My first experience with acupuncture came after my first panic attack while I was in undergrad. I was in art school and independent for the first time in my life. I had come from a strict, military household and being at school, I found myself with the freedom to emote openly for the first time in my memory. The lid was off and I was not in control of the emotions spilling out of me.

A friend of mine knew a young woman who was studying acupuncture at a near by school who was in need of guinea pigs to practice on. Having no knowledge and no expectations, I started receiving acupuncture from her once a week for several months. After the third month, I could notice a profound difference in my mood and agency when it came to my emotional reactions. Acupuncture was giving me the internal support I needed to feel more empowered to be the person I wanted to be and make better decisions in life and relationships. After finishing my undergrad degree in Fine Arts, I decided to go to school in hopes of learning how to support people in the same way.

It wasn’t until I was practicing acupuncture for some years and then came across Somatic Experiencing that I understood that both Somatic Experiencing and Acupuncture are both “regulation therapies” that assist in the harmonizing and repair of the nervous system-a complex system that plays a large role in our mood, personality and overall sense of well-being. Following my client’s nervous system ensures that treatment is individual and lead by the wisdom of each person’s body.