Alchemical Healing:
More than Acupuncture

Alchemical Healing is transformative medicine, not restorative medicine. It strives to guide you on your path to wholeness. 

This means that it regards illness as an informative opportunity rather than something to conquer so you can get back to your old self. The goal is to guide you forward on your path to authentic wholeness. 

As children, we all make compromises to fit into our family, our community, our culture. It is inevitable that we will banish aspects of ourselves in order to conform. Our lives depend on it, or so it seems.

The plot twist is that these pieces of ourselves don’t go anywhere.  They stay with us, relegated to the dark corners of our internal landscape. Alchemical Healing helps you bring these misfit bits into the light and integrate them with an eye towards a fuller, more authentic life.  The Universe wants you to move towards wholeness; it is why we are here. 

We each have a unique purpose in this world and the more we can embody our wholeness the better equipped we are to fulfill this purpose.

“Anything that stirs the Qi and moves the soul can be used as a tool in alchemical healing.”

-Lorie Eve Dechar

The alchemical healing process is aided by many helpers – tools, practices, and medicinals – that I bring into my practice. Your treatment session may incorporate any of these tools:

Acupuncture & Moxibustion

Acupuncture: Thin needles are inserted in specific points on the body in order to elicit changes in Qi (life energy) flow. This process should bring about deep relaxation and practically no discomfort. Anywhere from 4 to 24 needles are inserted depending on what is being treated and how the patient reacts to the needles. The needles are then usually retained for 15 to 30 minutes. Most patients become very relaxed or fall asleep during this time.

Moxibustion: Moxa is primarily made of the dried leaves of the Chinese mugwort plant (artemesia vulgaris or artmemsia argyi). The leaves are ground and then aged. This material is burned, either indirectly or directly on the body. This adds warmth and energy to the system as well as increasing circulation and regulating the immune system.

Fun fact: the Chinese character for acupuncture (针灸) translates to Zhen Jiu. Zhen means “needle” and Jiu means “moxa”. Thus the whole character translates to acupuncture-moxibustion. This illustrates how important a tool moxibustion is in the practice of Chinese Medicine.

Nutrition, Lifestyle, & Herbal Medicine

“First, modify the patient’s diet and lifestyle and only then, if these do not effect a cure, treat with medicinals and acupuncture.”
-Sun Simiao (7th century Chinese physician & philosopher)

Nutrition & Lifestyle: The choices we make in our daily life have the strongest impact on our wellness. Chinese medicine has long been aware of the effects different foods have on the human body. This knowledge is apparent in the detailed system of food therapy in Chinese medicine. Lifestyle choices reflect how we interact with our internal and external world. These choices include, but are not limited to, how we move, relax, breathe, sleep, think, socialize, etc.

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Chinese herbal medicine is a complex and effective system that has been in use for over 3,000 years. In Chinese medicine an herbal formula is prescribed based on pattern discrimination which incorporates the root issue and branch symptoms. When the diagnosis is correct there should be no side effects from the formula. A formula can contain anywhere from one to twenty plus herbs. These formulas come in liquids, powders, and pills. Twig & Needle has in house pharmacies of bulk, granular, and tablet herbs.

Gua Sha & Cupping

Gua Sha (刮痧) translates to “scrape” and “sand”. “Scrape” refers to the technique of using a smooth edged tool usually made of horn, plastic, ceramics, or jade, to scrape the muscles to release tension and increase circulation. This process of scraping often creates red dots to rise to the surface, called petechiae in Western medicine. This is the “sand”. This process is very effective in relieving muscle tightness.

Cupping uses the suction of glass or plastic cups to increase circulation to an area. This suction often leaves distinctive circle shaped bruises. The suction can be created by small pumps on the cups or by using fire to draw the air out of the cup. Cupping and gua sha have similar effects.

Flower Essences & Essential Oils

Flower Essences: Most flower essences are made by shining sunlight through plant material as it floats in a bowl of water. This creates an energetic medicine that utilizes plant allies to elicit subtle but powerful changes in our psyche and spirit. Flower essences can be taken internally, applied to acupuncture points, and/or used as a spritz.

Essential Oils: Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts usually obtained through distillation. They are absorbed through the skin and lungs but many also enter the brain directly. This allows for rapid effects on the emotions, thoughts, and Qi (life energy). In my practice essential oils are only used topically or inhaled.

Face Reading

“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you earned.” - Coco Chanel

“The face is the most powerful communication tool we have.” - Lillian Bridges

The face tells a story and your face tells your unique story. Chinese medical practitioners have used the face as a diagnostic tool for centuries. The classics refer to facial colors and qualities to aid in diagnosis. The quality of our Shen (spirit) is said to be visible in our eyes. Taoist alchemists believed that “the Original Face” was a mirror of our authentic self. The placement, size, and shape of our features imparts information about how we relate to the world. Our emotions mark our faces with creases, indentations, and wrinkles. Characteristics of your personality and your potential are all present in your face.

A face reading is a collaborative process. Together we discover how your past is shaping your present. Determine where and why your energy is blocked. Look at your strengths and talents and how to nurture them. In 2020 I began my study of Chinese face reading with Lillian Bridges. In 2023 I received my Master Face Reader Certification. Lillian Bridges learned Chinese face reading from her maternal grandmother, Mary Chen Lowe. Lillian’s family can trace their lineage of face reading to the Ming dynasty.

Inner Sensing

Sculpture by Daniel Popper

Inner Sensing is the practice of turning consciousness inward by taking a moment to pause, drop into the body, and without judgment, observe what sensations arise. Our bodies are constantly communicating with us, and Inner Sensing supports us in accessing this information.

I use this technique in my practice to guide patients towards awareness of what their inner wisdom is trying to communicate. This information can be very helpful in determining the direction of treatment.