International Diploma for Medical Acupuncture and Dry Needling for Voice and Swallowing

9th October – 12th October 2025

Tower House, The Strand, Bideford EX39 2ND

Join us in bringing acupuncture into the 21st century with a relational approach to Voice Therapy, Voice Swallowing and OroMyoFunctional Therapy. In this workshop, you will learn to work with the person under the needles, as well as the techniques, to offer a more comprehensive therapeutic experience.

From Oct 9-12, 2025, delve into the world of Medical Acupuncture, Dry Needling, and Trigger Point Massage and enhance your therapy practice. This workshop is designed specifically for speech therapists, physios, osteopaths and manual therapists specialising in Voice, Swallowing and OroMyoFunctional disorders. 

Learn about different types of trigger points, the acupressure masterpoints for voice therapy, dry needling techniques for major muscle groups, and specific needling for muscles related to voice and swallowing.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to enhance your therapy practice

Day 1

  • Introduction to the course and differences in terminology used in the UK, USA, Netherlands, and Belgium
  • Overview of safety, insurance, and legal aspects of acupuncture/dry needling in the UK
  • Chinese Acupuncture: Energy, Qi, Seasons, and Elements
  • Medical Acupuncture: Chinese Acupuncture + Western Anatomy
  • DNIC (Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control) and CPM (Conditioned Pain Modulation)
  • Trigger Points Theory and Application 1: History, Types of Trigger Points, and Practical searching for trigger points in the Traps, SCM’s, TMJ complex, including the temporal artery

Day 2

  • Safety and Basic Application of Needling for Voice, Swallowing, and OMFT Conditions
  • Acupuncture Overview for big muscles – Traps, TMJ complex, suboccipitals, SCM, and supraspinatus region (inclusive of Omohyoid)
  • Review Anatomy
  • Safety and Contraindications for Acupuncture/Dry Needling
  • Needle safety
  • Traps – 4 in a pattern (2 either side) last one use with TrP search
  • TMJ complex; Masseter and Temporalis (Parotid)

Day 3

  • Advanced Needling for Voice, Swallowing, and OMFT
  • Stimulation Techniques and Practice
  • Overview of Useful Acupuncture Points for Voice, Swallowing, and OMFT Conditions
  • Acupuncture points related to voice
  • Safety First

Day 4

  • Introduction to the VOCAL Protocol
  • Learning the points, especially selected and compiled for the use of voice, swallowing and OMFT conditions.

Caroline Van Looy

Caroline is a respected Speech Therapist from Belgium, having graduated from the University of Louvain with a Master in Speech Therapy and Audiology in 1998.

For the past 25 years, she has specialised in treating people with Voice Problems and attended several postgraduate training programs in London, Europe and online. Caroline attended the postgraduate training program in Voice Problems from 2018-2019 at Thomas More, in Belgium. Her areas of expertise include manual therapy, osteopathic techniques, taping, cupping, dry needling and other therapeutic modalities to help people with vocal issues.

In addition to her impressive qualifications and continuing education, Caroline is a teacher of manual therapy, and is renowned for her commitment to the development of her colleagues and her warm, nurturing personality.

Stephen King

As a thought leader in the voice health sector, Stephen has been responsible for creating the Voice Care model in the UK, enabling greater access to private voice therapy services from a biopsychosocial perspective. As a Co – Founder of the not for profit Vocal Health Education, he has overseen the education of over 2,000 externally accredited Vocal Health First Aiders and several industry leading Voice Rehabilitation Specialists. As an author, Stephen has co-written Help! I’ve Got A Voice Problem, with further academic articles published in peer reviewed journals.

Within his role as a manual therapy educator, Stephen has delivered masterclasses and seminars across Europe, China and Japan, as well as having written and delivered the UK’s only intensive vocal massage training qualification. Stephen currently sits as the Director of London’s award winning, multidisciplinary Voice Care Centre, where he still occasionally gives treatments to people with voice problems seeking biopsychosocial management of their ongoing issues.  

Location:
Tower House, The Strand, Bideford EX39 2ND
Timings:
9am – 3pm
Accommodation:
There is no accommodation provided for this course, however, we do have a list of Air BnB hosts and small bed and breakfasts who we work with, so please do ask.
Price:
£980 (payment plans available)
£890 before June 2025
Number of places:
8
Required Reading:
Relational Acupuncture for Voice Professionals, available here
Book your place here!

Cancellation policy as per terms and conditions.