What to Expect in a Teen Consultation & Treatment

In the initial visit, Kate will learn about your teen’s current health concerns and general wellbeing, use hands-on treatment, and offer recommendations for improved health and healing.

• I will spend roughly 30 minutes with your teen discussing their current health concern, what they’ve tried so far that has helped or not, and what their current daily life is like including school, sports & activities, diet, friends, sleep, and digestion & elimination.

• In that conversation I will offer simple insights from Chinese Medicine & Ayurveda on their condition and manageable suggestions for things they can do to feel better.

• Afterward, they’ll receive a 10-30 minute (non-needle or with with needles) treatment. Many teens feel at ease to receive acupuncture in that first treatment, and for those who prefer, I use other non-needle methods instead such as acupressure, cupping or gua sha, aromatherapy on points, and such. See below for descriptions of the various tools and modalities I use in treating teens.

To book online, schedule a “Teen Initial Consultation and Treatment” under Services for Babies, Children, and Teens via the button below.

*If you do not see a time on the schedule that works for your teen, reach out by text to request a pediatric appointment at another time. I reserve extra times during after-school and weekends for pediatric & teen patients. Reach Kate at : (707) 397-0671.

Mind-Body Healing for this transition to adulthood

Acupuncture for Teens

I use either traditional acupuncture needles that are especially short and thin and/or press needles that I call “Magic Stickers”.

Acupuncture for Teens The acupuncture needles I use with teens are even thinner than those I use with adults. With teens, I like to limit the number of points I use to 5 body points or so to allow for a very clear message to the body and for the teen to feel especially at ease. If the patient is working with anxiety, I often precede the body points by using three points in the ear to help calm their nervous system first. I follow the insertion of acupuncture needles with aromatherapy and a suggestion for either breathing or guided visualization while they rest for 15-25 minutes on the treatment table.

Press Needles or “Magic Stickers” are a wonderful way to use acupuncture with those who are weary of acupuncture needles. They look like round band-aids, roughly the size of a dime, with a teeny (.3mm needle) that are pressed on to the skin at an acupuncture point and left on for three days. Most teens don’t notice the needle at all and the benefit of the point being stimulated for days promotes a healing response beyond the office treatment. They are a fan favorite of patients of all ages!

Non-Needle Treatment Tools & Techniques

Tuina is a massage form that uses the hands to treat the points and channels of Chinese medicine. These techniques are gentle and can often be utilized at home as well.

Moxibustion involves burning a dried herb, artemisia vulgaris, or mugwort, over a specific acupuncture point, or in a region. The warm sensation is an enjoyable one and there is no burning in the process. Moxibustion can be an enormous help in cases with anxiety, sleep disorders, and menstrual issues.

Herbal Medicine is chosen specifically for your teen’s condition to help their bodies continue the healing process. I use herbal medicine with almost all my teen patients because it is such a safe, affordable, and highly effective way to continue treatment at home. The herbal medicines I use all comply to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and are of the highest quality.

Ayurveda for Teens

Ayurvedic Medicine offers an excellent paradigm for teens to understand their health challenges through and to gain a sense for how the choices they make in diet and lifestyle contribute to their wellness or disease.

I make use of the following in my clinical practice with teens:

• Ayurvedic Dinacharya or daily practices such as tongue scraping on waking

• Ayurvedic skincare recommendations

• Ayurvedic massage to target anxiety and other mental health concerns

• Ayurvedic herbal medicine

• Ayurvedic dietary recommendations and recipes

• Yoga and mantra to support health