ABOUT MY TREATMENTS

There are a few things you should do to prepare for your first appointment: 

1. For acupuncture treatments, please dress comfortably and wear loose clothing so that your arms and legs may be easily accessible. If your treatment includes massage as well, this is less important because I will most likely have you remove clothing and keep you draped appropriately with sheets and a blanket. 

2. Please drink liquids and eat a snack 1-2 hours before your treatment. Dehydration and/or low blood sugar can cause you to feel light headed after a massage or acupuncture treatment.  However, massage can be uncomfortable if you eat too much beforehand, so a snack or light meal is ideal. 

3. Try to schedule your treatment during a time where you won't have to rush away or engage in taxing mental, emotional, or physical activity after you leave. I understand that life can be hectic and sometimes we need to squeeze self healing in when we can. However, you will get so much more out of your treatment if you are able to relax and take it easy afterwards. 

4. Please inform me prior to treatment if you have any known allergies or sensitivities to certain massage oils or essential oils. Also make sure to let me know if you are uncomfortable with physical touch on certain parts of the body. 

​5. Please avoid brushing or scraping your tongue (if that is routine for you), or eating/drinking substances that may stain your tongue the day of your treatment. It helps me to make a proper diagnosis to see the natural coating on your tongue. If you forget, don't worry...it's not a deal breaker.​

CONSULTATION

For first time patients, your initial appointment will start with a consultation that takes 15-30 minutes, give or take depending on what you are experiencing in your body. This part of the treatment is extremely important because in order to come up with a clear and concise diagnosis in Chinese medicine, I need to know the nitty gritty details of how you function, which will include questions about: Energy, Lifestyle, Sleep, Digestion/Diet (what goes in and how it comes out), Immunity, Emotions, Musculoskeletal/Pain Patterns, Reproductive System, Endocrine System, and Neurological System. This is my opportunity to listen fully and deeply to your story, and to understand how you got from past to present so that we can find the root of the problem and solve it. During this time I get to be an artist, and creatively paint a picture of the intricacies and inter workings of your body so that I can provide the best possible treatment, for the best possible outcome.

I fully understand that sharing personal matters with someone you barely know can be a vulnerable experience. Please know that the more honest you can be with me, the better I am able to diagnose you properly. That being said, if there are things you don’t feel comfortable sharing about your past or present, I completely understand. In that case I can only hope that we will build a trusting relationship over time, and you will open up to me when you feel comfortable. I am here for you, in confidentiality and without judgement. 

For return patients, the consultation part of the treatment will be much shorter. We will discuss how you felt after your last treatment, any changes that have taken place, or any new health concerns you would like to address. This takes anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on what we are treating and how long it has been since your last appointment.

MASSAGE THERAPY

Each treatment will include customized massage unless you opt out of this part of the treatment for cost or time savings, or if you would rather just enjoy the benefits of acupuncture or skincare by themselves. I recommend including this part of the treatment when possible for several reasons. I will work to reset the nervous system, relax tightened connective and muscle tissue (namely the fascia!!), get things moving in your circulatory and lymphatic system, open and direct flow in your meridians, and also use palpation to aid in diagnosis (a lot can be learned about what is going on inside the body just by massaging around the spine, for example). During this part of the session I will ask you to take deep even breaths and sometimes even concentrate your attention on a certain part of the body. I may use passive movements (I move parts of your body to aid in release) or active movements AKA active release technique (I have you actively participate in engaging and releasing certain muscles/muscle groups). I specialize in fascial release and use slow, deep and intentional strokes. I will make sure to check in with you so that I find a pressure that works well for you.

​ACUPUNCTURE

Aside from the consultation and massage, there are several tools I use as an acupuncturist to better understand what is happening inside the body. I will likely feel your pulse by placing 3 fingers on the medial radial aspect of each wrist. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pulse diagnosis is far more complicated than just feeling for the rate like a doctor or nurse might do. In a nutshell, I can learn a great deal about the strength of your energy, the status of specific organs, and the location and nature of your imbalance and symptoms. 

​I may also ask to look at your tongue. This is generally strange for people initially but believe it or not you can understand a lot about what is going on inside the body, the things you may feel but cannot see, just by looking at the tongue. It may take a few moments and I may have you stick it out more than once, because I am looking for many things including: size, color, shape, coating, texture, cracks, and veins. The location of these distinctions is informative because different parts of the tongue represent different areas of the body (like a microsystem of the human body). 

Another major part of my diagnostic technique is just to feel what is going on in the body through the massage portion of the treatment. For example, each of the organs are represented by points along the spine, so I can tell a lot about what areas need attention based on what I feel there.

​After observing the pulse and tongue, I will begin to insert needles. If you are needle sensitive or prefer to know what I am doing, I can give you a step by step and we can take deep breaths together so you are never caught off guard. However, I have a gentle approach and you will find that most needles are painless. For some, needle insertion will feel like a small pinch or sting, especially on the more sensitive or thicker skinned areas of the body such as the feet and hands. There are also going to be active points that create a mild sensation of tingling, dull aching, or numbness. These sensations generally pass quickly and you will soon find yourself in a state of deep relaxation. 

​Needles will usually be retained for 15 - 35 minutes. During that time I may continue to do some bodywork/massage techniques to direct qi and blood in the body, or further relax muscles and meridians. I will then leave you alone to drift off and enjoy your treatment, reminding you to take deep breaths into your belly and/or meditate on a specific area of the body and visualize healing. I may check on you and adjust the needles a couple of times throughout your treatment.

​After I take the needles out, I will allow you a few minutes to compose yourself. We will then meet again to discuss your treatment plan (how often you should come back, how many treatments you may need, if herbal medicine should be a part of your plan, nutrition/supplement suggestions, stretching/exercise suggestions, etc.) We can then take care of payment and schedule your next session if that is a part of your plan. This is a good time to ask any questions you may have as well, but remember you can always contact me by phone or email if you have more questions after you leave, or if we run out of time. 

You will receive a follow up email the day after your treatment. Please let me know how you are feeling or if you have any feedback for me. This is so that I can get a better idea of how the treatment affected you, know if we are on the right track, answer any more questions you may have, and gather information for my records about how we will proceed in your next treatment. 

For more information about acupuncture, click here.​

MICRONEEDLING AND CHEMICAL PEELS

​We will begin with a consultation to figure out what your goals are, what the underlying conditions are that are causing a breakdown in collagen, sagging skin, dark circles, wrinkles, age spots, broken capillaries, acne, eczema, or any other skin condition/complaint. This will give me a better idea of what products to use to suit your needs, and if there are additional modalities we can use, such as acupuncture or massage, during your treatment. Skin care is not all about what we put on the outside, our skin is largely affected by what is happening on the inside of the body too. For this reason, we will treat both the root of the problem, and the outward reflection. Your first treatment may run a little longer due to the consultation, so be prepared for that.

​I will start by double cleansing the skin and removing any dirt or make up with a warm steamed towel. The first oil cleansing will include fascial massage, and lymphatic drainage techniques.

​After massage and cleansing, we will move onto the microneedling or chemical peel, which you can read more about by following these prospective links.

Treatments will include 20-30 minutes under the Celluma LED Light Therapy device to further increase circulation to the face, neck and decolatte, reduce inflammation, and a host of other benefits you can read about here.