Why “Firewood?”
There are five elements in Chinese medicine that correspond to specific organs: Wood (Liver), Fire (Heart), Earth (Spleen), Metal (Lungs), & Water (Kidneys).
Fire and Wood are the two elements that I identify with most and the two organs I end up treating in almost every patient.
Our Liver regulates the flow of our energy and our Heart keeps our “Shen,” our mind, grounded and calm. Additionally, I really love the idea of building health together. You need both fire and wood to make a successful, roaring fire.
Let’s reignite that spark.
Hey there, I’m Rachel.
Owner, Acupuncturist, & Herbalist of Firewood Acupuncture
My focus as an acupuncturist is being an advocate to you with your own health goals, making gentle suggestions, administering needles & proscribing herbal remedies, and most importantly, listening to your needs and wants. Having goals for your health is what I want to discuss with you, not just your symptoms. After all, your health is a journey, not a finish line.
I grew up in the midwest. St. Louis to be exact. I had the quintessential childhood complete with pool parties, ice cream all summer long, soccer games in polyester jerseys in 90 degree heat, and family road trips. I was lucky enough to be a loved kid with a very supportive family. After a decade of living my first life as a contract wedding photographer in Chicago, I opened my own photography business and moved to Denver. It was there I found acupuncture and Chinese Medicine completely accidentally.
I honestly couldn’t believe how quickly I fell in love with this medicine.
So, after a hard left turn out of owning my first small business, I decided to go back to graduate school. What a scary transition. Starting completely over in my mid-30s was a tough decision - but, in all honesty - I was ready to dive head-first into something completely different.
I have always found purpose in serving my community, I just never realized serving my community would lead me into a life of wearing many hats. While I have struggled with the non-linear path I have taken, I think I’ve finally come to realize that I’ve been creating a lattice of careers, not a ladder. Can you relate? I sure hope so.
Education & Certifications
—> M.S.TCM - Graduated with Honors from The Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CSTCM) with a Masters of Science in Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
—> Dipl. OM - NCCAOM Nationally Board Certified Acupuncturist
—> L.Ac. - Colorado State Licensed Acupuncturist
—> Clean Needle Technique Certified
—> Neuroacupuncture Level 1 Training Certified, Neuroacupuncture Institute with Drs. Jason and Linda Hao
—> Microneedling Certified, Josh Nerenberg with Acu Micro
—> Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation Certified, Michelle Gellis
—> Injection Therapy Certified, Michael Young
—> BA Photography from Columbia College Chicago
My beliefs about health & healing
I want you to feel empowered to make the best decisions for yourself - no one knows your body better than you.
I believe everything is connected and you cannot separate your mind from your body. You are not a collection of symptoms but rather, a whole person experiencing dis-ease.
I find that Western medicine sometimes needs a little nudge from Eastern medicine - oftentimes failing if one is not there to support the other.
I know that you have the immense ability to self-heal and sometimes your body just needs reminding - that’s why you’re here.
I do not believe in elimination diets and that yes, you should be eating more protein and lifting heavy weights - often.
I believe in you and also, I believe you. No gaslighting here. You will be met with empathy and evidence-based healing. I will use all I have learned to help you get back to your best self.
The road to heal.
I first tried acupuncture because I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) in 2013 after years of irregular periods, absent periods, and a laundry list of other hormone-related symptoms. After several doctors and specialists told me my only hope was synthetic hormones and expensive pharmaceuticals, my path forked and I met a beautiful friend who encouraged me to try acupuncture. Within a few months of treatments, my cycle regulated, and something else magical happened….I began sleeping better, my aches and pains lessened, and my digestion improved. This is because Chinese medicine is holistic medicine. Turns out, the root cause of my menstrual symptoms caused imbalances in other areas in my body. By addressing the other imbalances along with my root cause, my overall health improved, and I saw meaningful and lasting results in my quality of life.
That is why it’s so important that you spend time with your practitioner. Discuss every organ system. Share all of your symptoms. Get to the nitty gritty details of the inner-workings of your body. There is no symptom too great or too small. It is all an individualized map, guiding you to the source of all your disharmonies. You can’t get to your destination if you delete certain directions and keep others. You’ll just be on a lifelong wild goose chase. Listen to your body when it’s talking to you. It is constantly sending out signal fires. Tune in.
How did I get here?
WAITING…
The beginning of what would become a lifetime of “serving my community,” began with waiting tables. I think most healers go through iterations of service before they land in their intended field. Waiting tables and bartending was just step one for me. I’ve been in and out of the service industry for the majority of my life and if I’ve learned anything about those experiences, it’s two things: taxation on tips is a crime and servers should be provided with a livable wage by their employer; and, being in the service industry is free training and preparation for every important relationship you’ll ever have. Some of the most important people in my life, I met while waiting tables. Some of the biggest lessons I’ve ever learned, I learned while waiting tables. And some of the most irritating and confounding humans I’ve encountered, I encountered while waiting tables. My old boss would insist I call these people, “opportunities,” so I’ll let you ponder what that means to you.
Favorite drink: Perfect Rye Manhattan | Tip Your Server - 20% or MORE | J. Alexander’s Restaurant —> Frasca Pizzeria + Wine Bar —> Terzo Piano —> Snooze, an AM Eatery
PHOTO GRAPHY
My older sister and brother were both very sure about their futures and acted accordingly by being immediately successful in everything they did. As the youngest, I got to watch them succeed and I’m so proud of them. However, finding “what I wanted to be when I grew up,” did not come very easily. So, after two years at Webster University in St. Louis knocking out pre-reqs, I decided to put my big girl pants on and move to the big city: CHICAGO, where I would eventually major in Photography and minor in Poetry, earning my BA in Photography in 2007 from Columbia College. I loved taking pictures, but I found art school to be…..snobby. I just didn’t fit in there. But that didn’t stop me from photographing my heart out: weddings, families, professional arts, head shots, food, restaurant openings, live events, fundraisers, the list goes on. I met my two best friends in Chicago and I feel very lucky for the life I had there. But, after a decade in The Windy City, it was time to move on to something else. P.S. Ask me if I miss the food. BECAUSE I DOOOOOOOO!
Favorite photographer: Diane Arbus | Photogs like tips, too! | Real Life Weddings —> George Street Photo & Video
HEAD WEST
I always wanted to live in Colorado. After a big family adventure out west circa 1993, living in some degree of expanse and nature sounded like heaven after the grind and crime of the big city. I opened and co-owned a photography company, specializing in small, DIY weddings on a budget. What an adventure starting a small business! But, sadly, we closed right as we were really gaining traction and I was left with debt, a damaged spirit, and working in restaurants again. What a tough pill to swallow. This was not how I thought my life would be after such a huge transition. So, after a year of waiting tables again, I stumbled into acupuncture. At the urging of a friend, I found my acupuncturist who would change my life and encourage me to go back to school in my mid-30s to get my Masters degree. And that’s just what I did.
Favorite CO thing: Hot Springs | The mountains are pretty great, too! | Cottonwood Canyon —> Mount Princeton —> Avalanche Ranch —> Joyful Journey —> Valley View —> Glenwood Hot Springs —> Strawberry Park Hot Springs
GRAD SCHOOL GRIND
Nothing can prepare you for going back to school in your 30s. The transition back into a study schedule, taking notes, and passing tests was brutal. What got me through? Paper Mate markers, spreadsheets, and seven other healers-in-the-making, who I would come to depend on like water. I love organization, so this fueled my structured brain. Believe me when I tell you I thought about quitting (said every grad student ever), but this medicine is magic. The more I learned, the more I hungered for more. No amount of fatigue or frustration would dampen my spirit for absorbing as much as I could. Traditional Chinese Medicine school IS med school - don’t let anyone ever tell you different. We were in school for 3-4 years, completed over 3,000 hours of training, participated in clinicals, advanced observations, and internal medicine, all while learning a new language and way of looking at the body; and, my goodness, it was all worth it. I am so honored to be a part of this medicine that heals so many. And they say third time’s a charm, right? From bartending, to photography, to acupuncture, I have finally found my preferred way of serving my community.
Favorite school memory: GRADUATING! | “Water is the softest thing yet, it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.” -Lao Tzu | The Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine —> Clinics I admire: Amaluna Wellness —> The Point Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine —> Acu With Elle —> Aculand —> 6 Babe Beauty —> T. Caylor Wadlington —> Clear Creek County Acupuncture & Holistic Health —> All Natural Acupuncture and Wellness Center —> Sea of Qi Healing —> Dr. Tamsin Lee —> Well Women Acupuncture —> Rooted in Healing —> Poke Acupuncture —> Emily Grace Acupuncture —> The Which Doctor —> Denver Community Acupuncture —> Silk and Palm —> Yarrow Medicine