Question: What attracted you to the field of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine?

Answer: My ideas on health & medicine were never conventional, so when it came to my own health, I looked for options outside of western medicine. When I started taking Taiji class (Taiji (Tai Chi) is a healing martial art that combines many martial arts movements with Qi (energy) circulation, breathing, and stretching techniques) in 1992 it felt amazingly natural to me and I realized there was much more to it, especially when my own health was improving. This led me to intensive training in Qigong healing & therapy.(more amazingly, I felt that I was ‘remembering’ vs learning it) During this time I also had some acupuncture treatments that gave me relief from chronic allergies. I realized that I wanted to be the person that could help others using the system of Acupuncture & Qigong so acupuncture school was the next obvious step in completing my studies.

 

Question: What would you tell someone who is thinking about applying for certification with the NCCAOM^®?

Answer: Since most states requires NCCAOM certification for licensing, it’s the obvious necessity. Patients also seem to be more assured and impressed that you part of a national organization for the profession and have passed a certifying exam.

Question: What do you think are the most beneficial aspects and challenging aspects of your field?

Answer: In a business sense, our field allows the opportunity to be your own boss and be responsible for your own success. As long as you’re able to run a business, this can be much less stressful than most jobs. If you are not very business minded, it can be challenging to handle your advertising, marketing and overall practice management. In a clinical sense, what could be more rewarding than improving people’s health….especially when other means have failed them?

Question: What do you wish other people knew about the fields of Acupuncture & Oriental medicine?

Answer: That Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is a complete health system, able to treat a multitude of conditions. I love it when a patient comes in with a series of “unrelated” problems and I can not only make sense of things for them, but also relieve most of the complaints simultaneously. TCM is such a natural form of medicine ….it would be wonderful for people to know that. If the general public knew that many of their health issues could be relieved without medication, acupuncture and Oriental medicine would have the potential to really change health care in this country.

Question: Where do you practice?

Answer: My husband, Clarence Lu, and I have a practice—The Acupuncture Office– in Latham, NY. (Albany area).

Question: Is there a particular specialty or interest as part of your practice (OBGYN, Orthopedics)

Answer: Although I treat a wide range of problems, I have a few main areas in which I excel…. muscular-skeletal problems, immune/auto-immune related conditions, and menstrual/menopausal issues. I’ve been so fortunate to study with Ken Andes, learning his Yintang Therapeutics system, as it has really advanced my practice in these areas.

Question: As an acupuncturist, what trends do you see in your profession?

Answer:

1. Specialization. Luckily, the majority of Acupuncturists still promote a general practice. While specializing provides the option for patients looking to manage their individual complaint, it also detracts from the beauty of our system being holistic. I just wouldn’t want Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine to go in the same direction as western medicine in being so compartmentalized.

2. Inclusion/acceptance by western medicine. There is more integration into conventional healthcare, whether in clinics, major institutions or cancer treatment centers. Also, over the years, we have more MD’s who refer patients to our practice.

3. Unfortunately, the ‘inclusion’ also means other professions performing acupuncture with limited training.

Question: What might someone be surprised to know about you?

Answer: Even though I never met them, I feel that I received special ”gifts” from my grandparents. My mother’s father was a spiritual healer in Canada and my father’s mother, in Hungary, helped those in her village with herbal medicine. This background, along with my knowledge and training, inspires me in treating patients.

Question: What do you do when you aren’t working?

Answer: I like to keep it balanced with activity/socializing/relaxing/excitement: This means working on the house, dancing, spending time with family and either watching a movie or traveling with Clarence. Iceland was one of our favorites so far!

Question: Why did you think that it was important to complete Diplomate Demographic survey?

Answer: In any type of business, you need to know the type of customers you serve and some specifics about them. We are the ‘customers’ of the NCCAOM, so in order for the organization to serve us effectively, they need information and occasional updates from us.