Today we’d like to introduce you to K.D. Smith.
K.D., please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
About twenty years ago, I was working in a career which for some time was unfulfilling to me. I had been longing for a deeper purpose both professionally and personally. Then, one day at work, I suffered a severe physical trauma to my head, face and neck. I fell, broke and shattered bones, teeth and spirit. The healing process which followed was the catalyst that changed the direction of my life and how I live it today.
For years, I saw doctors and dentists of many specialties and practitioners of varying modalities to mend my bones, recover function and quell the pain. Through the periods of despair and discomfort came times of great reflection. Recanting past jobs, I remembered with earnest my nursing assistant days and the gratitude I felt caring for the aged residents. A path was appearing before me now and I began to step in its direction.
The trauma like a vibrational wave in a closed system was rocked with every necessary medical procedure. My emotional-mental state, already fragile, needed a safe place to process my sorrow, anger and fears by releasing the energy of the trauma stored in my body. This was provided by the many helping hands of alternative and complementary medicine practitioners.
Although western medicine helped mend my bones, “Hallelujah,” it was eastern medicine and the other energetic modalities that provided the greatest of healing. I came to fully embrace eastern philosophies for the holistic approach and framework of healthy living. I enrolled in a graduate program offering a balance of eastern and western studies to which I could see a future practice of both healing and medicine!
After graduation, I joined a medical delegation traveling to South Africa to learn about their healthcare system. The trip for me became more about a sense of humanity than anything else. Never had I seen the degree of such squalor and poverty. It was unsettling to my spirit and profoundly affect me. The health of the parentless children I met, due to the devastation of the AIDS pandemic grew my desire to look at public health as a way to better serve communities.
I went back to school again – this time in Bangladesh. For several years, I worked in different parts of South-East Asia after my program ended. Living in cultures far different than my own broadened my world views and deepened my capacity to be of serve to others and communities. It has been the depth of my practice and life experiences that have brought me home. Today there is purposefulness that had longed been missing in my life.
Has it been a smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth road rather the right road. Participating and witnessing the healing process with someone is remarkably humbling, and a gift of its own reward. However, coming to that place wasn’t overnight for me. It took healing many aspects within myself and the cultivation of my own energy to be able to sit with someone in pain and listen. I used to provide care to the soldiers at a local military base near the health clinic I worked for in the Philippines; sometimes, I’d see up to 30 soldiers in an afternoon. The physical demand and the energetic drain were hard on me. Thus burnout was a challenge. Self-restoration the solution. Now, at the helm of my own practice the struggles I face are those of running and growing a business. With little to no capital I trusted my own inner wisdom over my fears and to that I say “Hallelujah” it is the right road!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a licensed acupuncturist and sole proprietor of K.D. Smith Acupuncture. I treat each patient with the utmost care and compassion working together toward their health and well-being. My practice is holistic in nature with an emphasis on health education and spiritual development. I use many techniques in my practice such as cupping, Gua Sha, and/or Tui Na (Chinese Massage), electro-acupuncture (process of attaching electrodes to acu-needles) and ear seeds (acupressure). A typical session may include any one of those techniques combined with other tools such as guided meditation with visual imagery, natural energy healing techniques, esoteric acupuncture principals such as sacred geometry and chakra balancing, Medical Qi gong exercises and postures to reestablish balance and promote health and emotional well-being.
I specialize in working with patients to elevate spiritual consciousness promoting outcomes for vibrant health, creativity and wellness.
Primarily I am known for helping patients through life transitions and addressing underlying emotional and spiritual factors which are directly affecting their health, reducing stress, alleviating pain and elevating spirit connectedness.
As a company, I am most proud the dedication to patient care: compassion, listening, holding space for their healing, and developing a treatment plan that supports their care and well-being.
My experiences are what sets me apart. A combined twenty years in the health field as an acupuncturist, public health professional and nursing assistant; recovery from one of life’s most dispiriting events, a physical trauma; and the respect I have for the healing process. Furthermore, the expanse of working and learning along-side other practitioners both at home and abroad in multi-cultural environments treating patients from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds within multiple facilities: orthopedic, internal medicine, addiction and recovery, community, maternity, skilled nursing and a spiritual healing center. My acceptance in human understanding and connection which arises through participation in another’s culture, tradition, language and ritual customs.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the field of acupuncture growing over the next several years. Presently about 35 million people in the U.S. receive acupuncture treatments on a regular basis as part of their healthcare. More schools are teaching acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. The demand for the services are increasing as patients get better. I imagine that specialization in the field will continue to grow as more hospitals and care facilities seek to incorporate acupuncturists.
Pricing:
- Initial Consultation with treatment = $165.00
- Regular visit (follow-up & treatment) = $95.00
Contact Info:
- Address: K.D. Smith Acupuncture
11110 Ohio Avenue, Suite 105
Los Angeles, CA 90025 - Website: https://www.kdsmithacupuncture.com/
- Phone: 310.862.9269
- Email: kd@kdsmith.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdsmithacupuncture/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kd-smith-acupuncture-los-angeles
Image Credit:
Leonia Wade, Dragoslav Ulic
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