Dr Simon J Feeney – Physician in Classical Chinese Medicine
Empirical Health’s Director, Simon Feeney continues to pursue his lifelong passion for the study of Traditional Medicine under a Theravadin Buddhist Monk, who has been guiding his learning for the past 20 years. Simon’s commitment to fusing ancient knowledge with contemporary insight inspired his formal studies in Melbourne, Australia at the Southern School of Natural Therapies, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Traditional Chinese Acupuncture.
Along with his studies in the classical Chinese Medicine works of the Han Dynasty (200BC) and the refined art of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Simon is also a trained Bowen Therapist. Having studied intensively under one of Melbourne’s leading Chinese Medicine gynaecologists, he has a special interest in chronic conditions, internal medicine, sub-clinical health and other ‘hard to treat’ conditions.
For the last 20 years, Simon has been working closely with his teacher to understand a number of scriptures from Burma (now called Myanmar). These writings, dating as far back as 500 AD, largely pertain to monastic order as well as ancient medical knowledge and further underpin Simon’s dedication to preserving the integrity of the ancient ways for modern application and translation. Simon has travelled extensively through Thailand and Myanmar in documenting these texts and assisting in the preservation of this essential ancient knowledge to understand, use, and appreciate in the modern world.
Simon has completed an extensive post-graduate education including a specialist course in Canonical Chinese Medicine under the international acclaimed educator and physician Dr Arnaud Versluys PhD director of Institute of Classical East Asian Medicine (ICEAM). He is a member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society as well as a Registered member of Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency (AHPRA).
His extensive knowledge as an herbalist came from him spending endless hours working through ancient texts identifying doses of various herbs, deciphering and translating those that were successfully used centuries ago into modern applications, yet have been largely lost in modern times. His growing prominence has now extended from Chinese Medicine physicians to also include a number of veterinarians who have sought out formulas for use in their animal clinics.
Simon’s life journey and his long standing passion for helping people has also involved him with a non-profit organisation and temple that will help build a library to hold rare and ancient manuscripts.