My name is Sara Crispino and I am a passionate healer, a trauma survivor, and an accomplished scholar. It was, in fact, this deep emotional trauma that brought me to acupuncture and shaped me as a practitioner. Reaching my lowest point taught me many things about resiliency, compassion for thyself, and what it means to act in this world from a place of love.

It’s often during the most challenging times of our lives that we are able to decipher what we want and need. The emotional experience of ‘rock bottom’ ultimately shows us who we are, myself included. From this perspective, it’s true that our emotions are some of our greatest guides as we sort through how to become well.

As I explored the nuances of my feelings I began to understand what intuition was, and how to turn mine into a tool to protect and better my mind and body. I believe that the more we know about ourselves, the easier it is to find a long-lasting balance in our lives.

Chinese medicine has so much to offer in this regard as it highlights the emotional connections to several pathological processes of the body. The theory suggests that each organ essentially has its own emotion, and when we express a particular feeling, this can indicate an issue with the corresponding organ. While in the clinic room, I feel it’s important to discuss such connections in order to help you to become more aware of your body’s needs and be able to respond.

Now, it’s true that emotions aren’t the whole story. Many times, there are other pathologies in the way; deficiencies or excesses that need to be quelled in order for us to feel better. Luckily, the two perspectives aren’t mutually exclusive! By working on one, we end up working on the other. During my time of deep healing with acupuncture, this was one of the most powerful lessons.