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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Saturday, March 09, 2013 12:09 PM
I know, I know...I promised you all an informative blog on keeping your Liver energy happy...but I need more time than I have right now to write that. I swear, it's coming! In the interim, I thought I'd share an interesting conversation I had with a new patient this week. Now as you all know, my office hours are quite extensive. I am here until 10 pm Monday through Thursday, and I'm here all weekend. I often joke with my friends that the businesses nearby must think that I am running some sort of shady operation. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Saturday, March 02, 2013 7:43 AM
The other day I met a new patient who had never been to an acupuncturist before. She was clearly nervous, but her suffering won out over her fear of needles, and she took the insertions with little complaint. As I continued with my work, she asked me a really great question, one that I have never been asked up to this point: "How can I tell if you're good or not?" "Hmm," I answered. "That's actually a great question. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 4:46 PM
Conversations with my acupuncturist are always good for creating blog fodder. He usually has a pretty interesting perspective and raises lots of good questions about what we do. During our last session, we began to discuss the differences between male and female patients. I had never really thought about it before, but I do tend to see a lot more female patients. Whether this is indicative of females being more into this sort of thing, or males being babies about needles, I have no idea. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2012 8:04 AM
Since I have been working with hypnotherapy, the same thing has been happening, consistently, over and over. I see a patient, hypnotize them for weight loss/smoking/whatever, and the next week we have this conversation: Me: "So how have you been doing this week?" Patient: "Well, my cravings seem to have disappeared, and I lost a few pounds. I've been going to the gym more. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 9:36 AM
Whenever I used to hear the word "rapport," I always thought of it as the ability to become friends with patients. To me, it seemed obvious that building this rapport would make patients want to come back. Friends are comfortable with each other, after all, and why would you engage in a patient-practitioner relationship with someone you weren't comfortable with? Yes, I always knew that the ability to build rapport was a necessity for having a thriving practice, but I never thought of this connection as being essential to the healing process. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Friday, May 04, 2012 5:56 AM
I recently started treating an older man, one who has never tried acupuncture before. The reason he is coming in to see me is irrelevant. Suffice it to say that he has gotten results that have far surpassed resolution of his original issue. He has found acupuncture to be the factor that has improved every aspect of his life: sleep, energy, mood, and overall well-being. During our last session, we had a very interesting conversation. As he was preparing to get on the treatment table, he turned to me and said, "This is all kind of scary, when you think about it. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 11:48 AM
I'm sitting here in my office, patient on the table, enjoying the warm breezes floating through the open windows. Soft music is playing to distract my patient from the sounds of traffic outside, but in truth, I think we both find it rather soothing. I can hear his breathing starting to slow and thicken as the needles bring him out of the here and now, and into a place where healing can begin. As he drifts off, so do I...I'm just sitting here, enjoying the moment, letting my mind wander wherever it decides to go. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 7:29 AM
The other day it suddenly occurred to me that I spend a great deal of time labeling myself, and hunting down reasons/excuses for my moods. If I am feeling especially chatty or energetic, I blame it on the coffee. If I'm more withdrawn and introspective, I will inevitably mention that I am "not myself." If I'm feeling particularly snappy, it's my hormones talking. I wouldn't consider myself a moody person, but even I have highs and lows, as we all do. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Monday, January 16, 2012 8:51 AM
When I was an acupuncture student, I was repeatedly told about the 80/20 rule. According to this rule, 80% of the population is responsive to acupuncture, and the other 20% is unaffected by it. As I went on with my studies, I simply took this as a given, and assumed that, one day, 20% of my patients would end up coming in to try it out, and never coming back. As graduation grew close, I mentioned this old theory to several of my instructors, with varying feedback. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 6:28 AM
Recently, I had a new patient ask me a very good question: do you need to believe in acupuncture for it to work? This particular patient did, in fact, believe wholeheartedly in alternative medicine, but she still wondered if a closed mind would equal a poor treatment. The answer? No, you do not need to believe in this medicine for it to work. There is a lot of debate these days about the placebo effect, and how much this has to do with the efficacy of acupuncture. |
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