuncture very tolerable. The needles are extremely thin.

In my clinic, needle sizes usually range from 0.12 mm (very fine) to 0.35 mm (slightly thicker), depending on the treatment area and what is needed.

You may feel a brief prick when needle is inserted, followed by sensations such as heaviness, warmth, tingling, or a dull ache.

Occasionally, there may be a tiny drop of blood when a needle is removed, which can lead to a small bruise. This is normal and usually disappears within a few days.

Yes.

All acupuncture needles are single-use, sterile and disposable, and are opened in front of you during the session.

For manual therapy tools (such as cups and gua sha tools), strict hygiene procedures are followed:

They are cleaned and disinfected carefully after each use, in line with professional practice standards.

For each client, I also use disposable treatment table paper, and towels used for covering are changed daily.

When performed by a qualified practitioner, acupuncture is generally considered a safe treatment method.

I work with sterile, single-use needles and apply techniques appropriate to your condition.

As with any physical treatment, mild reactions can occasionally happen — such as temporary soreness, light dizziness, or small bruising — and these usually resolve quickly.

Please always inform me in advance if you are pregnant, might be pregnant, or if you are currently receiving medical treatment or taking prescription medication.

In China, it is very common to combine Chinese medicine and Western medicine — especially for complex, chronic, or long-term conditions. Many people benefit from an integrated approach, where different methods support different aspects of recovery.

This depends on your condition and how long it has been present. In most cases, I recommend a course of at least 3–5 sessions.

Treatment is usually approached in three stages:

• • Initial treatment — to address main imbalance and start body's response
• • Body response & adjustment — refining the approach based on how your body reacts
• • Stabilisation — consolidating results and supporting longer-term improvement

After cupping or gua sha, it is normal to see temporary marks on the skin.

These marks are related to surface tissue response and microcirculation (sometimes appearing as superficial bruising or petechiae). The colour and intensity vary a lot — and they can offer useful clues about the area being treated.

What different colours may suggest