I speak to patients about their health concerns and we analyze lifestyle, diet, nutrition, and exercise. We analyze the problems from a Chinese medicine perspective. Chinese medicine is all about creating balance, so if you are stressed, sick, or in pain, things are not balanced. I used acupuncture to balance chi (energy). If the person has some sort of weakness then I would add herbs, which strengthen the body and add nutrition. I also use massage techniques for muscular and skeletal issues.

EDUCATION | BA from Connecticut College, Major Physics, Minor Astronomy M.S. in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Bastyr University, in Seattle

HOW TO GET STARTED | It's very exciting and rewarding. It's a totally different way of thinking and you have to be ready to put in the hours and brainpower to understand how this medicine works. It's a lifetime study. You have to get your masters in it to practice and you have to get a license.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Innovative, creative, people person, loving, caretaking, and hardworking

how I got started | I got very sick and I went to a lot of medical doctors who gave me medicine, which time and time again made me much sicker. In order to find alternative healthcare I went to an acupuncturist and the combination of acupuncture and herbs helped my body get much stronger and my ailments were improved. I was so interested and amazed by how it helped me, I decided to pursue it as a career and enrolled in school.

why this job?| I was impressed with how powerful acupuncture and non-pharmaceutical medicine can be. It completely transformed my life and I wanted to help other people to realize that they have health options other than the mainstream.

why I love this job!| I love getting to know people and their stories. I love helping them and watching their health improve.

my typical day| I get into the office, meditate, open the window, put clean sheets on. When my first patient comes in we talk for a few minutes, they lay on the table, start with massage technique then put in needles. When the needles are in, I think about what herbs are needed. I would normally have about 5-6 patients a day, and the first session is an hour and a half. Follow up sessions are an hour.

what they are | You don't always know what treatment will work. You could have four patients and give them the same treatment, and it could work on some but not others. Each treatment needs to be the right plan for the right person at the right time. It's a process and you have to be willing to be creative and come up with new ideas to help people.

all about growth | The growth in this career is exponential. So many people are looking for other forms of medicine. It's growing all the time and becoming much more mainstream and accepted. It's interesting how something so ancient can feel so new.

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