Rachel Millsted
Psychotherapist
Acupuncturist
Rachel practices dance movement psychotherapy, acupuncture and runs our Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses here at SafeHaven. Before becoming a psychotherapist and acupuncturist, Rachel studied for a degree in psychology, volunteering for Saneline (the Mental Health Helpline) whilst studying. She also wrote her undergraduate dissertation for publication and it was published in the ‘Women’s International Forum’ journal. After graduating, Rachel worked within the NHS in the Mental Health sector as a Social Therapist at Ashworth Hopsital and Primary Care Graduate Mental Health worker at Salford Primary Care Trust. Rachel trained at the University of Salford for a three year, full time degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture) which gave her a sound grounding in western anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine. Wanting to study acupuncture in its homeland, she travelled to China and completed post-graduate training at the prestigious Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, China. Graduating from the University of Salford in 2007, she has been practising acupuncture ever since.
Rachel is a fully licensed member and registered member of the British Acupuncture Council (the main regulatory body of acupuncture in the UK) and as such follows a strict Code of Practice. She holds full insurance.
Rachel has lectured at the Northern College of Acupuncture. During the 3 years that she taught, she was promoted to the role of Stream Leader for Personal and Practitioner Development on their BSc and MSc Acupuncture courses. To further her development as a lecturer, Rachel gained a Certificate in Higher Education from UCLan which afforded her associate membership of the Higher Education Academy.
After finding great personal benefit from practicing mindfulness meditation, Rachel wished to share this with others. She has studied to become a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society which is part of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She teaches mindfulness workshops, 8 week MBSR courses and individually tailored programmes in the community and for the workplace.
Rachel’s interest in psychology has continued throughout her time as an acupuncturist and in particular, how acupuncture can benefit people experiencing stress and trauma. She has completed introductory training in Somatic Experiencing and in acupuncture approaches to treating trauma. As of September 2017, she is studying for an MA in Dance Movement Psychotherapy at the University of Derby.
