The Spirit Within - Meet the Community
Welcome to our 'The Spirit Within', where we celebrate the journeys and achievements of our graduates and community.
The Spirit Within - Meet the Community
Welcome to our 'The Spirit Within', where we celebrate the journeys and achievements of our graduates and community.
Today we invite you to meet Joseph Staplers, a practitioner from Canada, and a graduate of our Oncology Acupuncture Program. We sat with Joseph and his partner to get to know them, their work, and vision.
Joseph Staples
Practice: Contrast Healthcare & Acupuncture Inc.
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Operations: 4 treatment rooms, 40-50 patients per week
Partner: Sarah Anderson
Interview Questions
Q: How long have you been in practice, and what motivated you to pursue a career in Chinese Medicine?
A: We opened in 2016. I have been practicing medicine in prehospital care paramedicine since 2004. I became aware of TCM after working in medicine and decided that I wanted to offer more to people than I currently did in paramedicine, and I became aware that TCM was how I wanted to continue to educate and learn for better patient care.
Q: What specific area of Chinese Medicine do you specialize in, and what led you to that specialty?
A: We do not specialize at this time other than specializing in TCM as a specialty. We are unique in that we offer a full herbal pharmacy to our patients, along with acupuncture. Pain complaints are the main reason patients seek us out as they are seeking relief. Other than pain we educate our patients on how TCM can be a great treatment option for internal medicine conditions that affect many organ systems. The goal we have for our clinic is to offer all of the modalities that TCM can provide.
Q: How has the program from TCM Academy benefited your professional development?
A: The program was beneficial because it lays down a framework for you the practitioner to use in practice. I believe that the goal of acupuncture and TCM in the field of Oncology is to be supportive at this time and the program was the perfect fit to align with my values and provide treatment options for patients with cancer.
Q: What challenges do you face in your practice, and how do you overcome them?
A: The main challenge is educating the public about what TCM can offer. People are not aware of all of the benefits that TCM has to offer for their health.
Q: What advice would you give to other professionals looking to advance their careers in Chinese Medicine?
A: The best place to start is with a focus on treating pain or other symptoms that affect quality of life. Education becomes the next step to spread awareness of the other treatments and modalities you can offer for people and their health.
Q: What are your future goals in the field of Chinese Medicine, and how do you plan to achieve them?
A: We want to raise awareness about the effects of acupuncture in supporting people receiving conventional cancer therapy so that they have options to help support them as they receive treatment. Our current patients share their stories and we engage in online marketing.
Few last words?
A: TCM is an effective treatment for multiple conditions. The years of development show that it has been a safe and effective way to help people with a wide variety of health problems and symptoms. As TCM practitioners, we need to continue to educate the public and advocate for the profession. People everywhere can benefit from what TCM has to offer.
