Getting to Know the Clinic: Part 2

Which "Level" practitioner is right for you?

Observation

Our most financially accessible treatment is performed by a clinical supervisor with a team of observing clinical interns. This is an amazing opportunity to get treatment by an advanced practitioner for $5. Please inquire with the Front Desk receptionist about availability for Observation appointments.

Level 1

Care is provided by a team of up to 4 junior interns and their supervisor, who is present for the intake and treatment and oversees each aspect of the team’s care. Each group of interns work together over the course of a semester and bring their own strengths to each patient; the patients get the benefit of being cared for by 5 attentive people. These appointments cost $20 and are scheduled for two hours.

Level 2

These 2-hour, $30 treatments are performed by our advanced clinical interns who do the intake and design the treatment plan in a one-on-one setting with the patient. Working closely with their supervisors after the intake process, they design a treatment. The supervisor will be present for the insertion of the acupuncture needles. Sometimes the treatment is observed by a junior student.

Level 3

These treatments are performed by our advanced clinical interns who are getting ready to graduate. They do the intake interview and design a treatment in a one-on-one setting, get the treatment approved by their supervisor, and perform the acupuncture treatment. These sessions are the shortest in our one-on-one setting, so if time is of the essence for you, consider booking one of these 75 minute, $30 sessions. The treatment may be observed by a more junior student.

Community Clinic

Some Fridays, our advanced students offer treatments in a community setting where multiple recliner chairs are arranged in a single room. These treatments are less expensive, the intake is highly condensed, and the points used are from the elbows and knees down. Like a switch on a wall turning on a light over head, acupuncturists use these distal points to affect the internal body. We are able to see a high volume of patients in a short amount of time using the community clinic model at the affordable price of $10 per treatment.

The Flow of Treatment

Diagnosis

Our interns are thoroughly trained in Chinese Medicine's traditional diagnostic methods. Whether you’re coming in for shoulder pain or fertility treatment, your practitioner(s) will take a broad view of your health and you’ll have the opportunity to explore many precipitating factors affecting the flow of qi and blood in your body. Alongside thoughtful question asking, interns will employ some powerful diagnostic techniques that are unique to Chinese Medicine, like “listening” to the pulses at the wrist and looking at the tongue. At this point, interns generally step out of the room to consult with their supervisors and design the treatment. Patients have the opportunity to use the restroom, have some water, or get some extra rest on our massage tables.

Treatment

Most obviously, your treatment will involve the placement of incredibly thin, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points on your body. Acupuncturists generally place between 4 and 20 of these needles in a single treatment and may use points to address the “root” of your syndrome and “branch,” the symptoms that are showing up. All of our students are well versed in the Materia Medica of Chinese Medicine and often add prescriptions of herbal formulas to support their patients. Herbs can be prescribed as raw herbs that need to be cooked, as granules to be added to hot water, or as pills. Your acupuncturist will consult with you about which works best for your lifestyle and will be most efficacious for your condition. Ready to schedule your next appointment? Book an Appointment Online Here! Look out for our next and final “Getting to Know the Clinic” blog post where we’ll share the various other modalities our student interns might employ from hands-on approaches like massage, cupping, and e-stim, to in-depth dietary and exercise coaching according to the principles and wisdom of Chinese Medicine.