We see our primary task as developing competent clinical practitioners. Therefore, our teaching methods emphasize hands-on, clinic-based problem solving in a context of close student-teacher interaction focused on patient care.
We impart a solid foundation in the approach to diagnosis and treatment known as TCM; this enables our graduates to confidently take national examinations and practice in the mainstream of American acupuncture.
We intend to graduate a comprehensively trained practitioner of Chinese medicine, a professional who is equally at home with acupuncture, tuina, and herbology.
Our acupuncture program includes both the 8-principle and 5-element approaches to diagnosis and treatment, and graduates draw on both traditions as the patient’s need requires.
Recognizing that many of the problems presented to acupuncturists involve body mechanics that are most quickly and easily addressed manually, we have developed a distinctive competence in Asian Bodywork Therapy/Tuina.
Both tuina and acupuncture are palpatory arts. Learning the two together enhances the student’s skill in feeling qi in meridians and tissues. Competence in the two treatment modalities substantially increases the range of problems to which a practitioner can competently respond.
Herbology is fundamental to TCM as practiced in China, and we offer a program in Chinese herbology at national standard.
Traditions of acupuncture that do not depend on herbs have evolved outside China, and there are traditions that pre-date TCM and do not rely on meridians, such as ear acupuncture and Master Tong’s acupuncture. We introduce these traditions.
Believing that most concerns for which people consult an acupuncturist are lifestyle-related and can be improved with lifestyle change, we teach fundamentals of nutrition, exercise and stress reduction that draw on both Eastern and Western traditions.
Running through all that we do and drawing everything together are Qi Gong and T’ai Chi. We thoroughly teach these forms of qi cultivation, providing skills that enable students to develop their strength and vitality while in school and as a foundation for lifelong personal development.
United States
