Rita Cumming, M.S. L.Ac.   

    I came to Chinese medicine through my own health challenges. It was through acupuncture that I learned about a somatic intelligence that resides in all of us. Many people seek out alternative medical modalities to achieve specific health goals, and I was no different. But acupuncture taught me a different way of being in the world. This was more than I anticipated. I have since learned that being in the present comes more readily when I root my awareness in my body and sensory experience.
    
    Many of my patients list stress as one of their biggest challenges. During a course of treatment, when we catch the early, physical and emotional signs of stress, or break down the difficulty of a chronic issue or disease into manageable parts, we can open to a broader, more spacious and balanced sense of our well-being. At the end of the day, it’s satisfying when a particular ailment is resolved, but the wider shifts that occur through regular treatment can be sustained and integrated when we have more energy, are sleeping better, experiencing less reactivity in stressful situations, and maintaining a healthy immune system. These preventative benefits of treatment are acupuncture’s true gift. 
     
    The relationship between a patient and practitioner is an important aspect of this process since trust is essential in guiding our system toward its resources. I love getting to know my patients and to witness their unique response to this medicine. We all need a supportive environment in order to adapt and heal. I provide a safe place for this to happen.
     
     My acupuncture degree is from Tri State College of Acupuncture. I have been honored to study with a wide array of practitioners from around the country, as well as from China and Japan.  My pediatric practice is inspired by my two sons and my mentor, Rachel Koenig L.Ac. Certification in biodynamic craniosacral therapy was completed through Stillpoint, LLC, a two year training with a pioneer in the field, Franklyn Sills of the Karuna Institute in England.