What to Expect
Initial Visit
The first visit normally lasts between 90 and 120 minutes and will include the following:
Health History Intake
[Review of a document you complete prior to your first session.]
Accessing a thorough and complete history of your physical, mental, and emotional health allows me to ask the right questions with which to develop a strong and effective treatment plan for you. We begin with a birth history because certain events or traumas that can occur at birth, or at an early age, can factor into present-day health issues without your conscious awareness.
Complete Pulse Intake
The pulse intake is a period of meditative silence—usually about 45 minutes in length—in which I gather the somatic information accessible only through this kind of deep listening to the body. You will be comfortably seated during this time. Many people come in to have their pulse checked out of a desire to learn what imbalances might be discovered there; others come in with a current health concern and the pulse provides additional insight that is often critical to understanding the source imbalance.
Acupuncture Treatment
The acupuncture treatment strategy will be based on what I have gleaned from the previous intakes. The treatment will probably use somewhere in the range of 6 to 12 needles, which are retained for 20 to 30 minutes while you rest in a comfortable position. Unlike the needles we associate with shots or blood draws, acupuncture needles are fine, like a strand of hair, and, most of the time, are barely felt. There can be a slight sting with the needle’s insertion, and an ache or a warmth that is elicited, as well. For most people I treat, acupuncture is a deeply relaxing experience—many fall asleep while the needles are in place.
Herbs
If you would like the immediate support of herbal therapy and time permits, a Chinese herbal formula will be designed to specifically treat your prominent source imbalance.
Follow-up Visits
Follow-up visits are 60 minutes. They include a check-in, a more abbreviated pulse diagnosis, and an acupuncture treatment. You may also get your herbal formulas refilled and/or altered during these visits.
Treatment Strategy
After the initial visit, I have your treatment strategy in place. This is further developed with each subsequent visit, depending on your progress. Some patients have symptoms that will shift rather quickly, allowing their bodies to heal within the first several visits. Others need to have their body and system strengthened and nourished before the necessary changes can be sustained. Lifestyle and habits also play a role in this process. Making supportive changes to these is something we can discuss.
Scheduling
You will most likely come in weekly for the first month. At that point, we will assess your progress and decide whether to continue with that schedule or to down-shift the frequency of your appointments to bi-monthly or monthly. Many of my clients like to come in for “tune-up” treatments every couple of weeks; they are often on an herbal formula, and feel the acupuncture treatments help keep their symptoms at bay while supporting them to better manage their stress.