Why become an Acupuncturist?

“When I was little I didn’t think I’d grow up to become an acupuncturist – I didn’t even know it was an option! I'm so glad, though, that my path brought me here.

When considering a career in the medical field, I knew it had to be the holistic route. I've always been drawn to the idea of treating a person as a whole – addressing all of the beautiful and messy parts of life. As a tactile learner, Massage Therapy was a great place for me to start my journey.

My first experience with acupuncture was actually in massage school. It was ‘modalities week’ and we were learning about different types of holistic medicine. One of our massage professors also happened to be an acupuncturist. At the time I was afraid of needles (I still am – the intravenous ones anyway) but I allowed him to do one point on me, which to my shock did not hurt! In fact, I didn’t feel it at all, but there it was – a needle sticking out of my hand. He introduced the class to moxibustion, gua sha, and cupping as well – and took us on a field trip to Chinatown in Chicago where I bought my first set of glass fire cups and a gua sha spoon.

He talked about the principles that Traditional Chinese medicine is rooted in, how everything relates back to nature and the principles of yin and yang – and something in me just clicked. Through my studies of the body, I had always thought about how everything seemed so connected, and how our bodies reacted to, resembled, and reflected so much of the world around us. Finally, I was hearing someone tell me that other people had been thinking this way (and practicing medicine this way!) for thousands of years.

After I graduated, I worked as a Licensed Massage Therapist for several years. I focused mainly on deep tissue therapeutic/rehabilitation massage, and I helped restore function, confidence, and independence to many patients. I kept seeing patients who needed so much more than musculoskeletal help, though, and it made me want to do more.

When I started studying Traditional Chinese Medicine at Pacific College in Chicago, I knew I was in the right place.

Since then, I have seen so many patients overcome, grow, and thrive because of the transformations their bodies have made with the help of this wonderful healing art. I, too, have come a long way towards a healthier and better life because of it.

I couldn’t be more grateful to be a practitioner of this amazing medicine, and to have the opportunity to show people how truly powerful their bodies can be.”