The “Why” Behind Goodbody

One of the most common questions I get as an acupuncturist is, “What lead you to choose a career in Chinese Medicine?”. It’s a simple question, but for me, it can be a difficult one to answer.

Like many of life’s most transformational periods, mine began with a crisis. Seven years ago my father lost his battle with mental health and addiction to prescription drugs. He committed suicide. Almost eight years later, it is still very difficult just to type those words… he committed suicide. It was a devastating and heartbreaking loss for my mother and I. There were many days spent wondering how we were ever going pick up the pieces and move forward from this unimaginable tragedy.

During those years following my father’s death, I was unsuccessfully trying to cope with a lot of physical and emotional pain. I had no interest in the same prescription drugs that had lead to my father’s downfall, yet at the time I didn’t have the awareness that there were alternatives out there. Eventually, based on a recommendation from a friend, I sought the help of an acupuncturist. My eyes were opened to a new medicinal world. I was given a new outlook on how the mind and body work together. A shift started to occur in my mental framework, and my relationship with my body and food began to change. To my surprise, the acupuncture treatments, herbal remedies, and prescribed changes I began making in my daily life, worked. I finally felt like I was beginning to heal, and the physical and emotional suffering began melting away.

After many nights spent reading books trying to understand more about ancient medicinal practices, I made the decision to go back to school for acupuncture and herbology. I enroll in AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in Austin, TX to study acupuncture and herbology. During my time as a student and clinical intern, I learned about so many illnesses and diseases that this form of medicine can effectively treat. It became very clear to me that stress, pain, gynecological issues, and infertility are the areas where  acupuncture and herbs really shine. So I made these areas the focus of my studies.

Fast forward to today…I created GOODBODY Wellness with a grand mission in mind. Our purpose is to help women and men reclaim their energy, mood, hormones and physical body through treatment and education. I hope I can be a part of your healing journey. The GOODBODY Wellness site, blog, and social media are meant to be a fun, welcoming, and honest space for us as a community to tackle tough topics and continue our understanding of how to better take care of ourselves on a daily basis.

If the past ten years of my life have taught me anything, it’s that life rarely goes as planned. At the end of the day you have to make a choice, will you let your circumstances victimize you or fuel you? My father’s death was one of the darkest chapters in my life, but  I found the strength to turn it into a source of courage, motivation, and purpose. I hope my personal journey towards health and happiness inspires others, and I hope you will join me at GOODBODY Wellness as I continue to share my insight and knowledge along the way.

One final note… ​It might be interesting for you to know that my father himself was a doctor, a general practitioner. He was a darn good one too. Countless patients over the years since his death have told me incredible stories of how his diagnosis had saved their lives. I hope to honor all the best parts about my dad during my own career as a practitioner in the medical field. My hope is that the future of medicine becomes more and more integrative, combining the best of our modern technology and ancient wisdom. We must stop relying solely on medication to fight disease.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, The Suicide Prevention Lifeline has 24/7, free & confidential support for people in distress, prevention, & crisis resources: 1-800-273-8255.