It wasn’t just the acupuncture that drew me to Heart & Hands, but also their imperative to give back to and support the communities I was part of…

It’s difficult for me to put into words the level of gratitude I feel for the Heart and Hands community.

It was about 5 years ago that a good friend of mine and mentor brought me into the clinic for a community acupuncture session. At the time, I was suffering from an anxiety disorder, was struggling with substance use, and generally was not taking the best care of my body, mind and spirit.

What I remember about that first visit was how comfortable Christina made me feel. As someone living with HIV, I had reservations about accessing acupuncture due to fears of being discriminated against. Far from that, she greeted me with acceptance, compassion and a genuine desire to work with me to achieve my treatment goals. I was poked, fell asleep, took a nap, and woke up more rejuvenated than I had felt in a while.

It wasn’t just the acupuncture that drew me to Heart & Hands, but also their imperative to give back to and support the communities I was part of. I’ve been an activist and harm reduction worker for the last 8 years and I appreciate so much the work that H&H does in the community. From providing acupuncture sessions to marginalized communities, to raising funds with their Pay-It-Forward campaign, H&H is an important contributor to the wellness of so many communities in the area, and that can’t be understated.

Going back to my own journey of wellness, H&H has provided me with an accessible option to take better care of myself. The amazing acupunks at H&H continue to provide me with the utmost care. I have received effective treatments for muscle pain, high blood pressure, anxiety and other conditions. Acupuncture continues to be an important tool in my journey of wellness and health. I’d like to finish off this story by saying thank you to all the amazing acupuncturists at H&H who have poked me over the years!

Thank you!
P.B.