What do you like about practicing TCMA in NB?
Practicing here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, has been great. I moved  here in 1989 after having lived in Montreal for 8 years where I had done my traditional training at L’Ecole Superieure de Medecine Chinoise de Montreal. Then I did the provincial exam with ‘La Corporation Professionnelle des Medecins du Quebec’, now under L’Ordre des Acupuncteurs du Quebec which I am still a member of.  Within 3 months of being in NB, I was already in a full time practice. 

What are your specialties?
I am also a Registered Massage Therapist. I combine with Kinetic Swedish Massage, CranioSacral Osteopathic techniques, Somato Emotional Release, and Visceral Manipulation. I have been practicing Qigong for nearly 20 years and am currently doing some advance Medical Qigong Therapist training with the Ordre of Acupuncturists of Quebec.
 
You are a RMT and an Acupuncturist, how do you integrate the various modalities that you do?
My treatment sessions run about 60 to 80 minutes, this gives me time to do very thorough and personalized work. While the needles are in place, let’s say, for example, the distal antique points , I then massage the abdomen and do visceral manipulations, or release the neck and / or do cranium vault or even mouth work. Depending of the need of the individual this will decide which tools I use; whether I do deep tissue fascial release or dredging the channels, wei qi fields and organ cleansing with medical Qi Gong.
 
Working in such manner has been very satisfying for both me as a therapist and my patients. Of course they enjoy the massage but time and time again they mention that the lasting effects come from the acupuncture.

What made you join CMAAC?
Coming from a regulated province, when I first moved to NB, the practice of Acupuncture was minimally known. I wanted to be part of a professional association that will help bring the standards and scope of practice into a legislated process. I have been Chair of the Applications and Membership Committee for over 15 years. For numerous years, I had the same title with the professional body of the Massage Therapy Association which I am a founding member. I have had to do, and still continue to do, various educational promotion campaigns.
 
 
What do you hope to see in the future of Acupuncture and TCM care in your province, or in Canada?
Due to the fact that we are not yet legislated in the province of NB, I think the first step is to have all associations come together into the regulatory process.
Ethne Munden (Chair, College of Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Newfoundland and Labrador) was here recently for the Maritime Association of Registered Acupuncturists Spring Meeting where she offered the Safety Program for Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists. This was a stepping stone for us; a first to bring dialogue amongst the different associations and provinces. She has also offered us tools for the legislative process as well so as to bring a common ground to prepare for the provincial / national exam in Canada.
This is inspiring and, hopefully, will produce a very positive outcome for our profession here.