The Big Thing You Should Expect From Your Acupuncturist

​If you’ve never been treated by an acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist, it can be hard to know what to expect at your initial appointment. In most cases, seeing an acupuncturist will be a vastly different experience than visiting your MD for a check up. You can browse websites and read about an acupuncturist’s education, certifications, techniques, and specialities. But, what really matters is how you personally connect with your practitioner. Here’s a checklist of qualities you should expect from your acupuncturist/herbalist:

• A compassionate listener
• A motivating coach
• A wise advisor
• A dependable guide
• A loyal teammate
• An honest friend

​And your acupuncturist should provide an environment that allows you to open up and be yourself in a safe space.

In my practice, I combine the powers of listening, compassion, empathy, trust and respect to provide my patients with a safe space. This means that tears are just as ok as laughs.

Trust is the big one.
​To heal, you must trust yourself, trust your body, trust your spirit, and trust your acupuncturist.

***Side Note: I didn’t say “Trust your Mind” as in trust your Mind-Body-Spirit. Trusting your Mind (ego) is tricky, but there are ways to keep it in check.***

Just as you should expect these qualities in your acupuncturist, I have expectations of my patients:

• The truth
• The whole story
• A willingness to dive deep into the body-mind-spirit
• A sincere willingness to heal

Treatments at Indigo can be…

• ​physical and involve the modalities of Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, moxibustion, gua sha, fire cupping, nutrition, Chinese Herbs, etc.)
• emotional, releasing unresolved conscious or subconscious feelings
• spiritual, fostering intuition and a connection with your higher self
• involve homework to guide you to resolving the root of your pain/illness/issue

Healing is always a partnership between me and my patient. As a patient, I need you to invest time and energy into healing yourself. I can’t carry the weight of your healing, but I will offer my skills, training, knowledge, and wisdom to empower you to heal yourself.

So, what should you expect from your first visit to an acupuncturist?
Establishing trust to take the first steps on the journey to wellness.

To make an appointment, contact Michelle.