A little about Jenica

Jenica Geisler completed her diploma in Doctorate studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences (ACOS) in Nelson, BC, in 2012.  She began practicing as a Community Acupuncturist shortly after, which motivated her to use her skillset for positive social change.

Read below to get to know Jenica or visit her bio !


What is your hometown?

My family and I moved from the region where I was born on the First Nation’s territory of the Gitxan Nation, otherwise known as Hazelton to Nelson BC in the Kootenays, where I spent most of my younger days. I very much enjoy returning to visit to both these places when I can.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

So many things. I loved books and organizing, so naturally I wanted to be a librarian, but I also dreamed of being outdoors, adventuring into space, or dancing.

Favorite place you’ve traveled?

Some of my most favorite places I have discovered are right here on Vancouver Island -tucked away on the West Coast or within the interior parks. I also really enjoy the mountain ranges of the Kootenays.

Favorite food?

Tacos -easy and delicious!

Cats or dogs?

In this moment, I say cats all the way. I enjoy how they are pleasantly independent; I appreciate how they know their boundaries; and their wild and quirky nature is a forever mystery.

Current book you’re reading?

The Heart of Trauma: healing the embodied brain in the context of relationships, by Bonnie Badenoch.

It’s been a pleasure reading this gem alongside my bookclub. Together we have been discovering our nervous systems in a whole new light. I appreciate this book for its rich depth of insight and its slow teachings of how to be embodied, safe, and regulated in the context of relationships. It has truly shifted how I approach the relationship I have with myself, with others, and my patients.

What are you listening to nowadays?

I’ve been also enjoying mixes by Emancipator and Lion-S, as well as artists like Nick Mulvey and Elder Island. Little Dragon and Van Morrison are also favorite go-to’s.

What are things you enjoy doing with your spare time?

I enjoy being in connection and spending time with the people in my life -my steady and spirited family, my brilliant and heartfelt friends, my skillful and inspiring collegues, and my tender and supportive network of the caregivers of my wellbeing.

When life slows down and I can enjoy my own space – I savour time spent on the deck with a good book, or going for a run through the trails. And when life really slows down, getting lost in a sewing project or creating art.

Non-profits you should be watching?

Victoria Event Centre – The VEC is a gathering place for celebration of artists, activists, and community organizing, as well as a centre for emerging performance arts, musicians, and diversity of cultural expressions. Check ‘em out!

What is your super power?

Feelin’ the pain and emotional experience of others. There is such magic here and admiration for the resilience found in another’s story. There are many gifts born from the privilege of listening and tending to another’s pain. I continue to learn how we tarnish and how we heal through embodying this super power.

Why acupuncture?

Acupuncture because…it is one of my greatest teachers. Right now, I am appreciating how acupuncture is teaching me about attunement. To attune is to adjust, to integrate, to bring into harmony or sympathetic relationship. It is how we find the balance point. Acupuncture has taught me to see this in the rhythms of nature, within the patterns of dis-ease and healing, as well as within my capacity to hold space for another’s wellness.

Acupuncture because…I love how it is a blend of both an artful craft, which provides a lens to see our experience through metaphor and story, as well it is a disciplined science, which allows us to see ourselves as unique neuro and chemical beings.

Describe community acupuncture in a nutshell.

An approach to tending to the well-being of the individual and the community, which is a precious thing during this time of socio-economic-cultural crisis we have found ourselves in.
When you make the choice to get poked ‘n comfy, next to your neighbour, tending to your needs in a community acupuncture room, again and again, you are making a stand for accessible health care for as many people as possible, you are making a stand for inclusivity of our diversity, you are making a stand for the value of building community and connections, and you are making a stand for us all to have the opportunity to feel our sovereignty in our own healing process.

Heart & Hands is…
…a place that is culture shaking and making.

…committed to cultivating a space that is truly inclusive of our diversity.

…always learning how to better tend to our broken and mending hearts.

…a place to be seen, to be heard, and to heal.

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