Trauma Informed Acupuncture
My own exploration of trauma and how it lives in me has made me curious about how best to help support my people in the treatment room. It has led me to working with master teacher Lorie Dechar since 2004, in the study of Alchemical Acupuncture and how to treat at the level of the soul. Alchemical Acupuncture begins with the premise that the difficult, sticky parts of our story are often where the potential lies. Becoming more aware of who we are, how we react and what we believe has to include the infinite wisdom of the body and is not just a cognitive, top-down experience. And all parts of us are welcomed in the room.
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More recently, I got interested I polyvagal theory and our fight/flight/freeze adaptive response, which often gets stuck in our tissue and unconsciously drives how we respond to things in real time. I came across the work of Alaine Duncan and her book The Tao of Trauma which beautifully melds poly-vagal theory, the work of Peter Levine and his self-protective response cycle, and the Five Element theory of classical Asian Medicine. I engaged in a year-long program to dive deeply into this method. Duncan's work offers a hands-on approach based on her years of work as a Somatic Experiencing practitioner, and it has been an incredible addition to the work I do with patients.
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I feel really excited by how all these pieces have impacted my work as a practitioner. I go much more slowly. I try to listen from my heart. I recognize the importance of creating a safe container in the treatment room. I hold a deep regard for the wisdom of our bodies and spirits, and know that we have a profound drive towards upgrading and finding balance. I am so lucky to get to witness and support my patients in this way.
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Physical Medicine Acupuncture
This style of Acupuncture comes from the work of Dr. Mark Seem, who founded the acupuncture school I attended in NYC. Dr. Seem is a pioneer in using acupuncture to assess and treat holding patterns in the body.
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This pragmatic style blends a more western take on treating pain and dysfunction through the lens of Dr. Janet Travell and her mapping of trigger points and their referral pathways, with a meridian-based, palpatory system of treatment that is rooted in the lineage of Classical Chinese Medicine and Vietnamese, Japanese and French acupuncture.
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As dry needling has become more popular, it has caused confusion for people about the differences between it and "true acupuncture". With Acupuncture Physical Medicine, you get the best of both- release of constriction in your muscle tissue and fascia and the elegant, wholistic lens of East Asian Medicine.
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The Gyrotonic® Method
The Gyrotonic® Method is part of the Gyrotonic Expansion System®, created by Juliu Horvath. This method uses specialized equipment, designed by Juliu, which seamlessly allows your body to move through its natural ranges of motion, with flow and breath, and without jarring or compression on your joints.
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It dovetails beautifully with the movement of energy through the acupuncture channels, and over time, will help your body move with more efficiency, ease, balance and flexibility. It is one of the best systems of therapeutic movement out there, and can be such a great addition when recovering from injury, surgery, or just trying to refine the way your body moves in space and aligns itself. And, the quality of the movement asks your nervous system to quiet and stay attuned to what your are doing while you are doing it. I have never stepped away from working on the equipment without feeling more embodied and present.
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I have such respect for this system of movement, and am very grateful to be able to offer Gyrotonic® as a therapeutic movement system in conjunction with Acupuncture, for the first time.