Why did you become an acupuncturist?
Chinese medicine has always been of interest to me since my early twenties, when I was suffering terrible migraine headaches. As I got older, I had more and more health issues that negatively affected my everyday living experience. Time and again, Western medicine failed me. My acupuncturist helped me heal in ways that Western medicine told me were impossible. After my son was born, which was thought to be impossible, I was convinced that I wanted to be part of this healing for other people.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
My acupuncture experience has offered me a wide range of methods and treatments. I have had the good fortune to study Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese herbs, Five Element acupuncture, Kiiko Matsumoto-style Japanese acupuncture, and tuina massage. I also spent many hours in the service of a local veteran’s hospital that has helped me understand different levels of pain, both emotionally and physically. I am always looking for new things to learn and am always amazed at the way this medicine helps individuals heal on so many levels.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
To me, Chinese medicine offers everyone the gentlest, most effective treatment for many ailments that commonly affect people. Many of these ailments, left untreated by Western medicine, turn into major medical problems in the patient’s future. Knowing that I’m helping people potentially avoid these major problems—without side effects, medications, or major expense—gives me the highest reward.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The biggest misconception of some is that acupuncture needs to be proven effective. It’s my experience, after seeing people suffering from the side effects of Western medicinal treatments, that it’s Western medicine that should prove itself. Chinese medicine has been treating people for centuries and has had thousands of masters adding to the medicine along the way. Western medicine has been studied for only several hundred years, and offers chemical compounds that treat symptoms of disease while causing many other issues that then get treated with other chemicals. The choice seems clear to me. Chinese medicine can take an already healthy person and make him or her healthier. Whereas, Western medicine takes healthy people, gives them chemical compounds, and makes them unhealthier.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
How do I stay healthy? The same way I tell my patients—I see my acupuncturist regularly, and exercise and eat well.

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goldencabinetacupuncture.com
brenda@goldencabinetacupuncture.com
(484) 707-0468
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8794 Easton Road, Revere, PA 18953

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I chose to study acupuncture during my third year of naturopathic medicine training, when I realized that acupuncture addresses physical and emotional discomfort in efficient, effective and sustainable ways that are often unmatched in Western medicine. In particular, I was drawn to how Traditional Chinese Medicine views the body and mind holistically, gracefully integrating the treatment of mind, body, and spirit into every acupuncture session. Acupuncture is also appealing because it is accessible to and effective for people with conditions that are not well served by Western medicine, such as sexual issues or addictive and compulsive behaviors. My interest in these areas predates my acupuncture training by over a decade. I’ve worked with harm-reduction organizations, focusing on safer sexual practices and needle exchange programs. So finding an effective, empowering, and sustainable avenue of care made the decision to become an acupuncturist an easy one.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I work in an integrative medicine setting. My clinic and practice are multidisciplinary: MDs, NDs, and acupuncturists working side by side and often collaborating to treat patients. So I live with one foot in the Western medicine world and one in the Traditional Chinese Medicine world. This gives me experience in explaining acupuncture, which is generally delivered in a language of metaphor that defies easy translation into Western terms, to people who have no previous experience with it. It also gives me good insight into how acupuncture fits into the context of all the other types of healthcare a patient may be receiving. This allows my patients and I to have an informed discussion about what to expect from acupuncture, covering what acupuncture can and cannot provide in comparison with other forms of medicine and self-care.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
My favorite part of my job is watching people become more self-sufficient and confident in their wellbeing and recovery. I love talking with people after their first, second, or third acupuncture session when they describe the changes they noticed after their last treatment, even if they struggle to articulate what exactly those changes were. It’s not a report of improvement that I expect or look forward to, but the awareness, hope, and empowerment that arise when people notice a change in how they feel. It’s an old joke that good healthcare providers tend to put themselves out of business, but I appreciate the sentiment behind it. I genuinely enjoy the moment when a patient feels empowered to set their own schedule for follow up, confident they’ll know when their body tells them they need to return

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The biggest misconception I hear is that acupuncture needles are magic—that the needles do the work that makes a person feel better. The needles are tools that allow the body to unstick and refocus its energy in more productive ways. The needles are tools that help unlock unrealized healing potential within the body. The needles facilitate the body’s innate ability to heal. I agree with my patients when they say that acupuncture feels like magic, because sometimes I feel that way too after my own acupuncture sessions. But I take care to explain that despite that feeling we can get from the needles, the magic of good health and healing isn’t in the needle itself. Rather, it’s in the body, mind, and spirit. The needles are efficient tools to access our own healing potential and allow the body to do what it is designed to do—sustain life and wellbeing.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
Maintaining a work-recreation balance keeps me happy and healthy. My work is balanced between seeing patients, the majority of what I do time-wise, and teaching addictions and disorders classes as adjunct faculty for Bastyr University’s Health Psychology Department. Doing one keeps me energized to do the other. I love providing care for individuals in my office, and also having the opportunity to work in the classroom training the next generation of healthcare providers. Outside of work, my lifestyle sustains me: eating in a way that nourishes me, exercising, sleeping, giving myself downtime from screens and social media, and being with my friends and family. I also use acupuncture and Western medicine to maintain my health. My hobbies include reading and participating in general fiction and science fiction book clubs, knitting, and playing harp in a Seattle-based ceilidh band, Seirm.

In what kind of setting do you deliver acupuncture care?
I work in a clinic that caters to women’s health, though I see both men and women in my practice. I also see children and adolescents over the age of eight. The types of conditions I see most often are musculoskeletal pain, allergies (digestive and environmental), headaches, mental health issues, women’s health concerns, including infertility, and cravings for psychoactive drugs and compulsive behaviors. In addition to being a licensed acupuncturist, I am also a naturopathic physician. I frequently see patients for both naturopathic and acupuncture care, but do so in separate appointments. An acupuncture appointment usually lasts 30-45 minutes and can be scheduled back-to-back with a naturopathic medicine appointment if desired. I am credentialed with and accept most private insurance plans, and offer a time-of-service cash discount to patients who do not have insurance or do not receive acupuncture benefits from their insurance plan.

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balancinghealth.net
balancinghealth@frontier.com
(425) 398-9355
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12900 NE 180th Street, #100, Bothell, WA 98011

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
Acupuncture has, for most of my life, been my go-to source for wellness, be it preventative care or management of acute symptoms or pain. Through my experience as a patient, I became awed by the body’s incredible potential for health as I witnessed many of my own chronic issues disappear with just a little coaxing from needles, moxa, and bodywork. I became an acupuncturist to share that awe with my community, and offer an alternative to the one-size-fits-all, toxic side-effects ridden forms of healthcare which are unfortunately most accessible. Acupuncture can be, and should be, available to everyone!

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I strive to be flexible and open in my approach to treatment. While there is certainly something to be said for firmly adhering to specific protocols from one tradition, I feel like there are too many brilliant variations on the theme of natural healing to not be constantly expanding and incorporating new ideas. If there is one thing I’ve learned from working with people it’s that each person is unique, with a unique background, identity, and health history. I intend to honor that individuality and meet you where you are in each moment, drawing from my full range of education and experience to craft the best, tailor-made treatment possible for you.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
One of the most common things I hear from new patients is that acupuncture is their “last straw.” They’re aching for a baby, or they’ve been suffering from excruciating cramps or digestive issues, or coping with a nagging pain from an old injury and just can’t take it anymore. They’ve tried a multitude of other professionals for their condition and have gotten either periodic relief or no relief at all, so they’ve decided to throw all caution to the wind and try that crazy ancient getting-poked-with-needles thing—and it works! One of my dearest colleagues calls this the “wow factor.” I’m not sure if it’s more a thrill for me or my patients, but to know that I am able to facilitate that sort of tremendous healing change and help to return confidence in people’s bodies is an incredible thing.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The most frustrating misconception I hear about acupuncture is that it is just for rich people/”new age” people/women/men/insert other limiting stereotype here. The question of healthcare affordability is extremely salient, and it is disappointing that there are not more practitioners who are willing to take part in the discussion. I impart to my patients the vital importance of taking care of themselves, even though it often requires financial expenditures to do so. However, I make every effort to work with each person to maximize their treatment options in a way that is both effective and comfortable for their wallet. As for the other stereotypes, the only way to know if acupuncture is, or is not, for you is to try it out!

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I’ve done a lot of extra training in whole food nutrition, so healthy food—from seed to table—is a big deal for me. I also train in Muay Thai for exercise and a powerful release of energy, spend as much time as possible outside, and surround myself with laughter and a loving community.

In addition to being an acupuncturist, you are also a doula. Do you recommend acupuncture to women during pregnancy?
Acupuncture is not only safe, but can be extraordinarily effective during pregnancy, from ensuring conception through managing nausea and aches and pains, all the way to delivery and postpartum recovery. During labor, acupuncture is tremendously helpful for getting things started and moving along smoothly, as well as being an adjunct to doula support for pain management and emotional relaxation once labor is fully underway. I am thrilled to be able to combine my experience as a birth doula, massage therapist, and acupuncturist in working with moms and their partners to facilitate a natural, easy pregnancy from pre-conception to birth and beyond!

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elementalacupuncturemd.com
herhealinghands3@gmail.com
(240) 600-7139

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4815 Saint Elmo Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814

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