Today we’d like to introduce you to Carisa Chee.
Hi Carisa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My first experience with acupuncture was in my 30s. I was a professional photographer, which can be hard on the body. I had had back pain for about a year, and I had gone to everyone I could think of who might be able to help me. I was still in pain, and it was getting worse.
My yoga teacher worked at a local acupuncture clinic, and she thought I should come in to see an acupuncturist. I was terrified of needles, but I didn’t know what else to try, so I made my first appointment. Within six treatments, my pain was gone, and it has never returned. However, while going to my acupuncture appointments, I had noticed that I was sleeping better, I felt calmer, and I was breathing more easily. I continued to go, and I continued to feel better.
In 2013, my husband was offered a job in Greenville, SC. It would mean closing my photography studio, but it was an offer that was too good to refuse. For two years, I drove back to Greensboro, NC once to twice a week to continue to work in my photography business, but eventually, it became too much, and I permanently closed my studio. I took some time after that to decide what I wanted to do professionally. I wanted to find something that I could do for the rest of my life, that would challenge me mentally, and where I could truly help people.
During this time, I was still receiving acupuncture, and I knew I was benefiting in so many ways. I continued to be afraid of needles, and I didn’t believe I was good enough in my science classes in school to try for a Master’s degree that would include a lot of science and anatomy courses. But there was this voice in the back of my head that kept telling me that I should apply for acupuncture school. I discussed it with some trusted friends, and one of them mentioned a school near Boone, NC called Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine. From there, everything seemed to fall into place, and I knew I was doing what I was meant to do. I applied and was accepted for the following semester.
I attended for four years, during which time I made wonderful friends and learned as much as I could. After graduation, I studied for months to pass the three national board exams that are required for an acupuncture license. And finally, after almost five years, I had my acupuncture license. It felt amazing. And it felt humbling because now was the time to see if I could truly be of help to others. I began filling out the paperwork for my business license in Greenville, looking for a space from which to work, and gathering the necessary supplies to start a business.
Through friends, I found a welcoming and brightly lit space in a wellness center near downtown Greenville, at the corner of Main and Earle. The other people who work in this space are also trying to help their patients move more easily and live more fulfilled lives, and I am beyond grateful to have found such a wonderful place from which to work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It wasn’t always easy. When I began the program, I was in my late 30s, and I hadn’t been in school since attending university for my bachelor’s degree. It was difficult at first to take in so much new information that was incredibly foreign to anything I had learned previously. I remember there were days when my brain actually hurt from studying.
And it was a long four years. The school is set up for people who don’t necessarily live in Boone, NC to be able to attend. I would drive up to school once a month for an intensive week of class, during which we would sit for days that sometimes lasted 10 hours, and then go home for three weeks to study, take online tests, and write papers. It can be hard for a family to have to accommodate such a schedule.
In the last year of school, we worked in the student clinic under licensed acupuncturists treating the local population. It was an exhausting process, and for some months, I felt I had less to give than others.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work as a licensed acupuncturist at Jade Acupuncture LLC. I take time to listen to each of my patients, hoping they feel heard, before using acupuncture needles to treat their pains, illnesses, physical injuries, anxiety, and discomforts.
Many acupuncturists treat more than one patient at a time, which I respect because they are helping as many people as they are able within a day. I focus on one person at a time, because I want all of my energy and attention to be on them for that hour. I want them to feel heard and cared for on a deep level, which I believe in itself can be healing.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have found my mentors through shared passions. I would find the person who loved and knew the thing I wanted to learn and then signed up for their classes, contacted them in any way I could, or simply asked them if they had time to talk to me. Most people who love what they do want to share with others, and only need to be asked.
Pricing:
- Initially Assessment and treatment: $100
- Subsequent treatments: $80
- 5 Subsequent treatments: $350
- The initial assessment lasts 90 minutes. We sit together and I listen to everything the person can think to tell me about their life and why they’re there. After I understand their needs and concerns, they receive their first acupuncture treatment.
- The subsequent treatments are an hour each, and during that time, we talk about anything that has changed in the person’s life or body, what they thought of their last treatment with me, and what they would like the focus on that day. After which, they receive an acupuncture treatment.
Contact Info:
- Email: cari@jadeacugreenville.com
- Website: www.jadeacugreenville.com
- Instagram: jadeingvl
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/JADEinGVL
Image Credits
Headshot photographed by Katherine Escobar
