Meet Samantha Humphries of Samantha Humphries Acupuncture in Claremont

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Humphries.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Samantha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born (November 26th, 1987) and raised in Claremont. Now 29 years old. I graduated from Claremont High school in 2005 and went right into pursuing a Bachelors degree in Health Science at California State University, Fullerton. I always knew I wanted to do something in the health field and help people, but it wasn’t until my last semester there that I figured out exactly what. I was taking a class on alternative medicine and when we were learning about acupuncture, I became extremely fascinated by it. We ended up taking a field trip to Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS, later to become my grad school) and got the opportunity to observe everyday patients with everyday ailments getting treated with acupuncture at the on campus health clinic, and I was amazed with the success stories. My fascination grew into a desire to pursue a future in Acupuncture, so in 2009 after graduating with my 4 year Bachelors degree, I went straight into grad school where I then completed a 3 year Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, graduating Magna Cum Laude in December of 2012. I also had the privilege to travel to Taiwan for a couple of weeks during grad school, to observe and work in the hospitals where acupuncture is mainstream medicine, one of the coolest experiences of my life. I then took my California State licensing exam in February of 2013, was licensed at the end of March 2013, and opened/started my practice on May 7th, 2013. I knew I wanted to have my very own practice, so I just did what I could and started out very small, simply renting a room out of a small office (also had massage therapists and a chiropractor) in the Claremont village to treat my patients. After a couple years there, I had grown so much that I needed a larger space and that’s when I moved just 5 minutes north of the village/colleges into the private office that I’m in now. To look back on the last 4 (nearly 4.5) years, I’m in amazement of how much my practice, my baby, has grown, and I feel extremely fortunate to continue to do what I love and help so many people.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been very fortunate throughout my career so far. Not only with the growth of my practice from ground up, but with the ability to work a schedule that I get to create. But with that also comes a lot of hardships, and a lot of learning. I have worked since I was 16 years old, starting in the food service industry (Togo’s, Elephant Bar, and a fine dining restaurant, The Forks) and then worked part time for nearly 6 years as a sales associate for Massage Envy, all throughout grad school and the first years of starting my practice.

Transitioning from being an employee to an independent contractor/Business owner came with a lot of change and responsibility. Going from guaranteed paycheck to no guaranteed paycheck plus more financial responsibilities (and taxes, yikes haha) can be scary. Luckily, I was surrounded with great support from my family (especially my Mom and Dad) and boyfriend (who owns his own Chiropractic/Acupuncture practice in San Pedro with his brother). I continue to learn more and more about business as my practice continues to grow and I really just try and take one day, one thing at a time and enjoy this adventure!

Please tell us about Samantha Humphries Acupuncture.
I run an Acupuncture practice and I specialize in traditional Chinese style Acupuncture, and Oriental Medicine (which includes Chinese herbs, Fire Cupping, and nutritional counseling). Acupuncture treats many different conditions/ailments so I see all types of cases, but one of my passions/specialties is working with fertility/infertility cases. I have had the pleasure of helping over a handful of women now in my career so far, have their miracle baby/babies!! I absolutely love the field of women’s health and nothing makes me happier than seeing someone who has struggled with such an important part of life, finally have their healthy baby!

Because I’ve been lucky enough to design and run my practice to my heart’s desire, my treatment style does vary a little compared to some other Acupuncturist. I do much longer sessions (typically 90 minutes or 2 hours) with way more hands on work (needles on front and back side, some soft tissue work, and I like to incorporate essential oils as well) and I only treat one patient at a time vs. multiple, to allow all focus and relaxation to be on that one patient. I just believe that nowadays people need that type of care, and as much time to relax and de-stress as possible in these crazy times.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My mom was a teacher for over 20 years, and I used to go to her classroom after school often and pretend I was the teacher and teaching the class. I would write all over her board and come up with whole teaching plans and everything. I always figured I would end up teaching someday, but after all, doctors/practitioners are teachers as well.

Pricing:

• Initial visit (2 hours) $125
• Follow-up (90 minutes) $85

Contact Info:

• Address: 1420 N. Claremont Blvd.
  Suite 110B
  Claremont, CA 91711
• Website: www.samanthahumphriesacupuncture.com
• Phone: (909) 518-3126
• Email: ShumphriesLAC@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Alexis Vaughn

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