Roots and Wings: Supporting Emotional Development and Treating Emotional Challenges in Children and Teens with Chinese Medicine
Roots and Wings: Supporting Emotional Development and Treating Emotional Challenges in Children and Teens with Chinese Medicine
Despite a rich tradition of pediatrics in Chinese Medicine, young people today are among the least likely to benefit from our powerful medicine. This 3 day workshop is designed to change that.
Our 3 days together will enable you to take our extraordinary medicine to those who need it most. As well as transforming the lives of young people, it will transform your practice. Treating young people can reignite your passion for the medicine and deepen your clinical fulfilment.
Over 3 days, we’ll take a deep dive into the treatment of mental-emotional conditions—the very challenges that most often bring young people into our clinics. According to the WHO (2024), one in five children and adolescents globally experience a mental health condition, yet nearly two-thirds receive no treatment or support. Chinese Medicine offers some of the most effective tools
available, and we have a critical role to play in this global crisis.
DATE: October 1st - October 3rd, 2027
TIME: Day 1: 12 PM - 6 PM
Day 2: 9AM - 5 PM
Day 3: 9 AM - 4 PM
LOCATION: Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Toronto Campus - 483 Queen St W, 3rd Floor, Toronto M5V 2A9
Fee Schedule:
Regular Course Fee: $1000
Early Bird Course Fee: $900 early bird pricing if payment is made by August 1, 2027
TCMO Member Pricing: $900
OCTCM Student Course Fee: please email toronto@octcm.com (limited spots)
*Prices are subject to 13% HST. HST is not included in the prices listed above.
Here's what we will cover:
Clinical Focus: Treatment of Common Conditions
Anxiety
Depression
Self-harm
OCD
Disordered eating
Difficult puberty and adolescent transitions
Diagnostic and treatment frameworks
TCM patterns
5 Phase Constitution
8 Extraordinary Vessel pathologies
Luo vessel pathologies
In-Depth Exploration of Key Questions
How does Chinese Medicine understand adolescent changes? What happens when this developmental stage is disrupted, and how can we support realignment through treatment?
What are the 21st century ‘internal’ and ‘external’ causes of disease for older children and teens?
How are emotions understood in Chinese Medicine? Why do they become dysregulated, and how can we help restore balance?
Directing our treatment to the right level: Wei, Ying/Blood or Yuan?
How do we engage monosyllabic teens in the clinic and build strong therapeutic relationships?
Hands-On Techniques and Modalities
Gentle, child-friendly needling techniques
Chinese herbal medicine
Modified pediatric tuina for teens
Child-appropriate moxibustion and cupping methods
Essential oil point therapy
Laser acupuncture
This is more than just a seminar—it's a movement toward empowering the next generation through one of the world's oldest healing systems. If you're ready to expand your scope, enhance your skills, and bring healing where it’s needed most, we invite you to join us in Toronto in October 2027.
Instructor Biography
Rebecca Avern BA (Hons), Lic. Ac; Dip. Paed. Ac; FBAcC
Rebecca Avern is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities in Chinese Medicine pediatrics. With over 25 years of clinical experience, she has dedicated her practice exclusively to treating children and teenagers. Based in Oxford, UK, she is the founder of two specialist pediatric acupuncture clinics, including one that provides affordable treatment to ensure broader access to care.
Rebecca is the author of three influential books: Acupuncture for Babies, Children and Teenagers; Chinese Medicine for Childhood Anxiety and Depression and A Practical Guide to Pediatric Acupuncture.
A passionate educator, Rebecca teaches pediatrics across the UK, online, and internationally. She is celebrated for her warm, clear, and engaging teaching style—one that consistently inspires practitioners to begin working with young people, even those who had never considered it before.
Rebecca is also the founder of the Hub of Pediatric Acupuncture (HOPA), a global online community dedicated to supporting practitioners in treating children. Through this initiative, she continues her mission to make Chinese Medicine more accessible to the next generation—ensuring more children benefit from its profound healing potential.
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