Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Fitzgerald.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Jamie. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
When I was a child, born and raised in the East Valley, my parents disagreed about my healthcare. My father was raised Christian scientist and believed in a more natural health approach. My mother deeply believed in preventative medicine. So it seemed reasonable to all of us that all throughout elementary school, I saw an acupuncturist for my physical mental and spiritual health. When I became an adult and went to a western medical doctor, I am sure I really confused her when I began telling her all about my mental state and stress levels. She must have thought I was really strange. This was the first time I truly realized that our medical culture, here in the United States, was ignoring the mental and spiritual parts of healthcare. I knew then we could do better for our citizens. This sparked my lifelong study of health and wellness. I started studying complementary medicine over 20 years ago when I was still in high school. My first modality was reiki, an ancient Japanese method of energy healing. While studying religion, psychology, and anthropology at ASU, I continued my studies in Complementary medicine and earned my master massage therapist and natural aesthetics certifications at SWIHA, in Tempe. I moved to CA for grad school soon after and Earned my master’s degree in Traditional Chinese medicine. I was offered the chance of a lifetime to intern in the hospitals in Hangzhou, China, and jumped at the chance. Since returning to Arizona I have been so honored to bring everything I have learned to my patients and my community in the form of opening my clinic, Desert Sage Wellness Center and The Healing Point Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine in Ahwatukee, AZ, a collaborative space for wellness professionals to offer patients natural whole-body medicine. I am currently chairman of the Arizona State Acupuncture Board, a continuing education provider for National Accreditation Certification Commission for Acupuncture, a member of Acupuncturists Without Borders, co-founder of Wise Phoenix continuing education as well being a proud wife and mother of a two-year-old. Traditional Chinese medicine has continued to be the main source of healthcare for most of my life. It has gotten me through my debilitating endometriosis, the death of my brother, a complicated pregnancy, herniated discs by treating my whole body. I am now dedicated to working with western medical providers to find a balance between western medicine and Chinese medicine that will bring the greatest benefit to our community.
Has it been a smooth road?
A smooth road only sounds good. I am one of those people that learns best through trial and error. I wish this wasn’t true. Learning by merely watching others sounds so much more peaceful. That being said, the road to where I am has definitely had its ups and downs. I did not have a lot of money when I started my first clinic in Gilbert. I took out a line of credit I could not afford and had to bet on myself. I remember when one of my first patients was leaving it hit me hard how many bills there could be as a business owner. It was very stressful. I did not let it get me down. I became more involved in my community, partnering with Mindy Hayden Owner of Hayden Acupuncture to start East Valley Community Acupuncture Clinic, a weekly low-cost clinic to help with the burden of healthcare. More and more word of mouth spread, and I became more ingrained in my community. Looking back, I was definitely at my most creative and productive during those hard times, so maybe they weren’t so bad. I would definitely want to give my past self a sneak peek at the future. Then I could see all I have been able to build and take a deep breath knowing that in life and business better a small clear stream than a large muddy river.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Healing Point Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Clinic story. Tell us more about the business.
My specialty is the individualized level of service I extend to my patients. It is important to me that my patients leave armed with information & treatment plans to help navigate what are often complicated health issues. Because each patient is so unique, I invest time, attention, & knowledge for each client. Chinese medicine diagnosis is based on observation and investigation into the patient’s condition while understanding that the entire body is connected. Therefore, each physical condition is considered connected to another. When viewed in this way, each person’s constitution, diagnosis, and treatment will be unique to them. We always say that 20 people with low back pain can come in, and there will be twenty different treatments given. Each of us is so unique that Chinese medicine seeks not to make too many generalizations about the body but to study the individual patterns within each person. When a patient comes to their first visit, they can expect a long treatment that takes around an hour and a half, followup appointments last about an hour, this is because we spend a great amount of time to understand a patient’s full health history and the detailed nature of their condition. After this long conversation, I will be able to explain which treatments would be best and often give herbal prescriptions or dietary suggestions. Traditionally Chinese medicine has five branches, any of which may be utilized during a patients treatment. The five branches of Chinese medicine include acupuncture, herbology, tui na (massage), Dietetics (nutrition) and Qi Gong (movement exercises).
So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
I have a two-year-old right now, so everything in the future seems so exciting. I would like to open a couple more clinics within the East Valley and have plans currently to expand. I am so excited to get to teach others in my field and have been proud to be a continuing education provider for both the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Being the chairman of the Arizona State Acupuncture Board is really rewarding. I see in my future; I would really like to continue to be an advocate for our Arizona communities and its relationship to not only acupuncture but natural healthcare as a whole.
Pricing:
- First Appointment $130 = 1.5 hours
- Follow up treatment $80 = 1 hr
Contact Info:
- Address: Jamie Fitzgerald MTCM LAc
16815 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy Phoenix, AZ 85226 - Website: TheHealingPointAZ.com
- Phone: 480-648-6998
- Email: TheHealingPointAZ@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/tcm_health_nerd
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