My definition of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
TCM is fundamentally a style of medicine which focuses on balance. Both balance within yourself and balance between you and the outside world. This beautiful and powerful medicine sees the person as a whole within a community and treats accordingly. TCM practitioners take into account the season, time of day, work life, family life, etc. for each client and develop a highly individualized treatment. Focus is given to both symptoms and the root cause of the symptoms to maximize long-term healing while also preventing other issues from occurring.
The modalities we incorporate:
At Valentine Care, we utilize acupuncture, Chinese herbology, Tuina (body work), cupping, guasha (flat edged tool brushed along body), electric acupuncture (e-stim), laser acupuncture, moxa (a warm herb), nutritional recommendations and more. The tools we use during your treatment will depend on your unique condition as well as your preferences. We will work with you to customize a plan that works best for your body and situation. A lot of these modalities are unfamiliar to new clients and we will go through all the options in depth during your visit.
My Definition of Health and Sickness:
Much like the definition of TCM, I consider ‘health’ to be when the body/mind/spirit are in a state of harmony and ‘sickness’ to be when this harmony has been disrupted. We will work as a team to bring your entire being back into a state of equanimity and homeostasis. The goal is to thrive, not just survive, during this life.
My Vision of the Practitioner/Patient relationship:
I feel very strongly that the relationship between the patient and practitioner is one of collaboration and teamwork. I may know more about TCM, but the patient knows more about their body. It is only through working together that we can achieve optimal results. One of the foundational elements of my practice is a focus on mindfulness and body awareness. This helps the patient tune into the experiences of the body and allows me to better understand how their body is trying to self-regulate the imbalance. My first priority is to create a sense of safety between the practitioner and patient. I believe that if the nervous system is unable to settle into a place of calm then the body will fight against the healing processes. It is of critical importance to ensure that patients feel heard, respected, and honored.
My view of my practice as it relates to the rest of the community:
I highly value integrative care. My view is that there is only one medicine with different approaches (in this case Eastern and Western). I want all forms of medicine to work together in the best interest of the patient; much like divorced parents focused on lovingly and responsibly coparenting their child. Even if we disagree on some point, we agree that patient care is front and center and that each of us have unique skill sets to offer. I am always working to maintain a top notch referral list in case a patient requires a different form of care. I love building a strong community to work and live within.
The best way to learn more is to book a session and see the many benefits for yourself!