If you are interested in learning more about me and the path that led me to become an acupuncturist, read on!
My journey to becoming an acupuncturist began as early as my undergraduate studies, where I was drawn to classes that explored the emotional and spiritual aspects of being human. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in psychology and comparative studies in religion.
I married my best friend from college and we settled in Minneapolis. I went on to earn a Master of Social Work degree and spent 18 years working first as a psychotherapist and later as a school social worker. Along the way we had three amazing sons together.
Years into my social work career, I became increasingly incapacitated with debilitating fatigue and chronic migraines, and so began a decade-long healthcare journey.
I was placed on a cocktail of medications for migraines, which helped make the pain more manageable, but caused undesirable side effects and ultimately didn’t improve my condition. When labs came back in the normal range, the fatigue I was experiencing was dismissed. I intuitively knew there was a reason for my symptoms… that I wasn’t “just a migraineur”, so I began searching for answers outside the Western medical model.
I saw naturopathic doctors.
I saw nutritionists.
I saw chiropractors.
I saw massage therapists.
I saw craniosacral therapists.
I saw reiki practitioners.
And the list goes on. I received beneficial care from each provider, and my fatigue improved some, however nothing shifted the migraines, and over time their frequency increased.
I was introduced to acupuncture during this time after developing severe back pain. My chiropractor, suspecting a disc injury, appropriately referred me for an MRI. A friend suggested that I try acupuncture first, and I was shocked when my stubborn back pain disappeared completely during the 2nd treatment. I continued to use acupuncture to address fatigue and digestive issues. These issues took longer to treat, but my body was responding and recovering in ways I thought were no longer possible.
Seven years into my search for answers, I was diagnosed by a functional medicine doctor with mold illness. We had our home tested and toxic mold was identified in several rooms. Our home was remediated, and I began a long and bumpy detoxification process. Acupuncture supported my body through this taxing process and helped me manage the emotional challenges that accompany having a chronic and improperly diagnosed illness. Finally, my symptoms began to be alleviated in a radical new way!
Acupuncture has played an important role in all my stages of healing. And in the process, I became fascinated with this ancient medical system that sees the emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of being human as inextricably linked, treating the body as a unified whole. I was so inspired that I decided to walk away from my social work career to immerse myself in learning about acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Studying and practicing acupuncture has brought me full-circle back to my original interest so many years ago in understanding what it is to be human… emotionally, spiritually, and now physically too.
