The Albert Place Practice clinic, specialising in traditionalChinese Medicine (TCM), was opened in London in the late1980s by Clair Beardson. Clair comes from a family ofWestern medicine practitioners and has been a long termresident in Asia; this has enabled her to fully understandand appreciate the underlying beliefs and values ofcombining Western and Eastern Medicine. She studied atthe London School of Oriental Medicine under Dr. ThongTinh and then subsequently studied and worked in Hanoiat the major TCM hospital in Vietnam.
She is a staunch believer in the value of organic food andfully embraces the importance of good nutrition and thepositive impact it can have on an individuals health andwell-being. She strongly believes in matching the correctdiet to the individual - to meet each individuals needs.She supervises the Hailey Estate in England where shehas developed programmes to create a range of organicfoods and also cultivates selected herbs for experimental,scientific programmes in collaboration with universitiesin Britain and Europe. For example, there has been anextensive programme working with Oxford University onartemisia and its impact on malaria.
Clair Beardson has over 25 years experience ofChinese medicine and its application to a wide range ofcontemporary ailments. She regularly speaks on topicsrelated to nutrition and contemporary health. Clair alsoleads workshops and master classes in these areas.
Albert Place has created for the Mandarin Hotel groupspas a therapy that embraces both eastern and westernmedicine. It is specific to a given day through theindividual choosing an aromatherapy oil based on personalneeds at the time. This therapy is then matched to theappropriate Chinese meridians. In 2011, Albert Placebegan working with One Hyde Park, the leading Londonresidential development, through providing Chinesemedical services and advice.
Clair has seen the positive effects TCM has on patients -especially when combining western and eastern practices.She has been involved in advising national governmentsin Africa and the Middle East on introducing Chinesemedicine into public health programmes. She is alsoworking hard to bring the benefits of TCM to westernsocieties which are overly dependent on syntheticmedicines. Clair advises businesses on incorporatingmedical and nutritional facilities into their projects.
Clair was further honoured to represent this Westernform of TCM at the first international conference inVietnam for the potential future integration of westernand traditional medicine. In addition, she was invited toparticipate in the World Botanical Garden conference inWuhan in 2007 and has advised the Proyecto Andino,the botanical garden project in the Atacama Desert inChile. She has participated in botanical expeditions in theHimalayas and Guatemala and she is a regular visitor tothe World Economic Forum in Davos where she has beeninvited to talk. She is also a member of the InternationalDendrology Society.
