Client Testimonial: M.W., age 60
May 21, 2010:
"While I have never done any other acupuncture treatment, I have engaged in a wide variety of healing arts as well as medical treatment for a variety of reasons over the past four decades. In all of these previous activities, noneof them have ever delivered the health benefits that I have received from your superb and highlyeffective acupuncture work. Since I began working with you last month, lifelong pain that I havesuffered since infancy has now disappeared, and I am feeling stronger, happier, more optimistic,and more energized than at any time since March 2, 2007, when I had a serious heart attack."
"While I have never done any other acupuncture treatment, I have engaged in a wide variety of healing arts as well as medical treatment for a variety of reasons over the past four decades. In all of these previous activities, noneof them have ever delivered the health benefits that I have received from your superb and highlyeffective acupuncture work. Since I began working with you last month, lifelong pain that I havesuffered since infancy has now disappeared, and I am feeling stronger, happier, more optimistic,and more energized than at any time since March 2, 2007, when I had a serious heart attack."
Client Testimonial: B.T., age 55
January 10, 2010:
"I am familiar with acupuncture as delivered (is that the correct term?) by Pamela. I have no engineering explanation of why it is effective, and I cannot explain the end results. But I do know that I am very glad for the progress that I have made with Pamela. I wish that I could explain how, but the treatments seem to be working very well! You have proven yourself as a positive agent for change, and proven yourself as a wonderful person. I am so greatly enriched by knowing you."
"I am familiar with acupuncture as delivered (is that the correct term?) by Pamela. I have no engineering explanation of why it is effective, and I cannot explain the end results. But I do know that I am very glad for the progress that I have made with Pamela. I wish that I could explain how, but the treatments seem to be working very well! You have proven yourself as a positive agent for change, and proven yourself as a wonderful person. I am so greatly enriched by knowing you."
Client Testimonial: L.S., age 47
February 1, 2011
"Your immediate response to my inquiry was one of confidence in your clinical training and almost a promise that if I sincerely wanted to be healed through acupuncture, the opportunity for that healing was mine for the asking. And our journey began, you as practitioner, I as patient, and the yin-yang that is unique to such a relationship began as well. The fact that each session starts with sharing what has happened to, with and for me, from a holistic framework, is very inline with who I am, because I see myself as part of the cosmos, and you tuned into that sphere. Also, you do not merely ask questions; you listen to my response(s) and you respond, in kind. It is like having a therapy session and THEN having an acupuncture treatment. Your demeanor of calmness and authority, while being open ot learn in the teaching environment that is Tai Sophia, is an aspect that speaks volumes to me as well. You are patient,. You are clear in explaining treatments and why a particular treatment is appropriate to a particular session. ... I am valued at Tai Sophia as an individual and as part of the human experience. It is like a new religion for me. Certainly, it is eye-opening, soul-reflecting, and physiologically, I know that healing of these uterine fibroids is occurring."
"Your immediate response to my inquiry was one of confidence in your clinical training and almost a promise that if I sincerely wanted to be healed through acupuncture, the opportunity for that healing was mine for the asking. And our journey began, you as practitioner, I as patient, and the yin-yang that is unique to such a relationship began as well. The fact that each session starts with sharing what has happened to, with and for me, from a holistic framework, is very inline with who I am, because I see myself as part of the cosmos, and you tuned into that sphere. Also, you do not merely ask questions; you listen to my response(s) and you respond, in kind. It is like having a therapy session and THEN having an acupuncture treatment. Your demeanor of calmness and authority, while being open ot learn in the teaching environment that is Tai Sophia, is an aspect that speaks volumes to me as well. You are patient,. You are clear in explaining treatments and why a particular treatment is appropriate to a particular session. ... I am valued at Tai Sophia as an individual and as part of the human experience. It is like a new religion for me. Certainly, it is eye-opening, soul-reflecting, and physiologically, I know that healing of these uterine fibroids is occurring."
Client Testimonial: C.L., age 70
February 22, 2011
" I was very fortunate to be given Pamela Howard as my Intern. She explained the art of acupuncture in depth. She has an excellent "bedside manner" and always puts me at complete ease with each treatment.
The lower vertebrae of my back are filled with arthritis causing pain in my lower back but more so in the right hip. I had spent months on various medications with minimal relief. When my doctor suggested Percoset it was definitely time for alternatives. I am very happy that Pamela Howard was the alternative chosen.
The pain in my hip has become, on a register of 1 to 10, 10 being the most painful, to about a 3 or 4 and it is attributed to acupuncture. Occasionally the pain is almost not there at all. In addition I have stopped taking any arthritis medication (I have arthritis in other joints) and find that I do not need it. I am sure that is due to acupuncture.
Each time I have a treatment I leave with a better feeling all over. Thank you, Pamela."
Client Testimonial: K.W., age 38
May 9, 2011
"Working with Pamela taught me a great deal about being present and helped me get back on track after a year that was full of transitions (moved to a new city, bought my first house, left a job, and changed careers, and got married. All wonderful, but yikes!). I feel like the work and our discussions were a catalyst inspiring me to find more space in life again for self care, assuredness and listening. Pamela treated me after I had gone through a bit of a low spot following my move and leading up to my wedding. She helped me access the energy and calm that was needed to be present in my decision making, and in the day to day. After individual treatments I felt grounded and energized. In acupuncture sessions, she was attentive to my needs, direct, efficient and empathetic (I have often gotten lightheaded and passed out when receiving shots or giving blood- these acupuncture sessions were calming and therapeutic and may have even helped me get over a fear of pain from needles). As for the longer term, I think the benefits are still coming and evolving. Pamela sent lots of information and guidance on finding more. It was apparent that she put a great deal of personal time and effort in to assure that I was well taken care of and informed about my general and reproductive health- it is evident that she is passionate about this work and cares for her clients."
"Working with Pamela taught me a great deal about being present and helped me get back on track after a year that was full of transitions (moved to a new city, bought my first house, left a job, and changed careers, and got married. All wonderful, but yikes!). I feel like the work and our discussions were a catalyst inspiring me to find more space in life again for self care, assuredness and listening. Pamela treated me after I had gone through a bit of a low spot following my move and leading up to my wedding. She helped me access the energy and calm that was needed to be present in my decision making, and in the day to day. After individual treatments I felt grounded and energized. In acupuncture sessions, she was attentive to my needs, direct, efficient and empathetic (I have often gotten lightheaded and passed out when receiving shots or giving blood- these acupuncture sessions were calming and therapeutic and may have even helped me get over a fear of pain from needles). As for the longer term, I think the benefits are still coming and evolving. Pamela sent lots of information and guidance on finding more. It was apparent that she put a great deal of personal time and effort in to assure that I was well taken care of and informed about my general and reproductive health- it is evident that she is passionate about this work and cares for her clients."
Client Testimonial: G.C.
May 8, 2011
"The acupuncture that you have administered to me has helped to give me a feeling of release. I felt as if I had held onto a great amount of negativity and turmoil associated with the disease and treatment that I have endured. It is really very hard to express in words just what it is like to have lived through chemo and radiation, much less the cancer. I think that with your careful probing of my mental state, and earnestly wanting to alleviate my symptoms, you have been able to allow my mind and body to take the path of least resistance in healing. You have helped me to be aware of my mental and physical situation and become an active participant in the integration of the changes that seems so overwhelming. I am now more able to put things in perspective, and to appreciate what really matters in life, not dwelling of the negative, but letting the positives control who and what I am. In addition, you have made me feel more like a person, and less like a patient, than do the doctors that I see. I appreciate your efforts at this too. So much of the medical world is full of cold science and impersonal machines. And as much as that all has a place, it is in the dealings with people, the exchange of warmth and caring, that healing really happens"
Client Testimonial, T.W.
April 8, 2011
" My first visit felt very different than any other visit to a care provider. I was shocked by the types of questions I was being asked. Once I got past the discomfort (all right, I’ve never gotten past it), of providing a status report on my elimination habits and related data, I noticed how Pamela wanted to know all about me – my dreams, what I cared about, what I wanted from acupuncture, my relationships – all of it. It was like she wanted to know me, the whole person. I suspected she, Tai Sophia and acupuncture might be on to something.
We were all ‘onto something’. I went in looking to address fatigue and looking for support with grief. Pamela suspected acupuncture could also help with those pesky seasonal allergies and menstrual cramps not to mention some bigger challenges I experienced. Those challenges included struggles with Seasonal Affective Disorder, POTS (an autonomic nervous system-related disorder) and Aspergers (a developmental disorder on the autistic spectrum).
"The first interview, as well as all subsequent ones, was strikingly open, curious, non-judgmental, honoring, and dare I say it, given some of us were strangers to each other, loving. By the end of the interview, I was aware of really important, basic, and easy ways I could immediately care for myself better. Drink more water. Insist on the sleep I need. Walk. Stimulate the bottoms of my feet by walking. Walk (again, David emphasized this). And, perhaps, most importantly, I received the admonition to listen to my body. Not anyone else’s, mine. Come to know my body’s wisdom. This was going to be new for me and we hadn’t even gotten to needles yet. Oddly enough, it appear everyone shared the same knowledge and wisdom and was in agreement. Not brainwashed, but thoughtfully and independently in agreement. This was reassuring.
"I began to learn to think in terms of the food and drink I was ingesting and what energy it carried with it and therefore, what I was bringing into my body. I became aware of channels of energy and storing energy and blocked energy. I was still suspect until the needles came out. ..Within the first visit I felt the energy flowing. While on the table, I found myself quite naturally slipping into deep and restorative mediation and visualization. I was experiencing some of the greatest peace and calm I had experienced in my life and it was effortless during and following my treatment.
"Slowly, after several visits, I noticed that my fatigue had slowly disappeared and was replaced with focused and productive energy. It was working. Pamela noted that we had accomplished quite a bit in our first several sessions and we decreased my visits to every 5 weeks or so. During that time, but much later in the season than usual, seasonal depression creeped in. I went to a psychiatrist and began medication – a low, non-therapeutic dose of Wellbutrin. It helped for a couple of months, but joblessness was starting to take a toll on me. I increased the dosage with the knowledge of my psychiatrist. Within a few days, I reacted with terrifying nightmares, bad headaches, tremors and strong fear. The psychiatrist was not immediately available, but I had an acupuncture appointment. I was scared. Pamela and the clinic developed a treatment plan that day to relieve my fear and pain. It worked. I became calm and relaxed and couldn’t even recall what it felt like to experience what I was experiencing only 30 minutes prior. I could not believe how immediate the relief was and how quickly I felt balanced. After our session, I discussed using acupuncture as my sole treatment for depression going forward and we scheduled our next several appointments. It has been several months and I have been symptom-free of my depression.
"I asked for support in establishing focus and taking action on my job search. Within a few months of beginning treatment with those objectives, I had landed a new job. Looking back on my initial list of complaints or areas where we thought acupuncture might help, I have forgotten that I have many of those issues. Of those which I’m still aware, for example, menstrual cramps and allergies, they no longer get in the way of my daily activities and routine.
As a result of working with Pamela and the Tai Sophia Community, acupuncture is no longer an experimental form of care, it is a primary form of self-care, along with getting a good night’s sleep, exercising, eating right, connecting with loved ones and meditation. I don’t know how I lived without it and don’t plan to ever again."