Objectives: In view of anecdotal evidence that points to variations in the ways that contemporary clinicians practice Chinese Medicine (CM), a study was undertaken to explore, identify, and analyze the styles of practice amongst a group of beginner acupuncturists in Australia. All participants in the study had been trained in the practice of Chinese Medicine rather than biomedicine.

Design and methods: The study used a phenomenographic method to identify and map the group conceptions of practice from the extensive interview data. Differences between practice conceptions were identified in terms of the aim of the therapeutic encounter and the strategies used to achieve the aim. Practitioner–client roles and the characteristics of the clinical encounter were also noted and analyzed with respect to varying practice conceptions.

Results and conclusions: Five major conceptions of practice were identified and discussed with respect to levels of complexity. It was argued that the more holistic and client-centered conceptions were better suited to contemporary practice in the West and were more beneficial in enabling practitioners to adapt culture-bound knowledge to contemporary health needs. This paper presents the major conclusions and theoretical perspectives that arose from the study rather than qualitative samples from the interview transcripts.