Please take a few minutes to go over the general guidelines and instructions below before your appointment. Please keep this email for future reference.
Services & Approach
- Chinese Medicine, and acupuncture are a complete system of healing. Any reason that would take you to your medical doctor could be addressed by Classical Chinese Medicine. This system works in conjunction with and integration of conventional medicine if and when it is indicated.
- I am a trained body worker, acupuncturist, herbalist, and diet/nutrition consultant, often combining these tools along with other tools to best help my clients. First and foremost, I consider myself a health coach integrating all aspects of healing: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.
- If you are coming in with any chronic condition that you have had for some time, it would require a minimum of 5 weekly sessions to get the ball rolling. Chronic conditions take time; please come in with an open mind and the ability to commit to treatments and the understanding that there will be potential ups and downs along the way.
- The first session is where we get to know each other and generally is a consultation session especially in chronic cases. If you are in an acute discomfort of any kind, a treatment will be offered; otherwise, for chronic complex conditions, the entire session may be a consultation to lay the foundation for our treatment protocol. This will be discussed in person to ensure that you are on board with this process.
Before Sessions
- If you are coming in for your first session, please arrive 10 minutes early to fill out an intake form.
- Please try to arrive a few minutes early for sessions to allow yourself to settle down before a session, rather than rushing in right at your appointment start time.
- Avoid strenuous physical exercise or activity right before a session.
Ensure that you have had some food prior to coming in. This is specially important if you are having a morning appointment and have not eaten breakfast. - Wear comfortable clothes. It helps to either bring a pair of shorts or pants that go above your knees and are loose. Or you could simply take your pants off and be covered with a blanket.
- Please avoid wearing too many pieces of jewellery as you will be asked to take them off for the session.
- Avoid biking to your session, especially if you have a long way to go back afterwards.
After Sessions
- Do not do anything strenuous at least for two hours after sessions, but ideally for that day. This is more relevant especially in case of muscloskeletal issues.
- Drink more warm or room temperature water after sessions to avoid feeling tired as well as to speed up recovery.
- If you experience any unusual symptoms that you are not sure about or are concerned about, please don’t hesitate to contact the clinic via phone or email (no texting).
- Best to eat light after a session and avoid alcohol for couple of hours but ideally for the remainder of the day.
- It is important to keep warm after sessions and avoid drafts, especially after cupping therapy.
- Please avoid receiving other treatments through other healing modalities for at least 3 days after a session so as to allow your body to digest your treatment.
Remote Treatments
- Remote treatments are very much similar to an in person session in that we’ll check in first for 5-15 minutes or a half hour or so if it’s your first session, and then the session follows.
- For the energy transmission part, you’ll be lying down in your bed or anywhere comfortable and warm. You’ll need to cover yourself to stay warm during the session.
- We’ll connect via the video link that will be emailed to you half an hour before the session.
- Please come online five minutes early to ensure that everything is working properly.
- Please open the link via the Chrome browser (for best connection) on your computer or laptop, or Jane App on your phone. If there are any glitches, we’ll connect on What’sapp, Telegram, or Skype.
- The appointment time that you have booked is PST, Vancouver time. If you fail to show up at this time due to time zone confusion, the full charge will go through.
- After the initial video connection to check in, during the actual treatment, we’ll turn off the audio and video but we’ll keep the connection going in case you need to communicate any with me during the session. After the session is over, I’ll come on audio and strike a bell to let you know the session is over. I will then disconnect and we’ll touch base via email after that.
Online Booking System
- Please note that all cancellations need to be arranged through directly contacting the clinic.
- Please note that there is a STRICT 48hr. cancellation policy in effect or full fee would be charged.
- If you change or cancel your appointments twice in a row, or cancel/change frequently, you’ll be required to pay in advance for future appointments. Make an appointment if you are certain you can show up.
General Information
- Essence Acupunture & Wellness operates out of Sourcepoint Shiatsu Centre at 3261 Heather Street.
- There are plenty of 2-hr. street parking around the clinic. There are also free visitors parking behind the building accessed through the back alley. Make sure it does not have a reserved sign on it.
- We currently accept cash, cheque, all credit cards and some debit cards as methods of payment at the clinic.
- Acupuncture is a medical expense which you can claim on your income tax.
- Please note that I do not use texting for general communication. Texting is only reserved for emergencies such as running late. For all other matters, kindly use email, acu.armin@gmail.com.
- When emailing, please start a new thread with a new topic. Do not recycle old emails.
