In one year of practice I have treated around 500 different patients, I have discovered how to have fun with Chinese Herbs, I have dreamt up a business plan for a wonderful future and I have created work in acupuncture 5 days a week.
All of these things add up to a successful journey. A beautiful first year, with the mission of learning and providing affordable acupuncture for many people. However, I have yet to learn how to thrive on this lifestyle.
Each place I work has taught me something different. Berkeley Community Acupuncture, my comfort zone because of history has taught me what it looks like to be a functioning business that is surviving, not thriving. My dear colleagues there have been an inspiring group to explore what it means to be a person, acupuncturist and how to dive deep into the internal ocean of knowledge and wisdom we all have. However this has been mostly on an administrative and personal level, and less on a practitioner level.
San Francisco Community Acupuncture has taught me how to treat many people, with a full schedule, with herbs and acupuncture to get better. How to meet people and connect, how to retain patients, how to still feel energized after a full day of conversation, needling and herbal prescription. They have taught me what a smoothly running business looks like, what it takes and what support means to an acupuncturist.
SWAP has taught me how to explore myself as a person and a practitioner. It has given me the freedom to attract my own patients, people who really relate to me. And how to ride the roller coaster up and down and up and down.
Still learning, growing, moving on. It's been quite a year.
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