Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Hamilton.
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been an athlete and felt connected to the human body my whole life. I played all the sports growing up: soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and dance, and I had three brothers as well, so to say I was active was an understatement. I focused on basketball mainly in high school and played a year in college then discovered competitive distance running in my twenties and became quite competitive at that for over two decades. I always loved the physical body and was fascinated with it, but it didn’t resonate with Western medicine or want to teach P.E., so I felt a bit lost academically in college. I didn’t know what I wanted to study, so I just picked English, figuring I would go into law like my sister. I had some time between semesters, and my mom opened the local paper and saw that massage school was starting the next day and suggested I go to just get out of the house. I took her advice and went, and my whole life changed its trajectory.
While in massage school, I was introduced to a whole world I didn’t know existed. I learned about the mind, body, and spirit connection. I learned that our bodies had energy, and we could work with that energy to heal our bodies. Besides massage, I learned about other healing modalities like reiki, hypnotherapy, reflexology, sound healing, aromatherapy, and Chinese Medicine. I will never forget the day the teacher brought out the chart that had the diagram of the meridian system, which is the basis of Chinese Medical Theory. My jaw dropped, and there was this moment where I recognized the whole chart, the same way two soul mates from past lives recognized each other in a current life. Much like falling in love, it was exhilarating to discover this whole world that I was so excited and infatuated with I just couldn’t get enough of it. I read everything I could about the subject and followed local acupuncturists around until finally I graduated from college and started my acupuncture studies two weeks later in Santa Barbara, CA at Santa Barbar College of Oriental Medicine. Due to some unfortunate events, the school closed down after my first year of studies so I completed my studies at Emperors College In Santa Monica, CA in 2010, graduating Cum Laude. I went on to receive my doctorate in Oriental Medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in 2021.
I opened my practice shortly after the birth of my daughter Jordan in 2010, and it’s been a wild ride in both parenting and practicing Chinese Medicine ever since. I originally set up a 1:1 traditional practice in a wellness center where I would see one or two patients an hour in two rooms. Many acupuncturists practice this way, and it’s the way we are taught in school. After eight years of this, I saw a couple of problems with this model. 1. It wasn’t affordable for most people. At $100-$200 a treatment, most patients could maybe afford one treatment, but not the 12 treatments they would most likely need to see their symptoms improve. 2. People couldn’t get in for appointments. After eight years of practice, I was usually booked two weeks out, and most sometimes issues popped up when we least expected them. There was a whole population that I wasn’t serving, and that was frustrating to me.
With these issues, I started to become interested in the community acupuncture model. Community acupuncture consists of treating multiple patients in a group setting at a service fee. Patients are treated in recliners, and clothing is left on; just limbs, face, and head need to be assessed. This model allows the provider to increase patient volume while decreasing the patient’s price.
The clinic that I operate today is called the Zen Den, and it has been open for five years. We offer sliding-scale community acupuncture treatments 6 days a week as well as traditional 1:1 Private Acupuncture, Massage, Cupping, and Herbal Medicine.
We have three acupuncturists including myself, a massage therapist, and a full front desk staff. We have been voted the #1 place to get acupuncture in San Luis Obispo County for the last three years by the New Times.
More recently, I am committed to revolutionizing the practice and evolution of the practice of Chinese Medicine to meet our Modern Needs and have stepped into the role of Speaker, Educator, and Coach. I teach CEU courses on international platforms for acupuncturists and have founded two online programs for acupuncturists entitled: Community Acupuncture School and Lunar Acupuncture.
I am an avid trail runner, two-time marathon champion, ultra-runner, and fitness competitor; I live in San Luis Obispo, CA with my two children.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Balancing motherhood and patient care. Educating people about Chinese Medicine – not many people know what it is, why they need it, or how much training acupuncturists have to undergo to practice this medicine.
Getting insurance companies to reimburse acupuncturists at a reasonable rate for the services we provide.
We’ve been impressed with Zen Den, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Zen Den is a sliding-scale community acupuncture clinic and healing center. We specialize in making acupuncture affordable and accessible by providing acupuncture services in a tranquil group setting. Our fees are sliding scale or membership-based to make it affordable and accessible to most. We treat a wide range of disorders and ailments, but the things we most commonly treat are any type of back or neck pain, stress, insomnia, PMS, menopause, headaches, sciatica, tendonitis, joint pain, cold/flu, asthma, and infertility. Acupuncture is safe, natural, and effective, and by making it more accessible, we make our community a better place to be.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I believe acupuncture is becoming more commonly accepted and in higher demand in general. Acupuncture for longevity, and facial rejuvenation, sports rehabilitation, orthopedic acupuncture, and infertility are probably some of the fastest-growing fields in Chinese Medicine today.
Pricing:
- Sliding Scale Acupuncture Drop-In Fee$33-55
- Monthly Community Memberships starting at $105
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drmichellehamilton.com / www.zendenslo.com
- Instagram: @dr_michellehamilton @zendenslo
Image Credits
Samantha Josette
