What to expect from your first consultation

Most people who book an initial consultation with Reece have never had a health appointment that lasts up to three hours. The reaction is often a mix of anticipation and mild apprehension. This article explains what actually happens in that time, why it's structured the way it is, and how to make the most of it.

Before you arrive: the questionnaires

Once your booking is confirmed, you'll receive a set of detailed health questionnaires to fill in before your appointment. Please allow up to two hours for them. They cover your health history, current symptoms, sleep, emotional state, diet, lifestyle and family history in depth. Some questions may seem unusual from a conventional medical point of view, such as how you handle heat and cold, your food cravings, how you sweat and exactly what your symptoms are like. These details matter in Chinese medicine.

Please send the questionnaires back at least 72 hours before your appointment. Reece reads them carefully beforehand, so the consultation time goes on clinical reasoning and examination instead of basic history-taking.

Please also send any relevant pathology reports, imaging results or specialist letters. The more Reece knows, the more useful the initial consultation will be.

Part one: your health history (60 to 75 minutes)

The first part is a detailed conversation about your health. Reece goes over the concerns you raised in your questionnaires, asks follow-up questions and starts building a picture of your health from three points of view at once: biomedical, functional medicine and Chinese medicine.

If you've brought pathology reports, this is when Reece goes through them with you and explains what each result measures and what it means alongside your symptoms.

Part two: a full physical examination (30 to 45 minutes)

The physical examination combines a conventional clinical examination with Chinese medicine diagnostic methods. It includes:

• Standard vital signs and a physical examination based on the problems you've come in with
• Tongue diagnosis: in Chinese medicine, the tongue's body, coating, colour and shape tell Reece a lot about your constitutional pattern and how your organ systems are working
• Pulse diagnosis: the pulse is felt at six positions on each wrist, each linked to a different organ system. Its rate, depth, quality and tension guide the choice of formula
• A look at your irises (iridology, a traditional constitutional assessment)
• A functional assessment based on the problems you've come in with

Part three: treatment, recommendations and planning (30 to 45 minutes)

Based on your history and examination, Reece explains what he's found and sets out the treatment plan. This usually includes an acupuncture treatment in the first consultation (if it's clinically appropriate), an explanation of his assessment from both a biomedical and a Chinese medicine point of view, and specific recommendations on diet, lifestyle, nutritional supplements and herbal medicine.

If functional testing would help, such as hormone panels, thyroid antibodies, stool analysis, SIBO breath testing or other tests, Reece will talk it through with you and arrange referrals or test kits. Medicare doesn't cover these tests when Reece arranges them. The initial consultation is also when you agree how ongoing care will work: how often you'll need follow-ups, what a realistic timeline looks like, and what part you'll play.

What it costs and what's included

The initial consultation fee is $590. It covers Reece's review of your questionnaires, the appointment of up to 180 minutes, the acupuncture treatment and one SMS follow-up afterwards. Herbal formulas, if prescribed, are charged separately. You may be able to claim a private health fund rebate, so check with your fund. There's no HICAPS on site; you claim from your fund after you've paid. Payment is by card only, and no cash is kept on the premises.

Who this consultation is designed for

Reece works well with motivated, health-conscious people who understand that natural medicine needs their active involvement. The initial consultation takes time, preparation and money, and it's designed for people who are committed to understanding and improving their health. If you're after a quick fix, it won't suit you. If you'd like a thorough clinical partner who takes your health concerns seriously and works through them step by step, it will.