We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Escobedo, L.Ac., MAOM recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?
As there are so many stories of my internship, there are a few that really stand out. One being the time I learned that as health care practitioners, we are not only focused on healing the imbalance within the body but we are also working with an individual’s energy as well.
It was my second year in Acupuncture school but my first year learning acupuncture needling technique. It’s can be a little nerve wrecking when you first start needling. You don’t want to hurt anyone, which is the biggest worry, but you also want to be able to locate and position the needle with accuracy, along with the correct acupuncture point. So in the beginning of this training, there is a lot of pressure at the start.
My first patient I ever needled was an older woman in her 70’s who would come into the school’s clinic once a week to get treatment for back pain. I was so nervous to actually treat someone that I didn’t read her chart throughly. So when she came in the room, she was already familiar with the necessary steps of the visit. Which consisted of me asking her the same series of questions. “How is the pain?” “Where do you feel the pain the most?” and so forth.
As I was asking away and jotting down notes, she proceed to get on the table in the face down position. As I kept asking away, I noticed she was moving extremely slow to the point where I thought maybe a more serious issue was at hand. I asked if she needed assistance but she politely said no.
As I went back to note taking, the patient stopped due to immense pain, which in that moment I felt an excruciating sharp pain shoot up from my tailbone all the way up to the base of my skull. It was so intense it winded me. I couldn’t breathe or move. My eyes began to tear up. I didn’t want my first patient to see me in bad shape I knew I needed to leave. As much effort as I could muster with the amount of pain I was in, I politely excused myself from the room and inched my way through the door. The pain increased. I didn’t know what was going on. I was in too much pain to even be scared at this random moment.
My supervising clinician at the time noticed my sobbing wet, face, that was all red and heated from the pain. She asked, “Are you ok??” To which I barely responded with a shivering “NOOO…” I immediately pushed out the words to tell her what happened. She asked which patient I was treating, took a look at the chart and felt immediate sympathy. She told me this patient had fractures all the way down her spine. Hence, the slow movement on the table and the immense back pain she felt. My supervising clinician told me to take a breather from this case and go to the break room to calm down.
As soon as I entered the room, I lowered myself into a chair that was seated right next to a fellow intern. The intern looked at me with concern and asked me if I was ok or if I needed anything. I told her of the situation. She looked at me like I was a wounded fawn and said “Awww, you don’t have a white bubble!” I looked at her like I was missing something. I asked “What the hell is a white bubble??” Her response was one in which I have kept with me till this day. She said, “We are all energetic beings. From the dirt to the chairs we are sitting in, to the human being sitting next to you. We all contain energy. We [acupuncturists] don’t just address the symptom, we are addressing a person’s Qi, their energy. This means we contain energy as well. So we, as healers, have to protect ourselves because we can feel another’s energy just as much as they can feel ours. It isn’t a matter of manipulating it but restoring its natural flow. However, we still feel everything. Energy flows where energy can grow. ”
It was like hearing words from Yoda. Well something of the sort. Before this conversation, I had never heard of the term “white bubble” or even thought about energy in this way. However, she was right. We are energetic beings and we all carry a frequency that isn’t necessarily tangible but definitely felt. This one experience helped shape me into a better healer and allow me to not just focus on the problem at hand with an individual but it allowed me to see their energy too.
Jessica , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have always been curious about medicine. I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field at a really young age. My parents experienced several health challenges that I saw them struggle with since I was a child. I didn’t like seeing either of them suffer and felt I didn’t want them or others to suffer like that at all. Being a witness to that was a huge motivating force for me to get into medicine. Once in acupuncture school, I, too, was hit with several health challenges, one of them being diagnosed with two autoimmune disorders. I was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE) and Sjögren’s syndrome. This was a pivotal moment in my life. Not only was I learning how to heal others but I had to heal myself in the process. This gave me a greater look at both sides of the table, being the practitioner and the patient. I eventually overcame the health challenges with being medication free and have been for several years. Knowing first hand what it is like having a debilitating disease and still having to push myself knowing there is a better way, I am able to connect with my patients better and being able to relate.
With that, I founded Feather & Leaf Acupuncture to really hone in on autoimmune disorders and women’s health. As these are extremely challenging areas that are increasing in numbers with health concerns. I wanted to deliver medicine in its most natural form in the way it was intended. Using natural remedies from nutrition, to herbal medicine, along with the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and techniques, to energy and breath work.
This led to Feather & Leaf Acupuncture offering in-person treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, muscle tissue work to virtual sessions such as wellness coaching, nutritional guidance, and herbal therapy consultations, and online courses. Also offering herbal remedies and techniques that are organic and relevant. I wanted to be able to reach a wider audience to not just treat the health focus but to educate our patients to know how the body works, how energy effects us, and knowing different ways they can heal themselves at home.
I feel what sets us apart from others is our focus on support and guidance and not just the treatment. It’s crucial to have a healthy support system while going through the ups and downs of the healing process. It’s a whole encompassing treatment and at the end of your visit you will know and feel supported through your healing journey.
I am most proud of how far we have come with all the challenges that have been presented through the years. It’s something I don’t take lightly because our aim is so important. I’m proud that we are able to really help others in their healing journey and give them confidence that they can and will be able to maintain a healthier life once they leave our office.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I feel the most helpful aspect to look at when in the health care field is to watch and listen. I have learned that just listening to what is being said and not said is crucial in caring for someone. Most individuals coming in for treatment state they feel they are not being heard enough at their conventional doctor’s office. Which surprises me still because listening to a patient is where the key is in treating them.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
It was such an intense and difficult time during the pandemic. On every front, there were challenges. This meant as a business we had to adapt with the changes. The impact of business, especially small business, was crushing. However, it was a massive pivot to read our patients through the tools were already offering to ensure they stayed healthy or to assist recovering during an uncertain time.
This was definitely the moment in my life, in my career, and business that I was and am absolutely sure I would choose the same profession and specialty. No doubt about it. I love what I do. As I always say, I don’t just. love it, I’m passionate about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.featherandleafacupuncture.com
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Image Credits
Feather & Leaf Acupuncture