Chicago Healing Center

11/18/2025

Tips and tricks for dealing with neck pain!

11/13/2025

BIG discounts on supplements for Black Friday weekend. ;)

10/24/2025

My latest newsletter is out in honor of Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine Day!

This one feels especially meaningful to share as I’m reflecting on the journey that led me from surgery to acupuncture and how healing my own arm injury opened the door to a completely new way of living, thinking, and caring for others. Acupuncture and herbal medicine both restored my health...and reshaped my entire path.

I’m also celebrating a busy and inspiring few weeks of teaching, from Culinary Medicine for Acupuncturists to corporate wellness talks on sleep, stress, and seasonal health.

It’s been such a joy to share this medicine in new ways and connect with so many of you along the way. Read the full story here!

https://conta.cc/49cN9oi

Email from Chicago Healing Center + soups for the season     Monthly News & Updates   Oct 2025 | 30 Need a Wellness Programming Speaker for your Organization? Dr. Smith presented “Culinary Medicine fo

10/07/2025

Feeling like you’re hitting dead ends in conventional medical care? You are not alone.

Many of the people who come to me have tried everything they know to do.

They’ve gone from specialist to specialist, completed all the tests, and still leave appointments without answers or a plan that actually helps them feel better.

It can feel exhausting, discouraging, and deeply defeating. If this is where you’re at, I see you and validate this feeling. 😞

This is often where conventional medicine and functional medicine diverge.

Conventional medicine excels in acute, life-threatening situations. If you break a bone, need surgery, or are in crisis, it can save your life. That’s undoubtedly important.

However, when it comes to chronic symptoms, vague diagnoses, and the “I know something is wrong, but no one can tell me what” intuition, conventional medicine approaches can often fall short.

That is where functional medicine steps in. Functional medicine takes a different approach:

👉Instead of only managing symptoms, we ask why the symptoms are happening in the first place.

👉Instead of examining each system of the body in isolation, we see how everything is interconnected.

👉Instead of a 10-minute visit, we spend time getting to know your story, your history, and your goals for your health.

My bottom line is this: healing begins with being heard. So many people never truly get the opportunity to share the full picture of their health journey. When you’re listened to deeply and taken seriously, space opens up for real, life-changing healing.

If you’ve reached the end of your rope with conventional medicine and are wondering what’s next, I want you to know that there are other options. There is hope.

✨ Check out my website (link in comments) to see how I can serve you. Healing is possible, and it starts with being heard.

09/22/2025

POV: Your patient is sitting in the dental chair. You ask if they’re ready to start with a numbing shot. Their mouth says, “Yes,” but their face says, “No way.”

You already know the truth: dental anxiety is the #1 barrier to care.

39% of patients fear pain
29% are triggered by chemical smells
21% dread the sound of the drill

This can lead to a dangerous ripple effect: appointments get canceled, procedures get delayed, ultimately resulting in patients not receiving the care they need.

What if there were a tool that could help calm the nervous system in real time? A tool that could reduce anxiety, ease pain, and help your patients actually feel safe in your chair?

That tool exists.

It’s called auricular acupuncture.

Auricular acupuncture is the practice of using points on the ear to influence the nervous system.

It’s evidence-based, non-invasive, and can be easily integrated into dental care.

Research shows it helps patients manage pain, reduces procedure-related anxiety, and even supports recovery.

Imagine this breakthrough: instead of white-knuckling their way through a filling or extraction, your patients experience calm, steady breathing.

Their body softens. Their nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight and into a state where healing can happen.

This is the kind of whole-person care that not only transforms your patients’ experiences but also transforms your practice. Happier, calmer patients are more likely to follow through with treatment, trust you more, and return for ongoing care.
Dentists, if you’re ready to expand the services you offer your patients, I invite you to learn more.

✨ Learn how to integrate auricular acupuncture into your practice at the link in the comments.

09/18/2025

Circ Esteem provides after school programs for kids and teaches them-->circus skills!! Join me at their ANNUAL GALA next Friday Sept 26th! Like many NFP organizations, their funding is vulnerable to the whims of grant providers and they are in need of support. Come watch these amazing performers, play interactive games, and support their work!

Your super-powered ProPhoto site

09/18/2025

08/16/2025

Amazing seminar with my sensei in London last week. So much gratitude that I was there to learn my acupuncture Yoda.

THANK YOU
A genuine thank you to everyone for investing your time and energy - Without YOU this event would not have been possible 🙏🏼

A pleasure to see old faces and meet new...
Deepening/ re-kindling connections and opening new understandings for our practice and study.

Have a well deserved rest and let Ikeda sensei's ki sink in... ✨