I am often asked if I accept health insurance (I don’t!), so I wanted to write out the full story about why I don’t and why you likely won’t find an acupuncture clinic in Iowa that does.

In this entry, I cover the basics behind insurance terminology and what’s needed to have coverage for acupuncture, the nitty-gritty information of insurance coverage step-by-step, the ways available to save a bit of money on your treatments at Fireweed Acupuncture, and go behind the scenes a bit to give you a glimpse of how this applies specifically to my practice, including how some of the math shakes out (or, in this case, doesn’t!).

I don’t really like New Year’s Resolutions. Or, more accurately, I don’t like how we usually do them! New Years resolutions often feel like just another opportunity to punish ourselves for the person we are in this moment. This year, I wanted to share a few things I practice when setting goals for myself - regardless of the time of year!

Every year around my birthday, I like to take a bit of time to think about the past year - what I liked, what I’d like to change - and think of a few goals for the new year. A few weeks ago, when I did this exercise, I came up with a lot of ideas! Many of the ideas had been percolating in the back of my mind for a while, and reviewing the past year gave me a nice little push to get started. The new services I am offering starting November 1st are just some of those changes!

This entry covers all the new treatments and appointment types, as well as the price change I am making to one of my appointments. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

COVID is really spreading right now in Iowa! I've talked one-on-one with people but haven't addressed it in newsletters, so I will take this opportunity to share what I always do to protect you when you're in the clinic, and share a few requests I have of you when you come into the clinic.

In Chinese medicine, we often say the emotion for Summer is Joy. And, yes, it is. But, as with everything in Chinese medicine, it is not just a concept in isolation; it is joy in connection or in relation to something. Connection to people, to our environment, to nature, to our purpose. We may have a moment of joy when we notice a blooming flower, share laughter with someone, or taste something delicious. Joy is different than happiness: joy is often a fleeting or momentary reaction to something, whereas happiness is more of an emotion or mood.

One of my favorite parts about Spring is the rush of creative energy that seems to come along with it! After the quiet hibernation of winter, the rush of new energy and growth often makes us want to start new projects, start fresh, or try something new. It may not be surprising that In Chinese medicine, Spring and its associated organ, the Liver, is connected to creativity!

This post is a copy of the email I sent to let everyone know that Fireweed Acupuncture is changing the software used for booking appointments/classes and visit summaries for patients. Hopefully, the new software will make the patient experience much easier, including a better patient portal. (More details on the new features below!) This is a bit long but has important information on the software switch!

Conversations around privacy, especially in a healthcare setting, have come up often lately, and I wanted to share some of the thoughts and philosophy I have around it as a practitioner - and a journal entry here seemed like the easiest way. (It definitely isn’t a topic that I can boil down to an Instagram caption!) Some of this may seem like a bit of an odd topic, coming from an acupuncturist, but I hope the information is useful to you, and also gives you an idea of what I am thinking about while operating my practice!

A common sight in Iowa are Chiropractic offices that offer “chiropractic & acupuncture” - but this can be confusing to consumers! I often field questions from people asking what the differences and similarities are. So, continuing down the potentially controversial path, here is information that (I hope!) can help people sort out what they are looking for in their acupuncture practitioner.