My name’s Irina, and I'm a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Practitioner in AB and BC and have 2.5 years experience practicing!

I completed the 5yr Dr. TCM program in 2016 [4250hr at ACOS, Nelson BC now Kootenay Columbia College], and since the beginning of that journey have exclusively studied Chinese medicine, health, healing, and the mind-body connection.

MY PREFERRED TOOLS ARE...
Applied channel theory as my primary diagnostic tool. Check out this website www.appliedchanneltheory.org for more info. I weave in Neurokinetic therapy for MSK conditions. You can read more on that here https://neurokinetictherapy.com/. I use all the theory and modalities we learned in school, like gua sha, glass cupping, acupuncture, blood letting, diet therapy, and herbalism. I get really excited about palpation-based practices, and how what I feel with my hands informs how to move forward. That IS my specialty.

I STRIVE FOR...
Immediate results, and there needs to be some noticeable improvements within 3-4 sessions or I will refer out. Sometimes for very complex conditions it takes more than 4 sessions to reach your goal, but you should still notice a gradual shift every session. Sometimes it’s the primary symptom that shifts first, other times it’s other symptoms e.g. energy, sleep, appetite, pain, bowel movements. When I don’t have all the answers I need, I consult colleagues and mentors. I find internal medicine far more interesting than muscle/connective tissue cases, but all relief is good relief.

MY GOAL...AND THE GOAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE IS...
To understand what’s causing your concern so I can help your body re-establish its natural state of health. Instead of a bandage solution, I want to help your system regulate so you can feel like your best self. I look for patterns of disharmony, essentially groups of symptoms that relate to each other due to a specific Pathomechanism, and then regulate and reverse it. I’m also very passionate about educating and empowering people on their journey, so I love answering questions and offering tips concerning diet, movement, and life nourishing principles.
I often use the metaphor that our body is like an integrated water system, with streams, springs, aquifers, and lakes. Where there is debris, sediment, rocks, boulders, or logs in the way, it affects the flow of water upstream and downstream. Once this clog effects the adjacent streams, its similar to how one organ system dysfunction spills into another. This congestion IS what presents as a symptom. My role is to discover where your system is congested and help remove the metaphorical rocks that block your body from maintaining homeostasis. Your body has everything it needs to stay healthy and vibrant, it sometimes just needs a nudge in the right direction. With the focused intent of a practitioner and the skilled used of an acupuncture needle [and some healthy habit shifts on your part], my hope is that you won't need to see me for very long.