AcuPages.com Q&A

 For 6 years prior to acupuncture I performed shiatsu --acupressure massage. Those years doing shiatsu drew me to acupuncture -- the early experiences of feeling the Qi in my hands when I worked with people was remarkable. No one had to convince me of the reality of the body's energy systems! I attribute my gentle and knowledgeable treatment style to the sensitivity first developed doing acupressure and to the needling techniques I later acquired from the Japanese acupuncture tradition.

 My herbal certification (Dipl.CH) from study with distinguished teachers Ted Kaptchuk (US) and Simon Mills (UK) was completed in 1992, providing me with a thorough clinical foundation in both Chinese and Western herbal medicine. I have always loved herbal medicine and starting in my early 20's I was blending herbal teas and lotions from essential oils. Plants are such healers -it is a thrill to work with them. My Nutrition Response Testing (NRT) specialty stemmed from my healing at the hands of Dr. Freddie Ulan, who developed the technique. Like Oriental Medicine, NRT is able to target precisely the specific needs and priorities of each individual. Herbs and supplements can offer tremendous assistance to us, but since there is such a large amount of bewildering information and worthless products out in the marketplace, I was motivated to offer NRT as an effective system of personalized assessment and clinical nutrition based on energy evaluation. Another strong influence on me has been my Qigong studies with Master Binhui He, originator of Taiji Five Element Qigong and Master Chunyi Lin, creator of Spring Forest Qigong. I am grateful to them and my many yoga teachers who have taught me to embrace the daily practice of energy cultivation techniques to maintain my health and integrity. I was honored to take a leadership role in the state-wide effort beginning in 1985 to obtain Connecticut licensure for acupuncturists, which was finally granted 10 years later - in 1995. It was a tremendous advancement for acupuncturists to become licensed healthcare professionals. I am very proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with my dedicated colleagues who worked so hard to make it happen. I have logged a lot of experience and success in the treatment of chronic pain, muscular and skeletal problems, sports injuries, trigger point myofascial syndromes and stress disorders. Effective approaches to healthcare for women at all stages of life have also been a strong focus for my work. In addition to Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Nutrition Response Testing I teach techniques for clients to do at home including exercise, healing breath practices and meditation.