First Visit & Patient Information

During your initial acupuncture visit (which lasts from 2-3 hours) you will have the opportunity to tell your story, talk about your top priorities and deepest concerns about your health and life. Marie will hold ALL of this along with an assessment of your health history, your pulse and tongue, body pain locations, pain levels and range of motion.

The first visit includes an acupuncture treatment and the development of an individualized treatment plan. Depending on your condition you may be prescribed nutrition and lifestyle homework, herbal formula or supplements or advised to schedule a coaching session for a deeper dive into what is happening.

A detailed health history form is an important tool in helping to create a thorough picture and understanding of your health. Once you schedule your appointment you will be sent an email with a link to electronic, new patient forms. Please allow adequate time to thoughtfully complete this form that will support your work with Marie!

You can get started on your new patient forms by scheduling your Initial Acupuncture Visit.

How Long Is This Going To Take?

At the beginning of care, patients ask me “How long is this going to take?”. The answer is, it depends. Everyone is different. Results are affected by the severity of the condition, your constitutional strength, your age, how many years the situation has been left unaddressed as well as how committed and available you are for regular, weekly visits and your openness to incorporate lifestyle modifications, supplements or herbs.

Patients should expect to come in for weekly visits to start. This can range from 6 to 12 weeks or more depending on the situation. It is understood that vacations, business trips or family obligations may occasionally interrupt weekly care. Just keep in mind that this can slow down your rate of recovery.

I find that duration of care can last …

A Reason

Some patients that come in have robust health and are dealing with an injury, a sudden stressful event or a relatively new imbalance that will respond quickly. Their concern might be handled in a matter of weeks or months.

A Season

Some patients that come in are experiencing a more significant change in their life and health and need more support while they navigate it. This could include concerning hormonal changes, exhaustion as they finish a project or leave a stressful job or a more severe injury. I may see these patients for six to twelve months.

Some patients come in seasonally for support of their allergies, seasonal affective disorder or to get rebalanced while on break from the school year. I have patients who come in annually for a few months to ensure that they navigate difficult seasons with greater ease.

A “Lifetime”

When working with patients I like to be clear about the results we’re aiming for, whether those results have been achieved and whether the benefits of acupuncture are worth their time and resources.

Each week that I check in with patients I learn about the many additional benefits on top of the initial project that brought them in.

When under regular care for a period of months and years, patients report:

• An enhanced ability to navigate stress and perform at a high level at work
• A greater capacity to show up with equanimity when there is stress in their family
• Consistent, better sleep and energy levels
• Less pain and faster recovery from exercise aches and injuries
• Emotionally and physically easeful monthly cycles

That said, many of these patients who value these benefits continue to come in on a bi-weekly, or monthly schedule to maintain the physical strength and emotional balance that was achieved in our work together and to maintain accountability for their good habits.

Once your primary health goal has been met we will decrease the frequency of visits to confirm that your body is maintaining the results. Once we have done this you can decide whether getting regular acupuncture is something that will support your life.