Please take a minute to read this introduction to our clinic and to our community. We are delighted that you are interested in joining us!

What is different about the Artemesia Community Acupuncture & Wellness Center?

• We can treat in a community setting. Most acupuncturists are limited to treating patients on tables in individual rooms. At Artemesia however, we can also treat patients in a community setting as it is more traditionally done in Asia. In our community room, we use folding yet sturdy, recliners in a quiet, soothing space. Treating patients in a community setting has many benefits: it is more affordable; it’s easy for friends and family members to come in for treatment together; many patients find it comforting; and a collective energetic field becomes established which actually makes treatments very powerful. Patients normally spend an hour in the community room. Many people fall asleep during this experience, and wake feeling very refreshed.



• We have a sliding scale. The way that we can make acupuncture affordable is to streamline our treatments and see multiple patients in an hour. This service is offered to patients who have had an initial evaluation and treatment in the private room venue. The initial session allows us to get to know the patient and have some ideas for future treatments. We rely on the traditional Asian approach with pulse and tongue assessment, presenting patterns and the patient’s constitution as well as Western diagnosis. Please see the enclosed form that explains our sliding scale. Because we have a sliding scale, we cannot do insurance billing (that’s the insurance companies’ rule). If you have insurance that covers acupuncture, we’ll be happy to give you a payment receipt, and you can submit it; that’s okay with the insurance companies.

Our Commitment to You

We want to make it possible for you to receive acupuncture regularly enough and long enough to get better and stay better. We want our community to be welcoming to all different kinds of people. We want to give you the tools to take care of your own health. We will provide a safe environment with skilled practitioners.

What We Need From You

• Responsibility. Acupuncture is a wonderful complement to Western medicine. There are times when we may need to refer you to a physician or other health care provider or facility. We do not provide Western diagnosis. We do provide complementary care for many conditions that require a physician’s attention – for instance, we often treat patients for the side effects of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. We provide a medical intake form that requests the name and phone number of your current primary healthcare provider. In terms of responsibility, we strongly encourage people to be involved in their own healing process.

  Artemesia Community Acupuncture does not receive grants, government money, or insurance reimbursement. We exist because patients pay for their treatments – it is a sustainable community business model. We try to provide reminder calls or emails, as we are able. However, ultimately it is your responsibility to make it to your scheduled appointment.

• Flexibility. The community setting requires some flexibility from you. For instance, we have a few patients who snore, and other patients who dislike snoring bring earplugs to their treatments. Some of our patients even bring favorite pillows or blankets from home with them, and that’s fine with us. Basically, we need you to participate in making yourself comfortable in the community room before we treat you.

  In terms of how long you want to stay – tell someone when you check in if you need to be somewhere at a certain time! We’ll make sure you’re out on time. In general, if you feel done, open your eyes and give us a meaningful look – if your eyes are closed, we think you’re asleep and we won’t wake you up.

• Community-Mindedness The soothing atmosphere in our clinic exists because all of our patients create it by relaxing together. We appreciate everyone’s presence! This kind of collective stillness is a rare and precious thing in our rushed and busy society. Maintaining this reservoir of calm requires that no one talk very much in the clinic space. If you would like to speak to a practitioner one-on-one at any length, please let us know. We will probably need to schedule a substantial conversation separately as a private session.

  We can’t explain how acupuncture works, while we are treating you – these are very large topics! If you have questions, we’ll happily give you our bibliography list!

  Part of our success is that our patients learn the “routine” and take on a lot of responsibility for the appointments. Re-scheduling and making payment happens at the front desk BEFORE each treatment, so you can relax and enjoy treatment. Please take all personal belongings, (bags, shoes, etc.) with you back into the treatment room. And of course, please turn off your cell phone.

• Commitment. Acupuncture is a PROCESS. It is very rare for any acupuncturist to be able to resolve a problem with one treatment. A typical treatment protocol for a chronic condition could be several times a week for months! One big reason that we are able to keep our prices so low is because of the marketing our patients do on our behalf. We cannot express how grateful we are for this. Our patients have first-hand experience of how well acupuncture works. All of our satisfied patients basically made a commitment to a course of treatment.

  On your first visit, your acupuncturist will suggest a course of treatment, which can be anything from “we’d like to see you once a week for six weeks” to “we’d really like to see you every day for the next four days”. This suggestion is based on our experience with treating different kinds of conditions. If you don’t come in often enough or long enough, acupuncture may not work for you. The purpose of our sliding scale is to help you make that commitment.If you have questions about how long it will take to see results, please ask us, or if you think you need to adjust your treatment plan, please let us know. We need you to commit to the process of treatment in order to get good results.

And, last but not least--enjoy the space. We do, and hope that Artemesia Community Acupuncture and Wellness Center can be an important part of your life. Thank you.