New Year, New Practitioners!
Meet Steph Bean, our new massage therapist!
She will be working Monday mornings and Friday afternoons to start with.
Steph Bean completed both the 600 hour professional massage therapy
training program at Potomac Massage Training Institute in DC and earned her
Associate’s Degree in Health Education from Montgomery College in
Rockville, MD in 2005.
Since then, she has actively worked in the massage field with clients from
many backgrounds and ability levels, from athletes of all ages, to those
with complex medical conditions. She has experience working with healthy
clients before, during, and after pregnancy. She has worked with cancer
survivors, those with chronic disease or pain, and clients with diminished
physical and mental capacities, up to and including hospice care.
She values treating every client in a way that preserves their autonomy
and dignity, while providing opportunities for healthy touch and
encouraging sustainable health positive behaviors in a friendly way.
In her personal life, Steph is a mom to three kids, one grown and two
still at home with her spouse and two cats. She is actively involved in
volunteer work with school, faith community, and other community
organizations, with a special love for improving relationship and parenting
communication and skill building. Interests include hiking, martial arts,
lazy gardening, reading, and anything that helps young boys burn off extra
energy.
Specialty Training and Experience:
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Swedish and Deep Tissue massage techniques - 600 hour professional program of Potomac Massage Training Institute
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In Depth Intro to Oncology Massage by Lauren Muser Cates of the Society for Oncology Massage
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Assessment and treatment of Headaches by Dr. Ben Benjamin
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Neuromuscular therapy of the torso/pelvis and shoulder by NMT Center
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Acupressure for Stress Relief and Great Central Channel by Soul Lightening International
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Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy – 700 hour foundational training (anticipated completion in early 2019) by Heartwaves Healing Institute
Meet Shawna, our new acupuncturist!
Shawna is certified in fertility enhancement, has advanced training in PTSD
and mental-emotional disorders, advanced training in Chinese dietary
therapy, is certified in common pediatric conditions, has advanced training
in allergies and auto immune disorders, advanced training in pain
management, advanced training in facial acupuncture, and has advanced
training in the therapeutic use of essential oils.
Shawna’s personal experience with acupuncture changed the course of her
life. As a teenager living with a severe case of dysmenorrhea, she assumed
painkillers like Percoset, Vicodin, and Advil were the only way to combat
the debilitating symptoms she experienced every month, until she tried
acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
With nothing else to lose, at 18 years old, Shawna scheduled an
acupuncture appointment and began to feel refreshed after every treatment.
She didn’t expect drastic changes but within two months of weekly
treatments, she reduced her Western medications by half. **By three months
she was pain-free. **Miracle, no. This was the powerful effect of
acupuncture.
Shawna graduated in 2002 from the University of Vermont in Burlington with
a degree in Women’s Health and Botanical Medicine and a minor in Art
History.
While a pre-med undergraduate student at the University of Vermont, she
created a program to give low-income HIV patients access to complementary
and alternative medicine at little or no cost. For the program, she
interviewed a diverse group including massage therapists, reiki
practitioners, yogis, and acupuncturists. During this time, she gravitated
toward the acupuncturists, asking them questions about their career, family
life, and overall happiness. They all sang the praises of their decision to
become an acupuncturist.
As a pre-med student, Shawna’s initial intention was to continue on to
medical school. Feeling undecided she asked her father, a prominent
neurologist, what she should do. He told her Western medicine had changed
since he entered the profession. He saw 50 patients per day, only spending
ten quality minutes with each, and was under the thumb of HMO’s constantly
being summoned to court by insurance companies. He finished his rant by
telling her to _follow the path that will make her most happy. _
Considering her “miraculous” experience with acupuncture, Shawna followed
the footsteps of her future colleagues who had attended the New England
School of Acupuncture in Boston. There, she studied and contributed
1,200+ hours of hands on clinical instruction. Since then, Shawna has been
in practice for eleven years.
Shawna believes in a ladder of intervention when it comes to non-emergent
health care. Allow your body a chance to heal on its own by:
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Improving your diet
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Exercising regularly
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Practicing stress relief
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Sleeping at least 8 hours nightly
If you need further help or guidance the assistance of an acupuncturist, massage therapist, chiropractor, nutritionist, or counselor may be helpful.
If this is still not enough then conventional Western treatment such as pharmaceuticals and/or surgery may be necessary. Often times, a combination of these modalities works best for your mind, body, and spirit.
Shawna takes great care in making sure that her patients are comfortable with the treatment plan. To foster your acupuncture treatment, she will outline a **custom-tailored treatment strategy** including estimated number of visits, specific exercises or stretching techniques, and Chinese dietary therapy including recipes and stress relief practices.
She encourages patients to take action in their own healing process as this is a key component towards faster recovery. Shawna is licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Health and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Shawna’s specialties include:
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Mental-emotional disorders
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Immune support
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Common pediatric conditions (i.e. ADHD, immune support, and stress)