Hi, My name is Laura Stauffer Parks and I’m a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Health Coach at Cloud 9 Acupuncture and here’s my story of how I became an acupuncturist.
Long ago, I was a Massage Therapist who was afraid of needles. One week, at least half of my clients came in asking me about acupuncture, and asking me if I knew of a good local acupuncturist for them to try. I answered No, actually I’ve never tried acupuncture because I’m afraid of needles. After maybe the 10th or 12th client asked me this same question about acupuncture, I decided to go try acupuncture just once, to find a nice local acupuncturist that I could send all my massage clients to. And so, I did just that.
When I began receiving acupuncture treatments, I had no idea what to expect. I had allergies that were bad enough I’d have to take prescription allergy meds daily or face a nasty sinus infection as soon as I’d try to stop taking it. After my second acupuncture treatment, my allergies were gone for good, which was awesome! Even better was the deep and profound relaxation I felt not just during my session but for days, even a week after my treatment. That really got my attention, as a massage therapist I knew the relaxation from a good massage can last a solid day if you’re lucky.
I was about 22 years old when I received my first acupuncture treatment. Over the next few years, I was continuously amazed by what acupuncture could do for me. I’d twisted my ankle coming off the curb the wrong way, and after acupuncture walked out like it never happened. Colds went away faster, things I would normally take antibiotics for I was now using acupuncture with great success.
What really took the cake for me was when my cat suddenly fell ill. All of a sudden one day, my cat had gone into kidney failure. According to the vet, after being hospitalized for 3 days and about a thousand dollars later, my cat had about a 10% chance of survival, as they still did not actually know why my cat’s kidneys were shutting down. I told my acupuncturist and she recommended her colleague who treats cats. So when my cat came home from the vet, looking very much like he was dying, he got his very first acupuncture treatment.
Here’s what happened… She placed the needles for 15 minutes on my cat’s back, then took them out. In that 15 mins my cat went from not able to lift his head or meow, dingy damp fur and yellowing eyes to leaping off the couch, jumping into the bathtub and begging for water out of the tub faucet, drinking water and meowing loudly, running to the kitchen and eating a large bowl of cat food (he hadn’t eaten for about a week), and then swiftly running back to us and rubbing against our legs while excitedly meowing loud and fast, as if to say, “thank you, thank you, thank you! I feel so much better!” My cat would go on to live another 10 years.
After my miraculous cat acupuncture experience I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I knew I had to go to acupuncture school and learn how to help people with this medicine of vast possibilities. So I did. I’ve enjoyed every day of being an acupuncturist, helping patients with so many different kinds of conditions. Every day is so different, because you never know what the patient is going to come in with, physical or emotional, that they may need tending. Every day is a true adventure and I feel so honored to offer this medicine.
If you have questions about how acupuncture can help you with your health concerns, please call to schedule a Free Consultation – I’d love to help!
