Sage Haven

I’ve been wanting to try acupuncture for a while but didn’t feel like it was a priority until I was reaching a point of stress and exhaustion from work (upper-mid size law firm) that I was worried I wouldn’t be able to recover from without some serious time off so I decided to try something new, I saw that Sage Haven had a promotion for consultations and decided to go for it. My consultation was with Dr. Jordynn who was so kind and welcoming. We stepped into a consultation room and went over what issues I was having and what I’d like to work on treating. She explained the neural pathways throughout the body and how it works and I felt like it was worth a shot to jump start my new little health journey. I had my first session about a week later. I’m totally fine with needles and have a high pain tolerance, but I do have a few areas on my arms and neck that I am somewhat phobic about touching or injury to. Dr. Jordynn made sure to avoid those areas and walked me through the process before, during and after my session. Once I laid on the therapy table I started getting a little anxious even though I felt very comfortable. Dr. Jordynn helped distract me by keeping up conversation. If I remember correctly the first puncture went into my hand and I didn’t feel anything other than her hands moving around. Once the first one was in my anxiety went down a little bit but I was still hyper aware of each puncture she added. I wouldn’t say any of them hurt, but maybe one or two of them felt a bit more of a pinch than others. The pins are super small. Much smaller than a hypodermic needle. I think we did about 14-16 at my first session. From my understanding they start newbies off slowly and apply the punctures distally (away from the center of the body). I think I ended up with a few in the top of my feet and lower leg/ankle area, top of my hands and the outside of my upper forearm, I two or three at my hairline/center part, one right between my eyebrows, and one on either side of the very upper neck in the area below and behind my ears. Once they were all in, Dr. Jordynn gave me a button to press if I needed anything and then she left to allow me to relax and let the punctures do their thing. My anxiety was stable at this point but still present so I did diaphragm breathing exercises for maybe 10min and then suddenly I was cool as a cucumber and felt like I was almost sedated. I was SO relaxed it was like I was floating. I of course realize this could have been due to the deep breathing but I hadn’t felt THAT kind of deep relaxation before just from breathing alone or even yoga/meditation. I felt like the upper neck behind the ear pins and the hair line & forehead pins were HIGHLY effective. As soon as she applied those pins I felt a sense of release and for whatever reason the image of tension leaving those pin holes popped into my mind (I know that’s not how it works but it’s how it felt!). Eventually Dr. Jordynn came back in to find me super blissful, calm and practically sedated. She removed the pins, answered any questions I had (I had a ton because WHAT SORCERY). She explained that in the hours following a session you may continue to feel the sedation effects for a little while, and then after 1-2+ hours you might get a seemingly-random bout of energy. That’s exactly what happened to me. The bout of energy I felt later on was very clean and natural and felt therapeutic itself (especially after feeling so drained from work for such a long time). The reprieve I was able to experience from my first session made the initial anxiety worth facing. In my subsequent sessions (I think I’ve done 3 total at the time I’m writing this) I still experience the anxiety at the beginning but its far less anxiety and far less effort in diaphragm breathing than in my first session. It seems to be improving with each session. The effects after each session have also “evened-out” in a way. I definitely still feel sedated and relaxed afterward, but not quite to the degree I felt it the first time. I actually can’t wait for my next session!!

I have been getting acupuncture treatments at Sage Haven on and off for the past couple of years and I always leave feeling more relaxed, balanced, and grounded. Dr. Cassie is such a lovely and kind person who really listens and cares about her patients. Highly recommended!