Soothing Acupuncture

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. I often treat people for pain, stress, insomnia, digestive or fertility issues.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. When you call to make and appointment, try to get a sense of what the provider is like and if they are a good fit for you. Are they friendly? Do their hours and location work with your schedule? Do they accept insurance? How interested are they in your health and well being? These are all important things to consider when you are looking to hire a new provider.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. It is always a good idea to ask a practitioner if they use sterile, one-time-use needles. It is smart to ask a practitioner what styles of acupuncture they use and what the benefits are of those particular styles. If I were a customer, I would also like to know if the practitioner includes any bodywork in their treatments or what modalities they use besides needling, such as massage, cupping, or moxibustion.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I spend a good deal of time with my patients to make sure that I understand what is going on with them. I have been to some acupuncturists locally where I felt like was being herded in and out like cattle and it didn't feel very nurturing. I do some bodywork and/or energy work if a person's condition would benefit from it.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love to help people feel better! I love assisting and watching people engage with their healing process. It is so satisfying to see someone come in feeling down or in pain and to watch them transform over the course of their treatment. When they leave they feel nurtured, supported and energized.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I wrote a paper in college comparing Chinese herbs to herbs used in Belize, Central America. While comparing the two was much harder than I anticipated, the research sparked my interest in Chinese Medicine and I found I had an affinity for it; the philosophy made sense to me. About a year later, I decided to try acupuncture. I didn't know what to expect and was amazed at how much better I felt both physically and emotionally after receiving acupuncture and taking herbs.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes! Acupuncturists are required to do continuing education. We are required to complete at least 50 hours every 2 years. I often like to focus my continuing education on specific health conditions that interest me or different styles of acupuncture that I want to incorporate into my practice.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Generally, for cash patients, I charge $100 for an initial visit and $70 for followup visits. I offer package deals as well: 15% off 5 visits or 20% off 10 visits.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Make sure you truly like acupuncture. I was amazed at how many people in my acupuncture school were needle phobic. Acupuncture school is very difficult and requires diligent study and memorization. In addition to wanting to be a health care practitioner, make sure you are up for marketing and running your own business (a very different skill!).