Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Anderson.
Hi Holly, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am proud to be a licensed acupuncturist since 2008. Before figuring out what I wanted to do with my life (yay, acupuncture!) I worked in the non-profit sector and did organizing around police accountability and other justice issues in Oakland, CA. I was a development associate for the still fierce Breast Cancer Action and I coordinated the LYRIC Youth Talkline, a peer-based support line for LGBTQIA youth (now the Trevor line). I relocated from the Bay Area to LA with my spouse in 2015 – LA has been very good to me. I love working with artists of all stripes, therapists, social workers, teachers, therapists, nurses and other people who have passion around what they contribute to the world. I find a lot of meaning in helping the helpers.
Alright, 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?
My road has certainly not been a smooth one – I’ve worked as an acupuncturist in all kinds of settings, but mainly as an employee in small clinics or self-employed. Anyone who knows anything about small business knows it is rough out there. But I’ve landed on my feet, and now I am happily self-employed running a small, independent practice. I really enjoy the freedom, and it allows me to practice as I see fit.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My healing philosophy is that we all have an innate ability to heal, we just have to find it. Body-based therapies like acupuncture and somatics can help. I am a harm reduction practitioner, as such I celebrate coping and survival and I am not interested in judging you for how you got here.
I am as likely to prescribe you a song as a supplement. My sense of humor is my favorite clinical tool. My goal for you is your goals. I strive to deliver the most elegant and effective medicine to help you heal with ease.
Inspired by how much acupuncture and body-based therapies have helped me, I am obsessed with finding better and better ways for us to heal from trauma and harmful coping strategies. I’ve trained extensively with the esteemed Alaine Duncan, LAc. Her work with veterans living with PTSD has led to the alchemy of the Tao of Trauma – a combination of Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, 5 Elements Theory from Chinese Medicine and the 5 Stage Threat Response Cycle from Somatic Experiencing. As Alaine says, this work is important but doesn’t have to be so serious.
I just started a two-year certification in Chinese Medicine Psychiatry with Brandt Stickley, whose mission is to rewild Classical Chinese Medicine. I’m thrilled for this opportunity to deepen my practice with a teacher who is so deeply steeped in Classical Chinese Medicine who approaches mental health in a non-judgemental, non-stigmatizing way.
How do you think about luck?
I often call myself the world’s luckiest acupuncturist, because I get to work with such wonderful clients/patients. I find great pleasure in being a part of their lives. I take the therapeutic relationship seriously, it is sacred in my eyes. I treat my patients like the treasures they are.
I also lucked into my treatment space – I was wanting something that felt like a San Francisco studio, but also an art studio. I found my space on Craigslist, and it was already outfitted by another wonderful acupuncturist, Cara Jolly. I was so stressed about having to build out an office, but instead I just waltzed right into this lovely space. We consider it to be a Healing Arts Studio. I work surrounded by art, mainly from local women artists. Most preciously, we have my spouse Jenn Crockett’s paintings and sculpture to keep us company.
I was named for my great-grandmother, Holly Bucy, who called herself Lucky Holly, despite being left a widow during the Great Depression with three daughters under 10 years old in West Texas. She went on to be the first woman elected to office in Texas, and then had a successful career in the post office. More importantly, she was adored by her daughters and grandchildren for her wild sense of humor and independent approach to life. I try to follow in her footsteps, and I consider myself privileged and lucky to get to do what I was meant to do for a living.
Pricing:
- I work on a sliding scale: $85-$125 per treatment
- I also work virtually, on a sliding scale. $100-$140 per hour long session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Hollyandersonlac.com
- Instagram: @hollyandersonlac
- Other: https://hollyandersonlac.janeapp.com
Image Credits
Mural by Bunnie Reiss
Paintings by Jenn Crockett @crocky_design_lab
Sculpture by Jenn Crockett @crocky_design_lab
