Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Kirk
Hi Caroline, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Starting from today and working backwards — I am currently a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine practicing in Los Angeles providing holistic healthcare to people of all ages at any stage of their life. I have a keen focus on women’s health, including hormonal irregularities, as well as digestive disorders, stress and anxiety support, and pain management.
Now going backwards — I was always a curious kid, and I grew into a young adult that found myself questioning the status quo, the standard options, seeking the why behind a lot of things. Overtime, this inkling towards trying to get to the root of issues and having a hard time accepting things as is manifested in equal parts curiosity and skepticism about modern day healthcare.
I struggled with migraines for most of my teenage years, and I resented taking medication to get through the day. I remember the first doctors appointment where I had a lightbulb go off when I tuned into the fact that the doctor spent about 10 minutes with me, and 8 of those minutes included starring at her computer screen. I left with a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication and told to get something at CVS for migraine relief.
My point in bringing up this story is not to say that prescription medications for many different conditions are inappropriate. The point here is that I didn’t want to accept that this is the only option for health care. That no other form of medicine was both accessible and effective. That there weren’t professionals dedicated to helping people really get better. What other options were there for a teenager struggling with chronic headaches or anxiety? Was our system set up to allow doctors only the tiniest peek into our health, our history, the presenting symptoms, our goals, our struggles? And is that why the resources available are oftentimes a bandaid approach that can lead to more issues, more symptoms, more struggles?
My first meeting with acupuncture and Chinese medicine was quick yet fascinating. I had surgery on my wrist to remove a cyst and 1 year later, my ability to flex and extend my wrist became increasingly more difficult and painful. After getting the all clear from my doctor that no further surgical intervention was needed, I took the recommendation of a friend and booked an acupuncture appointment. 3 visits later, zero pain, full range of motion. After each session, I left feeling mentally and emotionally light as a feather and slept like a baby. I was fascinated. Overtime, I kept going back for a variety of ailments, from neck pain and muscle spasms, to headaches, difficult PMS symptoms and anxiety.
Back to the theme of wanting to know more, finding myself curious not only about how I could benefit from this medicine, but how I could create a career that had depth and meaning to it, and could I merge these two things? How could I be in a professional role that didn’t look like sitting at a desk Monday through Friday 9am-6pm selling things I didn’t care about.
That deep seated curiosity and dedication to seeing the whole picture rather than individual parts is what ultimately lead me to seek a career as a practitioner of Chinese medicine. This ancient medicine sees the world and the people living in it as one in the same. The patterns observed in nature are ultimately how the ancient Chinese observed the body’s physiological processes and began to understand both how disease comes about, and more importantly, ways to prevent disease.
The tools I gained (and will continue to gain as a forever student of this medicine) simply put, are to understand how our internal and external environment impact our health. For example, if one part is weak, another part may overcompensate, and thus breeds pathology. To treat chronic back pain without treating the nervous system and unresolved emotional trauma is shortsighted. My ethos are to see people as a sum of all their parts, from the environment in which their mother was in during pregnancy, to the day to day food and drink choices, their quality of sleep, digestion, mental health, and so on.
Slow, individualized, intentional choices are what ground my practice and my relationships with my patients. It’s a partnership, with my guidance that’s rooted in a holistic way of looking at our bodies, lifestyle and environments. We work together to find ways to create long lasting and sustainable changes in order to have a higher quality of life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As expected, there were challenges. Stamina, focus, and continued determination have been at the top.
The educational requirements for becoming a licensed acupuncturist in California are a 4 year master’s degree (on top of a bachelors), which include study in 4 main areas — Chinese medicine philosophy, Chinese herbalism, acupuncture philosophy and application, and western medicine, and this includes about 2 years of clinical practice as an intern, followed by 5 board exams.
Throughout the 4.5 years it took to receive my degree and get licensed, different challenges presented itself. Initially, for example, it was learning how to read and pronounce Chinese medical words. Then, it became knowing how to switch between the western and eastern way of diagnosing and treating a specific condition. Once I got to the point of practicing as an intern and felt comfortable using acupuncture needles, I pretty quickly found my flow in the treatment room. The classes continued to challenge me, but I knew each time I finished with a patient, I felt an sense of value that I never felt before. I knew I chose the right path.
After all the schooling and tests were complete, embarking on starting my own practice was the next challenge I faced. From marketing to implementing systems and organization, it still proves to be a learning process. Additionally, I’ll meet people with complex conditions and years of struggle that feel intimidating at first. But unraveling a patient’s condition to get down to the root of it is exactly what got me here. While some cases are more straightforward, most of us come to the table with complexities.
And with that, I continue to remind myself daily that those who need my help will find their way to me, and we’ll work to put the pieces back together.
As you know, we’re big fans of Essence Studio. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Essence Studio is an acupuncture and wellness practice. As a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese medicine, my practice treats a wide variety of conditions. I have a keen focus on different areas of women’s health, such as menstrual cycle support and disorders like PCOS and endometriosis, as well as perimenopause and menopausal symptoms. I specialize in treating digestive irregularities, stress and anxiety, and pain conditions like headaches, TMJ, back/knee/neck/shoulder pain.
I practice individualized medicine. The 4 pillars of treatment that are at the foundation of my practice are 1. acupuncture 2. herbal medicine 3. holistic nutrition & nutritional supplementation and 4. movement and stress reduction advisements. Each person that visits my practice will get a customized treatment plan that is specific to their condition, their health history, and their lifestyle. Treating holistically means understanding the best way to combine treatment modalities to have a lasting effect on the whole body — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What I believe sets me apart from others is my innate ability to meet someone where they are and gradually guide them to be an active participant in their health. By teaching someone how to attune inward, noticing and listening to the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) signals their body sends them on a daily basis, ultimately puts them in the drivers seat to living with more ease. I feel passionately about teaching women at all phases of their life about their menstrual and hormonal health. It’s all too often I’m treating someone who is completely out of touch with how their body cycles on a monthly basis. I spend intentional time with each patient providing feedback and education so that they are involved in their healing. I feel strongly that the more you know, the better you are equipped to advocate for yourself, and the more empowered you’ll feel making decisions from intuition, rather than getting overwhelmed with the plethora of information available online or comparing yourself against someone else’s experience.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I offer complimentary phone consultations which gives me and a prospective patient an opportunity to connect and get a sense of how I work and how I can help them. Prospective patients can find information about me, my treatment approach, and my practice on my website and on instagram, where I enjoy sharing educational information in aims to inspire people to dig deeper into their health.
I love connecting with other practitioners and sharing our approaches on similar health topics. I value collaborating with varying health professionals such as massage therapists, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, physical therapists, holistic estheticians, and mental health specialists, because oftentimes a multi-faceted approach is needed to have an impact on someone’s health.
And finally, sharing your experience working with me with family and friends is the utmost act of support for my business. I entered this profession to hopefully have a long lasting impact on people’s health and vitality, and it means the world to me when my patients share their positive experiences with those that they love with the hopes to have a continual positive domino effect.
Pricing:
- Initial Consult + Treatment (90 mins) – $195
- Follow Up Treatments (60 mins) – $145
- Cupping Therapy add-on – $25
- Cupping & Targeted Bodywork (45 mins) – $95
- Virtual Herbal Medicine Consult (45 mins) – $145
Contact Info:
- Website: https://essencestudiola.com
- Instagram: @essenceacustudio
