“All emotions, even those that are suppressed and unexpressed, have physical effects. Unexpressed emotions tend to stay in the body like small ticking time bombs—they are illnesses in incubation.”
As a licensed acupuncturist, additional holistic treatment approaches may be incorporated into the co-created treatment plan. Most often, I prefer to use acupressure and magnets to promote the movement of qi and healing, however, it can also mean the use of traditional acupuncture, herbal remedies, food therapy, cupping, gua sha, qi gong, and tuina.
Most often these additional means of holistic treatment are only used if there is a state of extreme burnout or fatigue in an effort to prevent further exhaustion and help fill your cup.
What do these different modalities mean?
Acupressure: is just one of a number of Asian bodywork therapies. Using their fingers, tuning forks, crystals, or magnets to apply pressure to acupoints on the body's meridians. Sometimes, acupressure also involves stretching or acupressure massage. This technique is the most often used when client's would like a deeper focus on bodywork in mental health session.
Qi Gong: a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one's mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent.
Acupuncture: is the gentle and painless insertion of tiny sterile needles into acupuncture points along the body to stimulate the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) into releasing chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals change the experience of pain or release other chemicals, such as hormones, that influence the body’s self-regulating systems. The biochemical changes may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.
Herbal therapy: focus on correcting the underlying dysfunction of certain organs and unhealthy body patterns. The goal of herbal therapy is to bring the body back into a state of balance and restore proper energy.
Food therapy: Chinese Medicine places a strong emphasis on nutrition and self care. Food can assist or hinder our daily efforts to maintain optimal mental health.
Cupping: can loosen muscles, encourage blood and lymph flow, and sedate the nervous system.
Gua Sha: instrument-assisted unidirectional press-stroking of a lubricated area of the body surface, typically the back, neck, arms, and legs. It encourages circulation of blood and qi, the removal of metabolic waste in the skin and muscle tissues, and the breaking up of scar tissue.
TuiNa: use of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body to directly affect the flow of Qi.
Western science suggests there are three main mechanisms for acupuncture’s effects:
1. Activation of opioid systems: Research has found that several types of opioids may be released into the central nervous system during acupuncture treatment, thereby reducing pain.
2. Changes in brain chemistry, sensation, and involuntary body functions: Studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Acupuncture also has been documented to affect the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes whereby a person’s blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature are regulated.
3. Changes in blood flow: Acupuncture and Oriental medicine alters the circulation of blood to the affected area, resulting in removal of pain-causing chemicals, and restoring normal function to the area being treated.
Credentials & Specializations
Licensed Acupuncturist by Florida Department of Health (AP3565)
Masters of Oriental Medicine from Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine
For detailed list of continuing education trainings, please reach out.