What makes community in acupuncture?

I am one of the many people who read Lisa Rohleder’s article in Acupuncture Today
on social entrepreneurship. I was still a student at Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque, New Mexico and already planning my move to Portland. Lisa’s article motivated and inspired me to rethink how I would go about practicing acupuncture. She was the only voice I heard that offered an alternative to the traditional and standard one-on-one practice model. Finding a way to develop a practice that can reach the most number of people while being creative, fun and true to your nature. What??? I soon became the unofficial community acupuncture spokesperson at my school.

And so, just after my graduation, I moved to Portland to co-found Brooklyn Community Acupuncture with my business partner, Maria Perez, L.Ac. The first week with my new license, when our clinic had only been open a few days, I had the opportunity to cover a Friday afternoon shift at WCA. This would be my trial by fire with community acupuncture. In a span of 4 hours I treated 16 people. I didn’t have much time to think, I was just feeling, moving and acting with a few questions inserted here and there. The flow of people was initially smooth and even paced until suddenly there was a pod full of 5 or so people waiting for me in their chairs. I remember taking a deep breath and thinking…so this is community acupuncture in action.

What I have discovered since that day at WCA is my best work happens when treating multiple people in a room. Somehow I get out of my own way, drop the ego, and allow intuition to flow more naturally. Besides, there is something very peaceful to step into a room full of people sleeping in chairs…with acupuncture needles for both the practitioner and the patient. It was during one of those days when I had several people walk in together in BCA that I ordered patient---who I’ve seen many times before---to take off her socks so I could get started. We both laughed about it later because it was so out of character for me. She commented on how I was in the “zone”. And I was. I was in the community acupuncture practice zone. Cut out the extraneous and just get to the point…

When we started the clinic I have to admit that I really didn’t fully understand the implications of what community acupuncture meant. Outwardly it’s a sliding scale clinic where people get treatments together in one room. The idea is simple enough, but the community part takes on a life of its own for both the patients and the practitioners.

Making acupuncture affordable obviously makes it possible fill up an acupuncture clinic. The cool thing is that when the room is full of people in chairs, the energy of community takes over. When people first walk into our space they say things like; “It feels good in here”,“ I love this space”, “It’s so peaceful” Of course we keep the lighting low, have soft music and fountains running, but I think it’s something different that they sense. I believe that somehow the healing energy from the room itself, perhaps even the recliners, as Skip says, is what they tap into. You might not think you could fall asleep in a chair with lots of other snoring folks around you, but people do all the time. Maybe community healing allows us the opportunity to access the collective unconsciousness?

Another aspect of community acupuncture we’ve learned about has been to ask for help. We borrowed the idea from WCA to put up a wish list. I couldn’t have predicted how generous the community would be with the furnishing of our clinic. Some of the things that have been donated include: reclining chairs, blankets, artwork, fans, carpet, fountains, a full sized copier, shelves, tables, lamps and music. There is a clear sense that our patients are invested in our success. Besides, they tell us so. This is one of the intangible aspects of community acupuncture. I try remember this on those challenging days we face when the clinic is slow we can wonder how this is going to work….

With community acupuncture word of mouth rules; people tell their friends. Most of our patients come to see us because we treated their mother, father, brother, daughter, son, in-law, neighbor, co-worker, etc. It is a network of people who want share the experience of acupuncture with people they love. Community takes care of each other. We know what that’s like.

-Joseph