Meet Kaylie Hopper of Hopper Acupuncture and Herbs in Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylie Hopper.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My path to pursuing medicine was a bit of a windy road, but I know that the journey to finding your passion often is. I grew up fully identifying as a right-brained creative. I shunned most things science and math because I couldn’t seem to grasp them as well as I could writing and the arts. That changed when a series of events in my teenage years led me to seek alternative options for healthcare. I wasn’t satisfied with the answers I was getting about both physical and emotional issues. It seemed like a lot of the options I was getting weren’t actually getting to the root of the issue. When I was 20 years old I went to see an acupuncturist for the first time. I’ll admit it, I was a total skeptic. I was seeking treatment for a physical issue, but with each treatment I began to notice something. EVERYTHING was changing. My mood, my energy, my physical symptoms; they were all improving. Things I didn’t even know were out of balance began to re-balance. I was like, oh my god, it’s like everything is connected! I’m pretty sure I came out of the womb asking “why?” so I had to know how this amazing medicine worked. I had to know about the intricacies of the human body. Most of all, I had to help spread the word that as keepers of our own bodies, we have options when it comes to our health. We can be active participants in our process of healing and we get to choose what that means. So I left behind my false identity of being a 100 percent right-brainer (because no one is!) And enrolled in a nearly 5-year Master’s degree program for Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2015 I passed the California state licensing exam and started my business, Hopper Acupuncture + Herbs.

Has it been a smooth road?
If you had asked me this question while I was studying for boards I probably would have laughed. Or cried. But looking back on my journey so far, I can say for certain that everything has worked out in the best way it could have. I’m at my best when I’m challenged, so the bumps in the road have forced me to step up and remember why I’m doing what I do, which is because I love it.

Looking back, there were things that I thought were the biggest deal ever but actually turned out to be really great and necessary lessons for me. Funny how that works, huh? I don’t have a background in business so that’s been a learning curve for sure. But it’s been super fun. Taking risks and making mistakes is part of the whole process and it has forced me to be more forgiving and patient with myself. Self-care is also something that keeps popping up for me. I’m a way better practitioner, and human, when my self-care game is on point.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hopper Acupuncture and Herbs story. Tell us more about the business.
Hopper Acupuncture + Herbs is a one woman show. I mean, it is and it isn’t, it’s just me, but I have an amazing support system in my family and friends that have all been a part of this journey in one way or another. I practice out of a really beautiful space in Highland Park called Highland Holistic.

My goal as a practitioner is to show people the link between their physical body and their emotional one. They aren’t separate. Every emotional experience has an equal physical experience in the body.

Sometimes we process these things and sometimes we don’t. Acupuncture, inquiry, diet, lifestyle, and herbs can all help get the root cause of a symptom or medical condition.

I don’t have one specialty at the moment, but I definitely have a passion for treating emotional imbalances that are manifesting physically, whether it be pain, digestive issues, or menstrual irregularities. I do a lot of fertility support as well. Often acupuncture is the last resort for women who are having a hard time conceiving, but the results are pretty amazing and helping them on their journey to motherhood is beyond rewarding for me.

Amidst all of the things happening in the world right now, I want to make sure that my services are accessible to everybody. I offer community acupuncture twice a month for a discounted rate. It’s also a great setting to try acupuncture for the first time if you’ve been curious or just want to de-stress.

I think the thing that I’m most proud of is that I get to do what I love. I get to see people evolve, transform, and heal. I get to give people what I was given when I felt like my healthcare system was asking me to settle. We should never have to settle.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The field is definitely growing, which is really exciting. People no longer look at me like I have 3 heads when I say I do acupuncture. Well, not as often at least. Acupuncture is one of those things that once you try it, you tell everyone about it. It’s sort of magical, but it works. And there’s evidence-based research to back it up.

More and more people are trying acupuncture so there’s more word of mouth out there about its effectiveness. With more research being conducted, MD’s and general practitioners are referring their patients to acupuncture. That’s exciting in two regards.

One because it means more growth for the industry, and two it means that western medicine is getting a little less linear in their views of the body and seeing things from a holistic perspective. It’s slow moving, like most big changes, but I see it happening.

I also feel like more and more people are wanting to take their power back when it comes to their health. There are options out there aside from what we’re presented with at a visit to the doctor. I’m hoping to see less of a divide between eastern and western medicine and more of an integrative approach.

As an acupuncturist I know that there is a time and a place for western medicine and there are things that are beyond my scope of practice. But that goes for all fields. It would be great to see everyone in the healthcare industry have the ability to recognize where they’re falling short and to discover what other tools are out there that might be the missing piece. In the end, the goal should always be the same for all of us: to help the patient get better.

Pricing:

• Initial Consultation & Treatment – $125
• Follow-Up- $75
• Herbal Medicine Consultation- $60
• Community Acupuncture- $30

Contact Info:

• Address: Hopper Acupuncture + Herbs
  5812 N. Figueroa,
  Los Angeles, CA 90042
• Website: www.hopperacupuncture.com
• Phone: 760-450-7314
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @hopperacupuncture
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kaylie-hopper-lac-hopper-acupuncture-and-herbs-los-angeles-2

Image Credit:
Krista Fox

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