Evolve Acupuncture Training

I had a client who has severe Complex PTSD, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia and severe fatigue. He told me he needs to improve his energy levels because every time he exercised, it took him 3 days to recover.

When I asked him what he did, he said he ‘went hard’ for 45 minutes on the elliptical machine. The problem was identified right there. He was doing more than his body had the capacity to do. When I discussed this with him, he said, ‘But how do I lose weight and build my fitness up if I don’t go hard?’ My point was that what he was doing wasn’t working and didn’t allow his body to create consistency. He would be much better doing 10-15 minutes per day at a lower output to build consistency and resilience. His current method was just draining his reserves and holding him back from recovery.

These conversations in practice are so important, as clients often misunderstand what is best for them due to a lack of understanding and education. Our job is to help correct that.

In our workshops, we don't just talk channels, points, needling and palpation. We talk about client care and practice management too. Find out more: https://evolveacupuncturetraining.com/workshops/

Learn to break the rules.

What we learn in Chinese medicine is a series of concepts and ideas that are, in the case of Classical Chinese medicine, very, very old and, in the case of TCM, a hybrid style that was a new interpretation of the classics. As a result, we essentially have a lot of potential mistranslation going on. We are often taught the ‘rules’ that are essentially interpretations of original texts, translations and personal perception. We are taught these rules are not to be broken. However, I have, in over 35 years of practice and learning, found multiple interpretations of the same thing again and again. So who is right? Who is wrong? Is Classical Chinese medicine the only answer? Perhaps TCM is. Or what about Japanese acupuncture, SAAM acupuncture, etc?

I have learnt some extraordinary styles of acupuncture and herbal medicine where the teachers advise me as to the rules only to find that breaking them has led me to a much broader understanding of how our medicine can be applied.

We are practitioners and therefore practice our medicine. I have found an important part of this is to explore different ideas and concepts in order to create a more rounded understanding of the body. To try something new and see if it works, to bend a concept or extend it, and to continue to search. Of course, we need to ensure safety, but even then I have seen teachers discuss contraindications of points and how they aren’t relevant. Stay safe, but make sure to test the boundaries too.

Want to treat more clients with less stress (and needles)? Check out our workshops: https://evolveacupuncturetraining.com/workshops/

Every workshop I run, there is always a number of practitioners who are on the verge of burnout. Fatigue, poor sleep and body-failing type scenarios. No one really identified this as an issue when I was studying, but it is a significant problem that definitely needs to be addressed before you even get close. The reason is that once you hit full burnout, a couple of weeks off isn’t enough to resolve it. In my case, I ended up taking 6 months off practice. But a lot of people don’t have the ability to be able to do that and keep themselves afloat. There are several things to consider to keep yourself from burnout...

1. Stop trying to fix everyone in one session - It’s common for us to do too much because our desire to help is so strong. Doing more isn’t always better.

2. Reasonable hours - If you are working 40 hours a week in clinic then you are doing too much. This job can be intense. We're dealing with people’s pain and distress and this will wear anyone down over time. I love the idea of doing 2 days on, one day off, two days on and then two days off. The day in the middle can be used to do any extra admin, business-related work etc so you get to have your weekend completely free. I’ve found since converting to a more distal method I'm able to run multiple rooms so it means I earn more and work less.

3. Planning - Create a plan with set tasks to do and timelines to get them done. Without a plan, often we become inefficient and can spend too much time not getting much done.

4. Self-care - We talk about it with our clients, but we aren’t always great at following our own advice. I get a treatment of something every week. Acupuncture, osteo, massage and counselling. This means I am able to address problems before they become bigger than I can handle. Make sure you are doing some sort of movement every day. It doesn’t have to be hours, just something. Eating lots of fresh and preferably organic food. Just 10 mins a day of meditation can yield significant benefit in resetting our nervous system. Make time for holidays. We all need to have a complete break to reset. Schedule regular holidays to prevent burnout physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

'Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.'
- Ingrid Bergman

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Often when we discuss things like diet with clients, we can hit resistance. A big issue for many practitioners is how to deal with this. Most of us don’t do it well. Our job is to support our clients through any change we recommend. For me, I look at gradual introduction of change rather than massive shifts in a short period of time.

Change is hard for all of us, so working with our clients to help them get there is part of our job. Now sometimes we get clients who, regardless of our approach, are just unwilling to make any changes at all. In my practice, I am very big on the idea of NOT dictating to or bullying my clients into change. In saying that, I am also okay with giving clients who resist change the blunt truth. This is my approach. ‘Of course you get to choose what you want to do. But inflammation begins in the gut and your condition is based on inflammation. So if you don’t want to change your diet, then our capacity to create long-term sustainable change is going to be limited.’

What do you find works and what doesn’t?

We discuss different client care approaches in our workshops to powerfully enhance the whole treatment experience. Find out more: https://evolveacupuncturetraining.com/workshops/

Love this pre-made congee from Conjo Congee Chinese herbs, organic, non GMO delicious gut support for my clients and yours. Highly recommend checking them out 🤘🏾

“Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic self. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen.” –Sarah Ban Breathnach

Every practitioner is different. In our workshps, we aim to support that difference. Find out more: https://evolveacupuncturetraining.com/workshops/

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