Here’s a summary of how I work.
Please allow 1 hour for your initial visit. As I don’t usually know what concerns you until you arrive for your appointment, I allow enough time for both a detailed herbal consultation and an acupuncture treatment. Both options of treatment may be used in combination, or separately, depending on your needs. Of course, it is entirely up to you if you have a preference of treatment.
For ongoing appointments, while you may not always need the whole hour, it is important to allow this so we can discuss your ongoing health concerns, new issues that may arise, and to include time for acupuncture, if that is going to benefit you. Appointment times are always intended for a detailed discussion of your symptoms, progress, and desired health goals.
With this in mind, I do not have different fees based on the amount of time you are here as is the case with some practitioners. When you are here, you receive the treatment you need, which is why at times the consultation or acupuncture takes longer, and at other times, less.
Each consultation begins with questions related to the main purpose of your visit. Once that is established, I continue to ask more questions in greater detail, and elaborate, until we refine our communication and reach a clear understanding of the link between your symptoms and the underlying cause. While this is going on, at another level, there is a back and forth discussion about what you can do to improve your day-to-day decisions, or to assist you in gaining a better self- understanding of your health, and in your planning and choices.
Included in every ongoing consultation, is a review of your progress, a revision of any changes you are making to improve your health, encouragement and refinement of the positive changes, and support of longer term self maintenance goals.