Why did you become an acupuncturist?
In the 4th grade, at the age of 10, I began to meditate. Not because I came from some long line of healers, but because I had been waking up in the middle of the night in agony. My 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Wolfe, was mean as a nest of hornets, and I was having nervous stomach pain. I was lucky that the ER doc told me I needed to learn to relax, instead of throwing a bunch of Ritalin or Prozac at me. So, I began exploring ways to relax.

I was into martial arts with my friend Jim, and had learned how to use my mind to overcome pain while fighting. I was a big science nerd, and I began to read about meditation and visualization exercises and bio feedback. Out of that, I began practicing a simple form of meditation. No gurus, no “grass hopper,”—just a simple from of mental and physical relaxation. It worked. I overcame my fears of Mrs. Wolfe, quieted my nervous stomach, and learned that the mind and the body are connected in ways we have just now begun to understand.

Out of that, my interest in Chinese philosophy and ways of life were born. It also didn’t hurt that my grandfather, who had been stationed in China, had brought lots of Chinese artwork back from WWII. It was always there as a backdrop during my visits to his house. Funny how staring at a big Buddha for 18 years can make you wonder about the world!

After that early exposure to meditation and the power of the mind over the body, I began using sports as a sort of moving meditation. My favorites were basketball and volleyball because of the steady action and movement. Later, I became an avid cyclist.

My father’s mother taught me that you could eat things out of your yard, and that some plants were medicinal. My father’s father taught me about vitamins and standing on your head. He said it clears the brain and helps you live a long time, which evidently worked. Or maybe he lived a long time in spite of it! My mother taught me that eating right and getting rest were the most important things to good health. My dad taught me how to hit golf balls, be nice to people, and do the hard work in life, first.

Later in life, I worked for Greenpeace, and was surrounded by people who were into all kinds of alternative healing work. That exposure to new ideas, and to the problems our planet faces, changed my life. After that, I began looking for a new career, one that would allow me to help other people and provide solutions to problems, and that would be a life-long learning and growth process. This is something I can do until I am very old.

After much soul searching, I discovered acupuncture. I explored many therapies, including chiropractic, massage, allopathic medicine, etc., but acupuncture seemed to be the very best fit for how I viewed health. Acupuncture took into consideration all of who a person is, and all the influences on their life, including diet, exercise, parents’ health, job and relationship stresses, sleep, and on and on. It is also profoundly effective, well established (3,000 year history) and extremely safe.

It turned out that my wife’s college roommate’s mother was an acupuncturist. I went to visit her and she was radiant, happy, and very wise. I knew I wanted those qualities in my life. Then I met the faculty and students at the Tai Sophia Institute in Columbia, MD, and that sealed the deal! I studied at Tai Sophia (then it was the Traditional Acupuncture Institute) for three and a half years, earned a master’s degree, and started my first practice. All together, with the clinical portion of my studies, I have been practicing for over 14 years.

I searched for many months for the right office space, and found a beautiful space on the second floor of a chiropractor’s building. The best part is that the office is just up the block from my house, which means I can walk to work!

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I think what sets me apart is my confidence and compassion for others. I really understand what it’s like to be in pain, and I’ve been healed, and helped others to heal and recover, so I know what it takes to pull through.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I most enjoy the surprise and delight patients experience when they find out that a few little needles can make them feel so much better. I also really like when people tell me that acupuncture has changed their lives.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
I think that the biggest misconception about acupuncture is that it’s only good for pain. Acupuncture is so great for wellbeing in general, and especially for anxiety, menstrual and infertility issues, digestive issues and so much more!

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I get a lot of exercise, eat whole foods that are in season as much as possible, and I get acupuncture, bodywork and chiropractic. I race bicycles, swim, lift weights, and take hikes as often as I can. I also do yoga and meditate.

What drew you to community acupuncture?
I like the fact that people can afford to come in often enough to really get good results. I also really like that people are so thankful that they can afford it. I also love the pace!

Learn more and get in touch
acupuncturerox.com
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acupuncturerox@gmail.com
(267) 417-0147

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445 Lyceum Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19128

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I decided to change my career to acupuncture after being a patient for several years and finding that acupuncture changed my outlook. I worked in corporate America for over 20 years and was well on my way to being sick and miserable in my life. Acupuncture changed all of that. I am now happy and grateful and full of hope. I live life with wonder each and every day and I cannot think of a better gift for my patients.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
As a practitioner I approach every session as an openhearted intelligent acupuncturist who creates an open, safe, nonjudgmental space for my clients. My goal is to help my patients find their way to inner peace through health and passion in their lives. I have spent much of my life in service to others both personally and in business. I believe that my unique training and skills give me the ability to help people successfully achieve their health and happiness goals.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I specialize in treating women and children in all the stages of their lives and development. I have found that issues of infertility, depression, heart break and anxiety are often significant factors in women’s lives. At Dynamic Strategies Acupuncture I specialize in helping women through these life challenges so that they find true joy and fulfillment in their lives. Children and teens have their own unique challenges as they have to grow up in a complex world. At Dynamic Strategies Acupuncture I am concerned with giving children and teens a natural treatment modality for the issues that face them during their growth. I use many different techniques from the traditions of Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, Bach flower essence, and Zero Balancing to treat pain and enhance the health of my patients. I believe that wellness comes from within—when there is an alignment of body, mind and spirit, healing is just around the corner.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
I often hear that people are afraid of needles and that they have heard acupuncture hurts. In acupuncture we use a different kind of needle from what you are used to in the doctor’s office. We use a solid needle the width of several fine hairs. Sometimes, in some locations, the needle sensation can be exciting. It is nothing like a bee sting because the sensation lasts less than five seconds.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I stay healthy in my life by cooking all organic foods from scratch that I grow on the farm where I grew up. I truly believe that cutting out all food processing and knowing exactly where your ingredients come from can help solve nine out of 10 health issues. I also walk several times a week and meditate on a regular basis.

Learn more and get in touch
dynamicstrategiesacupuncture.com
idalee@dynamicsstrategiesacupuncture.com
(410) 591-2666
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715 Park Avenue, Baltimore MD 21209

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
When I was 29, I suffered from IBS, depression and chronic fatigue. Acupuncture was the only thing that helped and the more I learned, the more I loved it. I decided to leave a high-paying sales position to pursue my dream of helping the world one person at a time.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I am different from other acupuncturists because I am part of a Sufi community that focuses on cultivating the ideal of Divine Embodiment. Many of the community members are healers in one form or another, and our lifestyle, outlook and daily practices cultivate a deep ability to bring healing from a Divine place. I’ve also studied spiritual healing at the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I really enjoy developing relationships with individuals and seeing them make transformations in their lives.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The biggest misconception that I hear about acupuncture is that it is only for pain. Acupuncture is thousands of years old and can treat the whole range of physical ailments in the human body.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
In order to stay healthy in my own life, I am focused on eating a healthy diet. I believe that the root of all sickness comes from the food we eat. Additionally, I focus on incorporating movement into my daily routine in the form of qigong and yoga (I am a certified yoga instructor) and maintaining my spiritual health (through a variety of Sufi spiritual practices).

Learn more and get in touch
sufiacupuncture.com
sufiacupuncture@gmail.com
(301) 358-5549

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28 South Potomac Street, 2R, Hagerstown, MD 21740

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
After 15 years in the corporate world, I became dispassionate in my work and decided I needed to make a change. I knew my industry of choice had to be health and wellness because I often found myself picking up books covering topics such as nutrition and acupuncture—even when no one required me to! I also knew I needed the ability to be a business owner and leverage the talents I had already developed. Out of this I decided to become an acupuncturist because it simply made the most sense to me. This is a medicine that is minimally invasive and extremely powerful!

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
It is my goal to ensure that my patients understand acupuncture in plain English. I am continuously working to communicate with them about acupuncture in a way that they can understand and share with others. Does this make me different? I am not sure, but I want people to know that when they come to receive treatment from me, I will be working to educate them on their bodies and providing the information and tools they need to get and stay healthy.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy working with patients who are new to acupuncture. When a new patient visits my clinic, it is often the case that they have made the decision to receive acupuncture but are still skeptical about whether it will work—and sometimes still a little unsure if it will hurt. Immediately they discover acupuncture is not painful, and over the course of a few treatments they experience first hand how powerful it is. I love to be a part of this process and watch my patients move from skeptics to advocates of acupuncture!

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
When I shared with my family that I was planning to become an acupuncturist, my brother asked me if I was also planning to wear long skirts and grow my hair down to my butt. Acupuncturists are not hippies! Many of the acupuncturists I know are entering the field after college; they used to be doctors or nurses; and some had careers in the military or came from the corporate world. We are well educated and passionate about our medicine.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I am continuously working to improve the quality of food I eat and the amount of time I spend moving my body. I am lucky to have learned early on the importance of listening to your body and responding to any alarms that may be going off. The alarm may be pain, discomfort or fatigue. I listen to my body and respond to the alarms immediately. This is my secret to staying healthy!

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Book an appointment online
bellacu.com
michelle@bellacu.com
(651) 315-4017
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1200 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 375, Mendota Heights, MN 55120

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
After suffering with almost daily migraines as a teenager, I exhausted all traditional treatments and turned to acupuncture. Within weeks my chronic migraines and almost daily headaches for my entire life went away. This was the first step toward my passion for acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
My practice is inviting and warm. We focus on each person as an individual and spend a lot of time getting to know each patient and really understanding their health and well being concerns throughout the treatment process. We try to be as convenient as possible for our patients. We offer online appointment scheduling and evening hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays) as well as Saturday appointments. Emails are generally responded to within hours (during waking hours!) seven days a week.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love my job. I have such a passion for acupuncture and it has really shown in the success of my practice over the last decade. I enjoy working with each patient to try to get them to their most optimal state of health and well being.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
I have heard it all in over 10 years of treating patients! The most common misconceptions are that it hurts and that it does not work. Well, in general, the treatments are not painful and most people find them very relaxing—many people even sleep during their treatments! Also, I am living proof of acupuncture working. Acupuncture gave me my life back when nothing else worked. I have seen this time and time again with my patients as well.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I am very focused on health in and out of the office. I am an avid runner and my other favorite hobby is cooking. I have been vegetarian for over 20 years and love cooking food for my friends and family. Some lucky patients even get some of my healthy baked goods and even the occasional lunch!

Learn more and get in touch
healingpointonline.com
meredithgmurphy@gmail.com
(610) 265-1827
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215 W. Church Road, Suite 112, King of Prussia, PA 19406

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I’ve had several personal experiences that suggest our current medical system does not have all the answers to help one progress in their health. My early exposure to acupuncture demonstrated an energetic system of medicine that seemed comprehensive and complementary to our existing system of medicine, providing some of the missing pieces. It is my goal to share this deepened energetic understanding of our wellbeing with patients through acupuncture, education and integrating with their current experience in our Western medicine system, to help each client progress and feel in charge of their own path to healing.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
For the past 12-plus years I have studied rigorously with a world-renowned physician, Dr. Tran Viet Dzung, who has taught me the inherent reasoning of energetic medicine (acupuncture) from the ancient medical texts written thousands of years ago, integrating it with today’s Western medicine. From my studies, I am very results-oriented in my approach and my goal is to help patients reach their true health potential as quickly as possible. My training, experience and service offerings are focused primarily on acupuncture and I do my best to help educate patients on the importance of healthy nutrition and other lifestyle choices to aid them in attaining their best health potential.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Helping patients get back on track with their health so they can enjoy life and live life to their fullest unique potential. I enjoy seeing the joy on people’s faces when they attain results in their care that they didn’t even know were possible. I enjoy studying, studying and studying more to learn all that acupuncture can offer in treating the most challenging complex conditions and applying what I learn with my patients to get better results.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The biggest misconception I hear is that it hurts. Although you may feel the very fine needles on insertion, it is only for a moment, and is nothing like feeling the needles when you go to the doctor for a shot or to have your blood drawn. To me, acupuncture is not about the “needles” at all. It is about accurately assessing one’s energy and knowing how to regulate and affect one’s energy for their optimum health. The needles are simply an effective tool to facilitate this.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I do my best to practice what I preach by eating well, getting a good night’s rest, practicing Yi Ren qigong, doing work that I love, spending time with loved ones, enjoying nature, practicing yoga, taking time off, and when needed, treating myself with acupuncture!

What is an experience at Energetic Medicine like?
We do our best to provide excellence in customer service, quality of care, client comfort and relaxation, and client results and satisfaction. We hope that at Energetic Medicine you would expect to be well heard in your goals for getting well and to have our utmost focus in doing all that we can to assist you in achieving your healthcare goals.

Learn more and get in touch
(425) 825-8400
office@nrgmedicine.com

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Energetic Medicine: 13128 Totem Lake Blvd., Suite 201, Kirkland, WA 98034

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