Meet Kristin Ebbert of Kristin Ebbert Acupuncture in Larchmont Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Ebbert.

Kristin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I consider my first job out of college a home run. I moved to New York after graduating from UC Berkeley in order to work in the nonprofit world. At the time, job opportunities were listed in the Sunday New York Times paper (yeah, the print version as there were no online newspapers yet!).

I answered a job ad for Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, which was a consumer project of the large environmental policy firm Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). I got the job and M&O went on to become a successful stand-alone nonprofit and the only group at the time working to educate consumers on environmental health issues.

At M&O, I worked my way up to Senior Administrator and Managing Editor of Publications and helped launch the award-winning Green Guide consumer newsletter (later acquired by National Geographic). As Managing Editor, I researched and wrote articles about myriad environmental issues and how they impact our health. I began looking at alternative medicine specifically, and found acupuncture to be a green, nontoxic and well-researched therapy growing in popularity.

Eight years later I decided to leave M&O to earn a Master’s of Science Degree in acupuncture in Southern California. Not only had I grown up in L.A., I learned that the education and licensing of acupuncturists in California is rigorous and that appealed to me. During the 4-year Master’s Degree I saw first-hand that acupuncture, cupping and herbs are key tools for reaching and maintaining wellness, without side effects.

I opened my practice on Larchmont Boulevard in 2006. Every day since then I watch patients walk out of my office feeling more relaxed, with less pain and more energy, and with the confidence that it’s in their power to get well. I love this job.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The main challenge for any healthcare practitioner (and any entrepreneur for that matter) is building a patient or client base from scratch. You literally have zero patients once you pass your state licensing exam.

But after moving back to California, I had gotten a job working at Community Arts Resources as Program Coordinator for a large summer intern program founded by The Getty. That job allowed me to connect with a diverse group of creative people here in LA.

So my recommendation to anyone who might be interested in going back to school? Don’t give up your day job if at all possible! You won’t be sweating the loans and may network enough during that time that many of your contacts become new clients. It worked for me — I still have patients who come to me through my work at Community Arts Resources and The Getty.

I also got some great advice when I first set up my practice. A friend told me: “If you water your garden a little every day, at a certain point you will turn around and see a big, beautiful yard.” In other words, don’t try to ramp up all at once. If you commit to a few important tasks each day, before you know it your practice will be swinging and will definitely have a stronger foundation.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kristin Ebbert Acupuncture – what should we know?
Using acupuncture, cupping, professional brand supplements and ethically-sourced Chinese herbs, my goal is to help patients achieve and maintain their best health. I offer my patients thoughtful, attentive consultations so I can unravel complex (or even the simplest) medical histories.

I began practicing acupuncture more than a decade ago after a career educating consumers on environmental issues and how they affect our health. When I discovered the benefits of Chinese medicine for myself, I became convinced that it is one of the safest, most effective approaches to common health issues.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I love getting referrals from current patients. I know that they have the confidence in me, and have improved their health to such an extent that they want their friends, family and co-workers to gain the benefits, too.

I’ve found that you never know where and when you’ll get a referral from someone you meet out in the world. It may be years since your original conversation, but key people will turn out to be your “referral hubs” and if they believe in you, they’ll never stop referring.

I also appreciated the folks I worked for at Community Arts Resources who allowed me to attend my grad school classes during the day. Luckily my acupuncture school, Dongguk University, is in K-town just down Wilshire from the Wiltern Building where we had our offices, so logistically it was pretty easy to pop over for a 3-hour class then return to work.

And my friends and family have always been incredibly supportive of my path to acupuncture and green medicine and that really meant a lot to a new practitioner. They even let me practice on them in the early days!

Pricing:

• $130 initial consultation (includes acupuncture, cupping and full health history review) – 1.5 hours
• $100 follow-up acupuncture (includes cupping) – 55 mins

Contact Info:

• Address: 435 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
• Website: http://www.ebbertacupuncture.com
• Phone: 323-570-1060
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kristin.Ebbert.Acupuncture
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KEAcupuncture
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kristin-ebbert-acupuncture-los-angeles-2

Getting in touch: VoyageLA 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.