Molly B. Shapiro L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.

12/31/2020

What a year, right? I've taken the day off from seeing patients to complete some items and get ready for the New Year. I panicked hard about my practice back in March. But in hindsight, the shutdown and Covid restrictions upon reopening gave me opportunities that really resonate with me and for which I am very grateful. The slower paced nature of my work day has allowed me to practice writing custom herb formulas and apply directly the ideas I continue to learn from my teacher and my studies. The opportunity to connect with others and see the positive results of our work together has kept me sane and motivated in a world which feels generally tense and sad. It's cold, but the days are already getting longer. The vaccine is getting out there. There are brighter days ahead. Eat your vegetables, and get in the sunshine when you can. I look forward to connecting with you in the New Year. In good health, ~Molly

05/11/2020

Office Reopening and Practice Updates:

On May 7th, elective and non-urgent medical procedures were allowed to resume in Maryland. I have sent in my self-certification notice to the Secretary of Health demonstrating my commitment to compliance, and I may now meet with patients in person.

A few changes you will notice:

All patients must wear a mask before entering the office suite. Please wash your hands upon arriving and prior to leaving.

At this time, I will only meet with one patient at a time. While one patient is resting, the other room will be disinfected. All commonly touched items will be disinfected after every visitor leaves the office suite. There are currently no other occupants or personnel working from the office suite.

All sheets have been removed from the treatment tables. Table paper and disposable headrest covers will be changed, and the table and headrest will be disinfected between each patient. Water-resistant pillow cases will be wiped down.

Windows will be opened when appropriate for improved ventilation and circulation.

Payments will no longer be collected at the visit. Instead, an electronic invoice will be sent after the final amount has been determined. For insurance claims, an invoice will be sent after the claim has processed and the explanation of benefits has been received. Insurance processing can take 1-3 weeks. Many patients have asked about outstanding balances. Invoices have started to go out and should be to you soon if not yet received.

Previously, I have encouraged patients with acute cold symptoms to come in early for treatment. Now for any patient who develops acute symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell should schedule a video consultation for herbs and cancel any scheduled visits as soon as possible.

The cancellation fee will be waived for patients who develop acute symptoms prior to their appointment. Due to the limited amount of patients I can see in a day, the cancellation fee will be strictly enforced for all other reasons. Thank you for understanding.

Moving forward, insurance will not be billed for telemedicine consultations, and will be the patient responsibility.

Lastly, it is with great anticipation that I send this message. While it has been nice to reconnect with certain aspects of running a business that don't get attention on a daily level, I have missed meeting with patients. I know it is a hard time for everybody, and I hope that my practice will offer a safe (and disinfected!) place of healing.

https://mollybshapiro.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php

In good health,

~Molly

04/21/2020

It has been an interesting time to be a business owner and a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Deciding to stop seeing patients in person was a very difficult decision. My business is considered an “essential business,” however the definition of an “essential health visit” is a bit more gray and is interpreted differently by different people. It has been difficult to not be fully available for my patients when I know so many are suffering, but at the same time it does not feel right to meet in person yet. I anxiously await accurate, ample testing and further guidance on when and how to reopen for acupuncture treatments. Thank you to all who have reached out with support.

In the meantime, I’ve had time to reflect upon my practice. The virtual herb consultations have been going really well, and I see an opportunity to encourage this aspect of my practice further. As many of you know, I study Chinese herbs quite passionately, currently with my teacher Sharon Weizenbaum. Sharon is on a committee of practitioners treating Covid-19 cases applying Classical Chinese theory to diagnose and treat with herbal formulas. These patients tend to have mild to moderate (not in the hospital) symptoms with very great results so far. It’s interesting to consider if any of these patients would have progressed to more severe illness without the herbal medicine intervention. The treatment strategies are being collected and recorded.

In addition to herbs for acute and chronic conditions, the topic of nutrition has been discussed frequently on the video consultations. I have been curious about the choices people are making at home. While a frozen meal or chips and salsa may make for a convenient dinner after a grueling day of parenting and teleworking, I wonder about the long-term effects of the foods we are choosing to eat now.

Back when I was in acupuncture school, I met with a nutritionist out of sheer confusion over what to eat. She asked me, “What makes you feel like the best version of you every time you eat it?” My answer came quickly and was obvious: My mother’s/(grandmother’s) brisket. This revelation made sense to me. My ancestors were likely eating brisket for many generations, and I grew up eating it at holidays with my family. It makes me feel satiated and satisfied, not full or uncomfortable. Eating leftovers after holidays makes me very happy too. Perhaps brisket does not carry the fame of kale or turmeric or bone broth. But for me, it feels healing. Even though my grandmother is no longer with us, my mother continues the tradition. She once froze a brisket and had it overnighted to me when I lived in California. I was not home for delivery and spent an entire afternoon tracking it down! When I heated up the brisket on my stove, my apartment began to smell like my grandmother’s home which also made me feel loved.

Close your eyes and ask: What dish makes me feel better when I am sick? What holiday recipe makes me feel fully satisfied, but not uncomfortable? What makes me feel like a great version of me when I eat it? The answers to these questions are my prescription for you. For one patient this was a whole roasted chicken with roasted potatoes. For another patient, it was chicken noodle soup. I would love to hear what comes to your mind!

While we might not be ill or celebrating a holiday, it is a tender time. I hope you enjoy some nourishing, supportive meals.

In good health,

~Molly

Practice Updates, Thoughts, and What to Eat It has been an interesting time to be a business owner and a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Deciding to stop seeing patients in person was a very diff…

03/20/2020

Dear Patients,

At this time, I am temporarily not meeting with patients in my office for acupuncture treatments. I am not cancelling any future scheduled appointments. Since many of you have already scheduled into April, I'd like to leave those appointments scheduled. As we learn more, I will reach out to let you know when in-person meetings will begin again. If our appointment is missed, I look forward to reconnecting in due time.

I hope you also consider meeting with me virtually! I am determined to keep my practice alive and be here for my community. The telemedicine platform I'm starting with is HIPAA compliant, data-protected, and can be used on any device with a camera and microphone. I have my first virtual consultation tomorrow morning, and I am so excited! https://mollybshapiro.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php

I have a pharmacy full of herbs that have been used for many hundreds of years for conditions that range from insomnia to digestive upset. Not sure if your symptoms could benefit from Chinese Herbal Medicine? Send me an email to ask!
Herbs are available for parking lot pick up, direct shipping, or I will figure out a way to get you what you need. With the extra time and inspired my the last year and a half of advanced herbal medicine studies, I have more ability to customize and tailor herbal formulas to best match a presenting condition.

While the current health crisis comes with complications and negative effects, I do believe there are many silver linings to be seen, even if not for some time. It's during the darkness that we grow. If we dig deep, we can work past fears and self-imposed limitations. We can come out stronger, wiser, healthier, and perhaps happier and more grateful too. I am here to promote the momentum of good health. ~Molly

Schedule your appointment online Molly B. Shapiro L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.

03/19/2020

I am all set up for virtual herbal medicine consultations. This platform is data protected and HIPAA compliant. I have my first video consultation tomorrow morning! My pharmacy is pretty well stocked, and I will be available for parking lot pick up. I delivered herbs to a patient’s house last week, and I’m happy to do what is necessary to get you what you need. ~Molly

03/18/2020

03/15/2020

I sent this email to my patients this morning:

Dear patients,

In light of the health crisis facing our world right now, I would like to let you know what I am doing in my practice to best serve your needs. First, I am here to support my community. I am not closing my office.

As always face cradle covers and table paper are changed between each patient. Sheets will be removed from the table so the surface can be wiped down between patients. Feel free to bring in your own clean pillow case if you prefer. Because of the relatively low number of people that enter my office suite on a given day, I have committed to disinfecting commonly touched surfaces (door handles, toilet flusher, front counter, etc) after every single visitor leaves the office suite (delivery personnel included). My roommate has agreed to this tedious but important step that we are able to accommodate in our small space.

The building management has notified the tenants of their increase in regular disinfecting of commonly touched surfaces in the building.

I invite you to please wash your hands upon entering and prior to leaving the office suite.

If you do not feel comfortable coming in, please consider a telephone herb consultation. Herbs can be picked up in the parking lot in front of my building or shipped directly to you.

If you do feel you are coming down with something and experience cold or flu-like symptoms, I urge you to stay home but also to please be in contact by email/telephone. If you do happen to get this illness, Chinese herbs can help you tremendously to minimize danger and ill effects. I'd like to be in touch in order to get herbs to you as soon as possible. You could have someone pick them up for you (car-side pick up in the parking lot) or I can problem solve a way to get them to you quickly.

I have been reviewing reports from China on the use of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of Covid-19. There is good reason to consider the use of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of this virus. My teacher has also been addressing the issue, and I am taking some time away from our regular advanced herbal medicine curriculum to educate myself more on the common ways this virus presents, and the different treatment strategies that have been helpful. Last week I placed orders with 3 of my herb suppliers. While certain herbs are in low supply from high demand and delays in production, I have been able to get everything I feel I need to make my personal pharmacy fortified for this storm.

Lastly, though our older child's daycare remains open for now, we have decided to keep him home with his sister and our Nanny. Other precautions me and my family are taking to stay well include: getting regular rest, taking in solid nutrition, exercising outside, and limiting exposure to the news.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns and I hope to see you for your appointments.

In good health,

Molly

03/12/2020

I am open for business and here to support my local community! I would like for my community to know that I am here to treat your chronic health concerns, seasonal allergies, etc, and help your body to fine-tune itself so it may efficiently process the Covid-19 virus should you get infected. I've got plenty of soap! I do ask you to stay at home if you have a fever or cold/flu-like symptoms. I am offering herbal consultations via the telephone for patients who are actively sick. I am here for you. In good health, Molly

03/07/2020

A few things to consider:

Now, more than ever, is the time for self-care. Have you been wanting to sleep better? Eat better? Exercise more? Whatever will make you feel like the best version of you, in my opinion, is the best way to weather any storm. Most people who get the virus experience only minor symptoms. Wouldn't it be nice to be in that population?

As my teacher reminded us when she addressed this topic during yesterday's class, our "immune system" is the turning of the whole wheel. When we get good sleep, take in and absorb nutrition, digest and eliminate properly, exercise, have joy and meaning to our lives--when all the systems of the body work well together, our "immune system" is strong. Yin and Yang are in right relationship, and an external pathogen will be easily processed.

When Yin and Yang are out of right relationship, the body is unable to efficiently process the external pathogen. The signs, symptoms, and patterns of the presenting illness will be different for each person, even if they catch the same strain. Herbal formula treatments can be adjusted to the symptoms as they present on the individual patient.

Cough and fever are two symptoms that have been treated with Chinese herbal medicine for many, many years. There are many reports coming from China and the use of herbal formulas for treating symptoms at the various stages of progression. I am currently researching options for herbal medicine video conferences or telephone consultations.

Consider too strengthening your lung qi. Check out these Qi Gong exercises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqn70lirWKc&t=972s&fbclid=IwAR2pLkiZTTRlD5JPVoyMnq4Xdoo2gfMAvyrUNXX2UHL8UZb5LqmRyFqxMbw

With the time change coming up, I encourage extra care including acupuncture.

Currently I request that patients with a fever and/or flu-like symptoms remain at home. Please email me to set up a remote herbal consultation instead.

I would like for my community to know that I am here for you. As we find ourselves home more, I wish you nourishing meals, extra time with your families, outside in nature, exercise, and rest.

In good health,

Molly

In view of the lung-targeting coronavirus, I've made this 20-minute video of three qigong practices to help strengthen the lung: 1. deep, slow, lower abdomin...

01/08/2020

People tend to feel gloomier when the nights draw in and cold weather descends. But altering our working hours to fit the seasons could help lift our mood

01/02/2020

Good morning, and happy New Year! I have a few practice updates that I'd like to share: My studies with Sharon Weizenbaum continue, and I'm already more than halfway done with the Graduate Mentorship Program. It's a 2-year advanced herbal medicine education. I have learned so much, but there is so much more to learn! Deeply inspired, I signed up for another opportunity to study with her that will begin immediately after the current course ends. I also have a goal to expand my herbal pharmacy to include bulk raw herbs for patients to cook at home. My hope is to have a hybrid pharmacy of raw herbs and powdered extracts to offer my patients more options for greater therapeutic effect. Expanded office hours expected this summer to add in Tuesdays and be in the office M-F. I wish you a happy and healthy 2020! ~Molly

Welcome! White Pine Healing Arts Graduate Mentorship Program 2020 SYLLABUS Download the syllabus for the current Graduate Mentorship Program 2018 as an example. Full syllabus for GMP 2020 coming soon! Download PROGRAM CREDIT The Graduate

12/07/2019

Updated holiday hours!

Schedule your appointment online Molly B. Shapiro L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.