Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie McGuirk
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in the New Haven Connecticut area, in the late 70s and 80s. The Zeitgeist of the place and time was definitely the burgeoning, natural health and mind-body medicine fields. When my mom drove me to school, I would see Dr. Bernie Siegel who she worked with at Yale, jogging in shorts, in all four seasons. Dr. Siegel was a professor at Yale, who wrote “Love, Medicine and Miracle,” in 1986 and was a known for his work with patients to help them deal with issues, related to disease and mortality. I knew ever since I was young, that I wanted to practice a new kind of medicine, one that recognized the whole person, and honored ancient healing traditions, as well as modern medicine.
I was torn as to whether I would study naturopathic medicine or oriental medicine. But my early exposure to Asian culture, through the Judo practice that my father maintained, and his Korean teachers whom our family befriended won me over.
I read all I could, and all that was available about alternative medicine, including; research studies, acupuncture, herbal medicine, energy medicine, homeopathy, this was in the 1990’s. I went to massage therapy school in Northern California. I finished college back on the East Coast and studied herbology while living and working on an organic farm in Connecticut. I traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico to complete my graduate work in acupuncture and herbal medicine. I did my internships providing Acupuncture in a post-hospital rehab center, as well as a foster care community center. I graduated in 2003 and moved to Kansas City in 2005.
My interest has always been in women’s health. Today, I maintain that focus in my practice. My motto is, “Serving Kansas City’s women and their families.” I’m honored to have done so for over 20 years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a working, mom is always a juggling act. I have two boys that are teenagers now. While, they were babies and toddlers I felt blessed to make my own schedule. At the same time, owning a solo practice is a huge responsibility and learning a work-life rhythm has taken decades. I believe my female patients appreciate how I know personally the ins and outs of their struggles to maintain wellness, to perform in the workforce, and thrive in a their relationships.
Even after 20 years, I am impressed on a daily basis by Acupuncture and the other modalities included in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) . TCM has the remarkable ability to help stabilize and maintain the body and mind. The list of specific ailments that I treat is too long to list here. However, I will say that a Chinese medicine doctor helps you maintain your health so you’re not constantly putting out the fires of health crises. Therefore, we pride ourselves on treating conditions before they arise in the body. That is the reason why forming healing relationships with my patients is so important. Without getting to know the lifestyle circumstances of a person, you won’t know how you can help them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about TOTEM Health?
I maintain a small boutique, Women’s health, Chinese medicine practice. I help women stay healthy so they can maintain their busy lives. This includes strengthening, their immune systems, working with digestive conditions, enhancing fertility, helping to strengthen and maintain muscles and joints, as well as treating anxiety and other mood conditions. I am particularly known for helping women from puberty through menopause balance their hormones. Many of my referrals come from patients that have been helped in this area.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
When other professionals, see that you don’t gate-keep, you gain their trust. I’ve found that freely sharing information and educating my patients and the public at large, has helped grow my network. By the same token, I share the contact information of others providers that I trust on a daily basis. Maintaining an individual’s wellness takes a village. To the best of my ability I help patients find a network of providers in Kansas City.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.totemacupuncture.com
- Instagram: totem_health
