Interview Questions

Q: How long have you been in practice, and what motivated you to pursue a career in Chinese Medicine?

A: I have been practicing since 2015. To understand my choice of a career in Chinese medicine, consider my upbringing: my father, a medical doctor, and my birth mother, a nurse, ensured I received excellent healthcare in my early years. Yet, tragedy struck early when my mother passed away during childbirth from an AFE (amniotic fluid embolism) when I was three years old. Once I became an adult, I found that the care that I received in medical settings did not always offer the supportive and thorough approach that I received as a child.

Ultimately, my mother’s loss, coupled with a disappointing encounter with an aloof and inattentive doctor, fueled my search for a more compassionate and connective approach to healing. Inspired by a friend’s positive experience with an acupuncturist, I embarked on a journey into acupuncture, seeking to provide the personalized care I yearned for and expected, which I believe others seek as well. During acupuncture school, I discovered herbal medicine, finding it both captivating and often more effective than acupuncture. Today, as both an acupuncturist and herbalist, I am driven by a deep sense of purpose to improve the well-being of others through compassionate and comprehensive care.

Q: What specific area of Chinese Medicine do you specialize in, and what led you to that speciality?

A: Our family clinic offers comprehensive care for various disorders. However, I personally specialize in pediatric acupuncture and herbal therapy for skin conditions. After the loss of my mother at an early age, my father remarried when I was 7 years old and I have three younger siblings from this mother, as well as several foster and adopted siblings. My affinity for pediatric acupuncture stems from years of caring for my younger siblings and extensive experience in childcare and education. Inspired by my adopted mother’s passion for working with children and years of being around them, I naturally connect with young patients, using a creative and playful treatment approach.

While my rapport with children guides the treatment, mastering pediatric acupuncture theory and diagnostic skills required dedication, practice and time. Additionally, my passion for herbalism led me to delve deeper into dermatology, particularly in treating conditions like eczema, rosacea and acne. Undertaking specialized training expanded my expertise in both pediatric and dermatological conditions, allowing me to integrate profoundly supportive herbal remedies into my practice with satisfying clinical results.

Q: How has the program from TCM Academy benefited your professional development?

A: TThe TCM Pediatrics Course greatly benefited my professional development. Diagnosis and treatment approach in pediatric cases has been much clearer since completing this course, which has led to quicker and clearer changes in the child’s condition. The knowledge from this course has provided me with the foundation needed to more thoroughly diagnose and treat children. In fact, I have offered to pay for the course for those who work in my practice, so that they can use the same level of confidence and clarity to treat the many children in our community.

Q: What challenges do you face in your practice, and how do you overcome them?

A: I have opted to treat clients in only one treatment room per day. This is how I prefer to run my practice. I enjoy seeing one client at a time. This presents a challenge in treating enough clients to earn a lucrative income. For this reason, I offer family-oriented events, herbal sales and also allow other holistic practitioners to rent our rooms. I face the challenge of choosing my passion for deeper connections over my income. I overcome this by being very savvy in other areas of business management.

At Light & Dark Acupuncture & Apothecary, we also face the challenge of maintaining our unique approach to treating children with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) while also respecting diverse perspectives on pediatric care. While many in the United States integrate various therapies like homeopathy, functional medicine, we believe that TCM alone can and does create excellent treatment results. Our commitment lies in adhering to traditional approaches to pediatric care, using traditional diagnostic methods and testing each treatment principle individually, ensuring clarity in the appropriate treatment approach, rather than trying multiple techniques at once. Managing differing perspectives from parents, clients, and staff who advocate for alternative approaches or don’t grasp our commitment to tradition can be challenging. Nevertheless, we stand firm in upholding the integrity of TCM practices while remaining receptive to innovation and holistic approaches that complement our traditional approach. We do this by discussing cases together as a team to assure that we’re adhering to these principles.

Q: What advice would you give to other professionals looking to advance their careers in Chinese Medicine?

A: For professionals looking to advance their career in Chinese Medicine, I recommend prioritizing your diagnostic skills so that you can make a clear diagnosis. You can do this by taking continuing education courses and/or working with a mentor in your given field. Enhanced diagnostic skills improve clinical results. It’s easy to find quick solutions that help clients by learning techniques outside of TCM, but to find a clear Chinese medicine diagnosis can change their life from the inside out.

Q: What are your future goals in the field of Chinese Medicine, and how do you plan to achieve them?

A: My goal is to educate numerous practitioners in pediatric acupuncture, spreading essential support for young clients worldwide. I aim to achieve this by hiring clinicians one by one, financing their TCM Pediatrics education, and providing mentorship throughout the learning journey. Additionally, I intend to facilitate client access to natural and herbal therapy by expanding our herbal offerings and conducting community herbal courses, empowering them to incorporate these practices regularly.