Katherine Murphy R.Ac
Katherine (she/her) is a gentle, whimsical human.
Her primary inspiration in her clinical practice comes from what your body has to say on every given day. One of her favorite parts of being a practitioner is listening to the unspoken language of the body. She uses mind's eye images, the felt sense of resonances and internal dialogue with your different tissue layers as some of her initial diagnostic tools. She has a strong channel based acupuncture approach, with a focus on restoring the health of tissues and structures along your channels.
In addition to the deep intuitive work that she does, Katherine’s practice is informed through Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on-going study in Neijing Nature Based Medicine (NNBM) through the Apricot Grove, and multidisciplinary bodywork study with Malcolm Clark. Her background includes a decade of customer service and management working in restaurants; many years training capoeira and running competitive track and field; a lifetime of dancing and endless delighted hours in the kitchen.
Her primary practice is currently at Hemma Community Acupuncture, where she is passionate about providing accessible healthcare in an affordable communal setting. Her solo private practice is located at Little Bird Farm.
She was born on Southern Vancouver Island on the unceded lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋín̓əŋ speaking peoples (Victoria.) Her ancestors come from Ireland, England, Germany and the Norse lands. She now gratefully makes her home on W̱SÁNEĆ lands at the base of ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱, in the very special Mount Newton Valley.
She raises chickens, grows medicinal herbs, tends a hive of honey bees, and delights in the small pleasures of life. She is most grounded when her bare feet are connected to the earth, whether in the soil of the garden, on a shady forest path or in the saltiness of the ocean. Her primary work in this lifetime is to re-weave, re-root and re-learn ancient ways of being. She does this through on-going relationship with her ancestors, plant allies, the weather, her animal kin and land-spirits.
Katherine has immense gratitude for the many teachers and mentors in her life. The ones who have had the greatest influence on her style of practice are Malcolm Clark, Kristin Schnurr, Edward Neal, Aditti Holden, DJ Steel, and Micheal Hall. Equally important to who she is as a practitioner are Hayley Rosenberg and Natasha Richardson, who guided, supported and challenged her as needed throughout her time in their respective organizations. She acknowledges and gives thanks to the many wise ancestors who have come before her in this
lineage of Chinese Medicine as well as her own lineages of blood and bone.