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Meet Judita Griffin of Total Wellness Acupuncture

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Judita Griffin.

Judita, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I came to the US from Lithuania in 2004 at the age of 42 knowing very little if any English.

In my country, I had bachelor’s degrees in Education and Science of Nature. I was a high school geography teacher with a passion for natural healing. The first thing I needed to do was learn the language. My English started to improve when I met Nelson who became my husband. For a short time, I worked as a nanny for two families. Later I worked as a preschool teacher. In 2008 I had a horrible jaw infection from poisonous metal filings in my teeth from Soviet Union times. About 3 months I suffered from a strong pain and meds were not helping. At this time, I remembered my passion for natural healing. I was looking for a way I could help myself and others who may be in a similar situation. After my jaw infection was cleared, I enrolled in the Arizona School of Massage Therapy. Deep down in my heart I still had the feeling that there is something more than massage, with more pronounced benefits for the body, mind and spirit. My inner voice directed me to Alternative and Complementary Care. After massage school, in 2010 I enrolled in the Phoenix Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. In 2014 I graduated with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine Degree. At the age of 52 I became a Nationally Certified(NCCAOM) and Arizona State Licensed Acupuncturist.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Everything for me was new. New country, new language. At school, I needed to work harder because I was constantly having to learn new words and build my vocabulary. All my struggles I shared with my husband Nelson.

After I graduated, we had a difficult time finding affordably and well-located office space for our business until we found a proper space in Metro Medical plaza. We had no experience or knowledge of how to run a business. We weren’t even sure how to setup the office.

We learned from our mistakes and our successes. When I opened my practice, I didn’t have any patients so I decided to give a free initial treatment to whoever came, charging a symbolic $5 fee for paperwork filing and processing. Patients were quick to buy prepaid treatment packages at discounted rates and sent their friends and family so I actually earned a small profit the first month by giving away the initial treatment. It helped create a patient base and worked out really well.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Total Wellness Acupuncture story. Tell us more about the business.
Total Wellness Acupuncture is a single practitioner company. I consider myself as a general acupuncturist and I treat people from all age groups, including pediatric patients.

Each acupuncturist has their own practice style. My practice is based on Meridian Balance Acupuncture, mostly developed by Master Tung and Dr. Tan. I am licensed not only in Acupuncture but I also am a Licensed Massage Therapist, have knowledge about TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) herbs. I treat a wide spectrum of musculoskeletal, emotional, stress and systematic disorders, such as Gi issues, hormonal imbalances, etc.

I diagnose and treat my patients holistically by helping them to understand their life style, mind, body and spirit connection. In addition to acupuncture I incorporate into my treatments a lot of other complimentary modalities such as Chinese (Tui Na) and Western massage, cupping, gua sha, electro-stimulation, etc.

For those who do not like needling ,I use acupressure, acupuncture lasers or acupuncture point stimulators.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
When I look back through my life, I see myself struggling through my young age. I grew up in Lithuania during the time it was under communist rule by the Soviet Union. We had no freedom to talk, laugh or enjoy life freely. I witnessed how the Soviet Union crashed and my country separated from Russia. At this time, we didn’t have gas or oil, the grocery store shelves were empty. At this time, it was not easy to survive. What happened to my country was really bad luck, but it taught me that hardship brings out the best in people and also taught me to never give up.

If somebody would have predicted 20 years ago that I would be living in America, I would have thought it was impossible. God brought me to America and my American husband into my life. After suffering a life of abuse since childhood and previous relationships (which I consider as bad luck and do not want to go there) my husband Nelson healed my heart, soul and uplifted my spirit and believed in me. He is my life companion and business partner. Without his love and support I would not be here today. I can say beyond doubt that after being born and living in Eastern Europe, I have come to realize and live the “American Dream”. This is amazingly good luck that came into my life.

In my business, I had the good luck of having 3 wonderful women volunteers to help me by working the front desk and helping me keep records, appointments and daily activities in order so that I could concentrate on helping my patients. But probably the greatest of all good luck happenings is that I am able to help people and give something good to American society.

Pricing:

  • Price ranges from $30 – $85. We have discounted 3,5 & 10 treatment packages.

Contact Info:


Image Credits:
Judita Griffin

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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