Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I studied biology and literature as an undergraduate, and then after graduation moved to my mother’s homeland, Japan. I went there to teach English and experience living abroad. While I was there, I began taking acupuncture classes for fun at a branch of Beijing University. I loved it. Chinese medicine totally made sense to me and took a lot of information into consideration that I found was ignored in Western medicine. It seemed like a perfect combination of my interests and values. I excitedly moved back to Seattle to start Chinese medical school at Bastyr University.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I am not an extremist and feel that balance is a lifelong goal for all of us in this modern world. I feel that if one accepts that, it can ease a lot of pressure we put on ourselves. My diverse history has exposed me to a lot of experiences and people, and I have no judgement of others. I know that in each of us there is a place where we can feel whole and fulfilled, and I wish to guide my patients to that peaceful place.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love seeing one become more aware of their mind and body. It is such a special transformation and really a key to being present and living life fully. It is an awareness that can only enhance one’s life experience and I am constantly honored to be a part of that.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
That it doesn’t work. Humans are intelligent enough to abandon ideas and philosophies when they don’t hold up. Anything that has a 3,000 year old history and still exists clearly has some substance and value.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
Accepting that balance is always a goal. Exercise, enjoying food, living life honorably, finding inspiration, having passion, being respectful and honest, and not being too hard on myself.

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leonamarrs.com
leonamarrs@gmail.com
(206) 383-6746

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3542 Hollydale Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90039

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I first stumbled upon acupuncture through a book I read in the 70s. It made so much sense to me, that there was a blueprint for maintaining health, rather than just managing disease. Practicing acupressure and reflexology on myself, I learned to recognize the warning signs of injury and illness. It has been a remarkable experience, witnessing the results of acupuncture on myself, and my family and friends. When the opportunity arose to enroll in a training program to become an acupuncturist, I jumped at it. This has been the most interesting and rewarding profession, learning how the body, mind, emotions, and psyche work together to maintain us.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I believe that wellness is about what kind of relationship we have with ourselves as well as how well we adapt to change. Learning self-care techniques and learning to recognize signs of imbalance in the ways we use our energy—these are as important as the treatments themselves. My role is to create the space where healing happens, and teach that to my clients. In addition to my private practice I also conduct wellness clinics, where groups of people get the tools they need for self- care as well as a mini-treatment.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Watching the process of healing, and especially when I see the look of curiosity and surprise as acupuncture changes the way clients perceive their body’s responses. People go from “please fix me” to “oh, that’s why this is happening.” Most importantly, the satisfaction I get from teaching people to see the connections between our thoughts and our feelings, and our body. I view acupuncture as a systems review, like having a schematic diagram of how the body is supposed to work when all systems are a go. Except unlike a machine, this process is organic, and acupuncture is both a science and an art.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that it is outside the mainstream. That was true 20 years ago. But over these last 20 years, it’s gained acceptance. It’s offered in hospitals, for example, most often for pain. And that leads to another misconception, which is that it is primarily for pain. Because East Asian medicine focuses on balance, it releases muscles. As the muscles release, pain is alleviated—and digestion, breathing, and mental focus all improve. So pain relief is only the beginning of what acupuncture offers. Like so many modalities, people sometimes come to acupuncture with the attitude that all they need to do is passively receive treatment. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Healing is achieved, no matter what the treatment, when we participate in the process. Without that, real change can’t be maintained.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I try to synchronize my life with the seasons, and in times of change I make organic chicken soup with lots of roots and veggies (and a small shitake mushroom). It also helps me to look at the night sky regularly, for perspective and inspiration. And when I am having trouble, I beat a drum to remind myself of who I am.

Learn more and get in touch
elenlauperlac.com
elenlauper.lac@gmail.com
(818) 459-4953
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3171 Los Feliz Blvd, Suite 211, Los Angeles, CA 90039

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
While growing up in a family of Western medical doctors, I always believed there had to be another way to treat maladies besides using antibiotics and pharmaceuticals. With acupuncture, I found that way. Using your own body, acupuncture helps to bring you back into balance by treating not only the symptoms of your pathology but also the root of your imbalance. ​​I received my bachelor’s degree at University of California Santa Barbara and moved to Los Angeles in 2001. Having lived here for over a decade, I know the stressful demands that this city can put on your body and mind. Acupuncture has helped me to maintain a healthy, pain-free, and relatively stress-free lifestyle. My goal is to help you do the same!

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
Attending the master’s program at Emperor’s College allowed me to see hundreds of patients in the college clinic, while affording the opportunity to work with patients outside the clinic at The Disney Cancer Center in Burbank, and at UCLA’s Arthur Ashe Medical Center. I have recently received training in the Mei Zen Facial Rejuvenation techniques of cosmetic acupuncture, which not only helps to reduce visible signs of aging but also strengthens the body’s immune system, thereby promoting longevity. ​​I am also a certified yoga instructor, having trained at Yogaworks Center For Yoga. I incorporate this training into my practice, using yoga as an adjunct to acupuncture as a healing modality.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love to help people. Helping people transform their lives through regular acupuncture and guided lifestyle changes is the most rewarding experience.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The biggest misconception about acupuncture is that it is painful. I myself suffered from a fear of needles growing up, but when you experience acupuncture, you realize how comfortable the experience can be. The needles are hair-thin, and the sensations that you experience are often quite pleasurable and relaxing.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I see an acupuncturist every week to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I also exercise three-to-four times a week, and I eat balanced meals with lean meats and vegetables and fruits daily. I practice yoga three-to-four times a week and meditate daily.

Learn more and get in touch
jenniferhogeracupuncture.com
jenniferhogeracupuncture@yahoo.com
(323) 445-9048
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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I became an acupuncturist because I felt so much better after being treated myself, beyond what I sought treatment for. My practitioners were attentive, kind and compassionate, and that inspired me. I discovered that this medicine contained a web of connections from body to mind to spirit that spoke to me more profoundly than anything I’d experienced before, except for yoga. I became certified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher before I made the transition to Chinese medicine. Acupuncture presented an opportunity to take energetic bodywork to a deeper level.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
The most important reason someone chooses me is that I listen to them, address their questions and concerns, and then—based on that initial chemistry—they decide to trust me. I care deeply about my patients, take them seriously, and they connect with that. I give them my full attention and frequently stay in the room with them the entire treatment. I find techniques, protocols and tools with which they resonate. If someone is too sensitive for needles, I might apply essential oils on acupuncture points. Someone might need a blood test, or a referral to another medical professional, or dietary suggestions. I have a gentle touch. I treat my patients according to what they need, not according to a style of treatment.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
When a new patient explains their health history and I am able to explain the unique pattern of their disharmony, they are grateful that I understand, and I enjoy that moment of connection. I am thrilled when someone steps off the table and exclaims “wow!” when we both see the immediate impact of their treatment. When someone has a stubborn or chronic condition, they might not be able to hold the initial results for more than a day, but they get a sense of where we can go with this, and that motivates them to continue with treatment. That moves me deeply. I enjoy offering solutions and options that they feel are workable. I am very happy when a patient returns after a successful course of treatment for support in another area, and then chooses to come in for a seasonal “tune-up.”

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
I hear two big misconceptions: acupuncture only treats pain and that it has to hurt in order to work. First, ours is a comprehensive medical system and has the potential to treat many conditions (the World Health Organization lists 30 conditions with research to back the efficacy of treatment, and up to 40 additional ones, with research caveats). Second, there are many styles of needling, plus effective acupressure techniques. I can achieve results with techniques appropriate to my patient, without alienating them. And usually, once the first few needles are in, the patient becomes more relaxed and then we find the appropriate way forward together.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I try to stay healthy by taking a moderate path and trying to make good choices. When life becomes out of balance, as it invariably does from time to time, I try to lighten up and go with the flow until I can correct course. I need fresh air and a walk with my dog, a bowl of soup, a few yoga poses and a steady dose of New Yorker cartoons. I like to laugh. I listen to music. I believe in the power of a cup of tea. And, of course, I take herbs and receive acupuncture.

Learn more and get in touch
kathleenport.com
kathleen@portfamily.com
(310) 230-0280
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2211 Corinth Avenue, Suite 202, Los Angeles, CA 90064

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I became an acupuncturist after being helped by an acupuncturist when Western medicine offered me no effective treatment. I have always been interested in non-invasive approaches to health and wellbeing.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
My approach to treatment is more Taoist in nature. I user smaller, thinner needles and less of them per treatment, and I focus on the core issues causing suffering. I use what are known as the Secondary vessels which seem to have a deeper influence on the psyche and belief systems.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
The thing that I enjoy most about my work is watching people grow and develop the tools and skills to lead happier and healthier lives.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
The biggest misconception I hear about acupuncture is that it is just for pain. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a full system that effectively treats most things that cause suffering, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I stay healthy by striving for balance in my lifestyle. I aim for moderation in dietary choices, exercise, recreation and spiritual growth.

Learn more and get in touch
laherbsandacupuncture.com
drfarrell@laherbsandacupuncture.com
(310) 387-8914

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LA Herbs and Acupuncture: 2990 S. Sepulveda Blvd., #205, Los Angeles, CA 90064

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
To help people feel better. I am passionate about healing and Oriental medicine offers simple but deep solutions for real-life problems. I love what I do, and what I do is help people feel better.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I am a born and raised, hard-working Midwesterner with a background in corporate business and internet startups. I know what it is to work from the ground up and to be stressed out, worn down, and without answers to health problems. I’m a straight talker and I respect everyone’s unique story and journey. Because of my own life struggles and those who helped me along my way, I have a profound respect for the truth and how respectful, honest communication can change lives forever. I am myself.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Helping people have that “ah-ha!” moment and to feel better in their own skin.

I love being the last choice for people when nothing else works. It is so exciting to give people hope when they thought all hope was lost—acupuncture is a last-ditch, shot-in-the-dark, attempt. That said, it is even more exciting to meet more and more people who don’t go on suffering and come to acupuncture first. There is no need to use this as the last hope. Acupuncture is a place to start.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
That it doesn’t work. Anything that can hang around this world for 3,000-plus years has something going for it. The more we learn, the more we know it works.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
I have learned the following keys to health in my own life and I work to improve them every single day: Surrounding myself with love, friendship, and support; regular exercise that works up a sweat as well as casual fun in movement; very high-quality food I cook for myself; and of course, acupuncture and herbs.

Learn more and get in touch
niceneedles.com
niceneedles@gmail.com
(424) 645-7841
Facebook
Twitter

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Why did you become an acupuncturist?
I was working in the film industry on such award-winning fare as “The Fast and the Furious” and “Cruel Intentions” when at breakfast one day, I eavesdropped on the table next to me where a woman was talking about becoming an acupuncturist. I went to the school that day, enrolled and quit my job. The universe opened a window and I felt obliged to jump. I have no idea what I was thinking.

What distinguishes you from other acupuncturists?
I’m not a hippie and never was. I’m a regular guy who was born and raised here in LA I have crow tattoos because I’m a “hipster cliche,” NOT because I’m a “pseudo-spiritualist.” I don’t own billowy yoga pants or lavender crystals and I’ve never heard a Caucasian person use the words “Namaste” or “Love and Light” in a way that doesn’t sound completely deranged. That said, I think this medicine is absolutely amazing, and is grounded in a lot more science than the woo-woo hippie-ness, faux-Asian zen-ness, or strip-mall sketchiness that would personally make me uncomfortable as a patient.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Helping people. What else is there?

What is the biggest misconception you hear about acupuncture?
Two things: 1) The needles hurt. 2) I am a charlatan stealing money from people for hocus pocus and distracting them from true medical treatment. I am amazed how many people, upon hearing what I do, ask, “does that really work?” As if I would dedicate my life to a job I knowingly believe is false. I sympathize to an extent: It’s hard for people to get their heads around a medicine—or any concept really—that was born before the Age of Reason. However, I like to explain that just because Western medicine doesnt agree on how it works does not undermine the fact that it does work. I see enough success on a daily basis that I sleep pretty well at night.

How do you stay healthy in your own life?
“Everything in moderation,” both virtue and vice. That includes exercise, being lazy, eating nutritiously, eating terribly, sleeping well, staying up too late, doing charity and being selfish. We pick our battles and I don’t believe it is my job or my pleasure to be perfect all the time.

Learn more and get in touch
pokeacupuncture.com
russell@pokeacupuncture.com
(323) 387-3765

Visit
6917 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038

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