What to expect:
Initial sessions begin with a conversation whereby we discuss your concerns, intentions, and goals. From this information gathering I’m able to decide whether I can help you meet your goals, and if so, I can give you a sense of what a treatment plan might look like. Information gathering will include a discussion of your medical history, and I’ll likely employ some Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis techniques, such as reading your tongue and pulse.
My intensions for sessions are to hold a non-discriminating space, that forefronts safety, nervous system regulation and consent based practice. Treatment may include acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Tui Na and herbs. See below for more information on each of these.
Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is the insertion of very thin, sterile, single-use needles, into specifically selected points on the body called acupoints. Many patients find the experience painless, while others might feel a sensation of heaviness or a spark of energy. For patients who are uncomfortable with acupuncture needles, we have the option of using Tui Na massage, acupressure, cupping or moxibustion instead (see below for more details).
Acupoints are found along meridians, which are understood in Chinese Medicine to be pathways through which the life-energy known as "qi" flows. The role of the acupuncturist is to promote the smooth flow of energy in these channels. Interestingly, some posit that these meridians are aligned with anatomical fascial planes; fascia being the bands of connective tissues that form continuous networks below the skin and connect and incase bones, organs, muscles and nerves, and through which electrical energy, or qi, can travel.
Moxibustion, Cupping & Tui Na
One of the beautiful aspects of practicing Acupuncture through a Chinese Medicine lens, is that this system of medicine incorporates several modes of treatment, including cupping, moxibustion, and Tui Na.
Moxibustion is an ancient healing technique that involves the burning of dried mugwort herb close to the skin, to elicit the healing properties of infra-red heat to specific acupoints. This heat penetrates deep into fascia and tissues, to help circulate blood and regenerate tissue, as well as calm the nervous system.
Cupping involves the application of special glass cups to the body surface to create a strong suction. This suction pulls fascia and muscle tissues away from the bones to create space, release tension, restore circulation, relax the nervous system and open meridians. Cups are most often applied to the back.
Tui Na is a specific style of massage unique to Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, is one of the oldest forms of medicine, and involves the use of plants, chosen for their specific therapeutic effects. I work with herbs from a Western European lineage; for me it is both an art and a science at the intersections of deep rooted traditional knowledge and modern science. Herbal medicine has a beautiful way of deepening our connection to the abundance and generosity of the land.
Through Heartwood botanicals, I provide high quality, ethically wildcrafted or organically grown medicines, in the form of teas, tinctures, salves and liniments.