Reverence Story provides women moving through conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and mothering the well rounded and multidimensional support you require to thrive.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in Richmond, Melbourne

AMY O’BRIEN of REVERENCE STORY

Acupuncture. Chinese Medicine.

I offer care and support that’s tailored to your particular story. As we work together you’ll begin to understand the layers of your current experience and how to ripple positive change.

I offer forward thinking care to intentionally prepare you for what’s ahead.

You’ll fell seen and heard. Clear and resourced. And held along every step of the way.

Comprehensive Care & Support for:

Fertility, TTC & IVF

Pregnancy Sickness & Hyperemesis

Maternal Burnout

I provide Online, In Home, In Clinic and Small Group support.

To remove as many barriers as possible and make reaching for support easier.

Sometimes when you most need the help, it seems the most difficult to reach for. So I’ll come to you. Or you can come to the clinic. We can jump online and talk things through. You can come to small group sessions too.

In every format I bring knowledge, compassion, experience and fresh perspective. If we’re face-to-face, I’ll have my pins and herbs too.

Together we will set you up for an informed, supported experience. We’ll pave the way for expansive and grounded transition years.

Reverence Story is the creation of Amy O’Brien - Melbourne based Chinese Herbalist, Acupuncturist, Birth Support Person and Motherhood Studies Practitioner.

I studied women’s health for 10 years. I have 16 years clinical experience working in women’s and maternal health. And the catalyst that poured rocket fuel onto my purpose in this work: the overlay of my personal mothering / motherhood dance with my own littles.

I Provide 6 Layers of Support:

  • Receiving compassionate, active and non-judgemental listening

    Space to be honest about what you’re feeling and allow your story to be voiced

    To be seen, heard and believed in your experience, to feel less isolated and alone

    Witnessing the significance of what you’re traversing

    Space to ask questions and willingness to have hard conversations

    Discussions around why we may feel shame when trying to conceive, in pregnancy and in motherhood. Introducing understanding, tools and mindset shifts to let shame slide away

    Naming things you may feel - frustration, shame and guilt, confusion and overwhelm, fear and vulnerability, grief and loss, isolation, exhaustion and emptiness

    Making visible the societal expectations of women during conception, pregnancy, motherhood, as a first step of letting those expectations go

    Compassion, reverence and gentle reframing of all you’re carrying. Allowing you can be lighter with your expectations of self

    Honouring and reflecting back to you all the amazing things you and your body are doing

    Being listened to is not a ‘nice to have’. It’s fundamentally important that you feel heard.

    .

    In postpartum, there is a beautiful process termed 'birth story listening' which provides safe, compassionate space for you to unfold your story without interruption or judgement. This helps to process of the events of birth and allows you to witness the work you've done. This same process can apply to any significant unfolding - fertility treatment, loss, motherhood.

    I am not a psychologist, or mental health counsellor. I will refer you to incredible professionals as needed.

  • Conversations and resources about:

    Providing you with greater context for the moment you’re standing in. Education around navigating preconception, conception, fertility, pregnancy, birth preparation and onwards

    Your broader health picture. All our systems have the ability to support and influence each other

    Lifestyle and dietary modifications to support

    Caring for yourself when things are hard

    Prioritising sleep through every stage: how and why

    Understanding the role of stress - using tools like meditation and music to calm your nervous system

    Supporting anxiety and overwhelm - mindset shifts, acupressure techniques and tools to smooth emotions

    Fostering inner compassion when your inner voice gets nasty

    Prevention, early recognition of and tools for burnout and depletion

    Unpacking unhelpful (internalised, patriarchal) narratives around what it looks like to do conception / pregnancy / birth / mothering ‘the right way’

    Examination of the inputs you're receiving from the outside world (eg. social media portrayal of pregnancy and mothering)

    Building awareness of detrimental cultural norms and untangling what is ‘ours’ from what was created for us to accept as our own

    Claiming our identity through active meaning making (your story as a source of claiming who you are)

  • Effectively planning for the days, weeks and months ahead.

    Together we can focus on:

    Assessing mental loads you’re carrying

    Deciding on the wisest use of your capacity, energy, time

    Prioritisation and de-prioritisation: what's really needed

    Seeking out and scaffolding adequate care and support now

    Offloading tasks: what to outsource to others, what to let go of entirely

    Resetting expectations: humanising your capacity from a place of compassion and grace

    If in depletion / burnout / overwhelm: forming solid, practical first steps for you to focus on. We'll hold off on too much information and more complex resources until you have more capacity

    Exploring and naming your values: pinpointing what's important to you. This perspective and clarity shows where to let go, and where to hold strong. Solidifying what's important to you and ensures decisions are internally lead

    Redesigning the structure of your days / experiences to aligning your actions with your values (rather than them being pulled by societal norms)

    Long-term planning: positioning you in the strongest place to navigate the path forward

  • As a qualified Chinese Medicine Practitioner, when we're In Home / In Clinic I can support you with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.

    I provide individualised care aimed at supporting the whole picture. I practice a style of care that adapts and responds to your needs.

    We’ll address primary symptoms and concerns and work to optimise sleep, digestion, energy and emotions.

    We’ll consider stress reduction skills and tools

    I can actively collaborate with your care team where appropriate.

    Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs are only an option for In Home and In Clinic Sessions - I cannot treat Online.

  • The process of getting you, your partner and those around you on the same page.

    We might cover:

    Communicating boundaries, and what boundaries actually mean

    How to ask for help, what to ask for

    Emotional granularity as a way of understanding and communicating your experience to others to open greater possibilities for support

    Educating partners - providing them with knowledge, skills and tools to actively support you

    Mapping out and scaffolding broader social support

  • Fostering your sense autonomy and informed decision making

    Finding your voice: not downplaying or silencing hard things

    Creating a values aligned care team. The positive flow-on effects doing so early, so you have your team to go to at any point

    Encouraging help seeking steps towards medical support / providing useful referrals

    Connecting you with medical care providers

    Sharing evidenced-based resources and other materials: organisations, hotlines, podcasts, groups

    I will never suggest any specific medical course of action. This is beyond my scope of practice. I will refer you into incredible, competent medical care providers who can help you identify the right medical management pathway for your situation.

I offer to walk with you as your support person.

To hold space for you as you navigate fertility and conception, pregnancy, postpartum and the mess and glory of motherhood.