Meet Dr Mark McAuliffe, Acupuncturist, Herbalist
At Mackay Acupuncture Natural Medicine, we understand that your journey to well-being is deeply personal, and we want you to feel truly cared for every step of the way. Our experienced Oriental Medicine Doctor (O.M.D), Dr. Mark McAuliffe, with his remarkable 45 years in the healing arts, is here to gently guide and support you. He is highly respected as a master acupuncturist, and his extensive knowledge, including his time as a Senior Lecturer of Acupuncture at the Australian College of Natural Medicine, reflects his commitment to this profound practice.
Dr. McAuliffe’s approach is all about understanding and working with your unique energy. He focuses on helping you find a deeper sense of harmony within yourself – connecting your body, mind, emotions, and spirit in a way that feels natural and right for you. Acupuncture, as he practices it, is a tender way to encourage your subtle energies to find their natural balance, which can help clear away discomfort and support the flow of your body’s vital pathways. This gentle process can lead to a wonderful feeling of being present and well in your own being.
With his skilled touch, Dr. McAuliffe utilizes Neoclassical Acupuncture, a time-honored method refined by Master Slate Burris. This gentle yet effective approach, with roots going back to 1100 A.D., often involves just one delicate needle to bring about significant positive shifts. It’s a unique way of working with your body’s energy, considering six elements rather than the more commonly known five, allowing for a very personalized experience.
We are here to support you in many aspects of your health, whether you’re navigating women’s, men’s, or children’s health concerns, recovering from sports injuries or work-related issues, or seeking support for pain management, cancer care, skin health, or fertility journeys, including IVF. Our clinic also offers a wide selection of traditional Oriental herbal remedies, carefully chosen to complement your healing process.
Dr. McAuliffe’s dedication to providing the best possible care is evident in his memberships with the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA). He has mastered gentle yet powerful techniques like Neoclassical Acupuncture, which uses a comforting body palpation method to understand your needs and guide your treatment through different levels – Meridian, Organ, Obstacles, Symptomatic, and Elemental.
Since 2009, he has also embraced Tung’s Extraordinary Acupuncture System, a precious tradition passed down through generations since the 13th century. Over the years, Dr. McAuliffe has explored many ways to support your well-being, including Trager Therapy, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Structural Alignment, Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Cupping Therapy, Body Harmony, Bodymindtune, Remedial Massage, and Sacrocranial Technique. He continues to learn and deepen his understanding of the amazing capacity of the human body and spirit.
Dr. McAuliffe is also engaged in ongoing teaching of Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) doctors at the University Hospital in Thimphu, Bhutan, where he shares the principles of Neoclassical Acupuncture and integrative energy medicine to support the blending of Eastern and Western healing traditions and energy medicine with a new generation of medical practitioners.
As the Australian and Oceania representative for Neoclassical Acupuncture Training with Dr. Slate Burris, Dr. McAuliffe is committed to sharing this gentle and effective approach. His personal journey with meditation, beginning with Reiki and deepened through Vipassana retreats and his long-term studies with the respected Dzogchen Master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, has given him a profound understanding of energy, presence, and the power of our inner nature.
It’s with this heartfelt understanding that Dr. McAuliffe approaches his practice, hoping to help you reconnect with your truest self and experience a deep sense of well-being.
Dr Mark is available Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings
“The whole universe is vibration. By conducting life from instant presence, observing energy, sensation and frequencies in the framework of the body, as it happens without reaction from our 6 sense doors of perception or mind, our faculty of awareness wakes up and the ability to penetrate into our timeless wisdom unfolds, giving us peace and liberation from our suffering and pain.” – Dr Mark McAuliffe
For more details on how we can help you, please Contact us
Meet Bethrene McAuliffe - Practice Director
As the “other half” of this husband and wife team, Bethrene is the clinic Practice Manager. She initially trained as an Aesthetician in 1982. Bethrene has been a business woman all her working life and has founded several businesses in areas of health and beauty, and has had a long and successful career as an interior designer.
Naturally, Beth has designed the spaces in all their clinics with her focus to creating a soothing and Zen-like ambience. It is important to her that you make yourself at home whenever you visit, believing wholeheartedly that it is “your place to rest, relax + heal”.
Bethrene has been a Reiki Master for many years and has a long-standing interest in Buddhism and Dzogchen. She has been practicing meditation daily, utilising contemplation for nearly 40 years now.
Meet Dr Laura Bell (Chinese Medicine Practitioner)
Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner
Dr Laura Bell (Acupuncturist) brings a calm, compassionate and holistic approach to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. With over three years of dedicated training and clinical experience, she supports patients by addressing both the symptoms they are experiencing and the deeper patterns influencing their health.
Laura has completed both foundation and advanced training in Neoclassical Acupuncture, an approach that is closely aligned with the style and philosophy of the clinic. This allows her treatments to integrate seamlessly within the care offered at Mackay Acupuncture, providing a consistent, thoughtful and cohesive experience for patients.
Her treatments are individualised and patient-centred, combining attentive consultation with gentle, effective acupuncture and herbal medicine. Laura enjoys supporting people with a wide range of concerns, including pain, stress and emotional wellbeing, digestive health, sleep issues, hormonal balance and general vitality.
Laura is committed to ongoing learning and professional development, and to creating a supportive environment where patients feel heard, comfortable and involved in their care. She works collaboratively with each person to help restore balance, strengthen the body’s natural resilience, and support long-term wellbeing.
We may help you with these health issues, and more...
Pain Management
Neck Pain, Headaches, Back Pain, Neck Pain, Hip Pain, Elbow Pain, Wrist Pain, Knee Pain, Ankle Pain, Arthritis