Everything is Connected

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Laura Hawley, Lic Ac, LCSW - No Comments

The muscles of the body are woven together in a richly mulitdimensional structure, as coach Brook Thomas describes here.

She is writing about the importance of fascia or connective tissue but her description of it helps illustrate how acupuncture, which treats the fascia, works to release the muscles. The picture on the left shows a “muscle chain” – an interwoven system of muscles, tendons and bones that are involved in holding the body upright and stable. The picture on the right shows the pathway of the Tai Yang, or Bladder meridian used in acupuncture. This may help us to see why a tightness in the back might cause pain in the foot, for example. Ms Thomas explains how this give rise to the “dreaded domino effect”, or how an injury in one part of the body can give rise to pain and dysfunction elsewhere, because everything is connected.

Acupuncture as a system depends on the fact that in the body, everything is connected. We treat the back of the skull and see the achilles tendon relax. We treat the shoulder and see the gluteus maximus release. Understanding the pathways of the meridians gives the acupuncturist a set of maps of the fascia, and many ways to design an effective treatment. It seems magic in some ways, but it is no more magical than the way everything is connected.

Celebrate with me – November 4th

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Laura Hawley, Lic Ac, LCSW - No Comments

Dear Open Citizens,
Open City is moving to support a new direction.    The focus of care offered at Open City now includes  psychotherapy, as well as acupuncture, and work that incorporates the two modalities. This past year has been a time for me to return to my roots in clinical social work as a way of understanding and supporting growth and balance in the people I treat.   This flexible way of working integrates the mind and body and lets me meet each person where they are.  I now see  some people for therapy, some for acupuncture and some for both.

Open City will stay open until November 10th in its current home.  After that, Open City will move to 255 S. 17th Street, suite 1503, seven blocks away near Rittenhouse Square.  Treatments will be provided there starting on Tuesday, November 15th.

In the new office Open Room appointments will be scheduled for Tuesday and Friday.  The fee for these visits will remain the same.  Private acupuncture and therapy patients will be scheduled primarily on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Please contact me with your questions and responses.  And come to a celebration at the old office on November 4th from 5 to 7pm. We can say goodbye to the old office and toast new directions.

With gratitude,
Laura Hawley, LCSW, Lic Ac

Open City is moving and changing

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Laura Hawley, Lic Ac, LCSW - No Comments

All Things Grow

Dear Patients of Open City,
This letter is to share with you some details about the transition I am planning for Open City, and to let you know how your care will continue.
We are moving to a new office.  Open City will stay open until November 10th in its current home.  After that, Open City will move to 255 S. 17th Street, suite 1503, seven blocks away near Rittenhouse Square.  Treatments will be provided there starting on Tuesday, November 15th.

At the new space, I will continue to see patients for private acupuncture.  I will also continue to see Open Room patients in the new office, although we won’t have a group space.  Instead, because these treatments are briefer, I will offer them to established patients at the fees currently in effect. Our work together means a lot to me, and I would love to continue it. 

 Acupuncture treatment engages both the mind and the body in moving toward balance and ease. The conversation with patients both before and after treatment has always intrigued me.  As I grow older, and perhaps wiser, I am even more drawn to the healing inherent in the conversation, and back to my roots in clinical social work and therapy. This fall I began advanced training in Gestalt therapy.

I am currently accepting psychotherapy patients. I am also incorporating counseling into the acupuncture treatment with some people.  It is wonderful to see the changes that unfold through integrating the two approaches.
The focus of care offered at the new office will include acupuncture, psychotherapy and work that incorporates the two modalities.  I hope to bring something unique and useful to the world by developing my work in this way.  I am so grateful for the patients, teachers, and patients as teachers who have brought me to this stage of my practice and have given me the honor of their trust.

Please contact me with any questions.
 
Thank you, and may we all continue to grow and to thrive.

Yours,
Laura Hawley, LSW, Lic Ac

8 week Mindfulness Class for People in Caring Professions starts Sept 19th

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Laura Hawley, Lic Ac, LCSW - No Comments

People in caring professions such as teaching, social work and medicine are not often taught how to care and maintain balance for themselves, despite the multiple stresses this work can involve.  Left untended, stress leads to fatigue, irritability and burnout.

In this workshop participants will learn simple mindfulness practices, and participate in facilitated conversation about sources of stress, and about mindfulness as a means of stress management and self care.  

Participants will

• learn simple sitting meditation.  
• learn simple qi gong, a form of moving meditation.
• Engage in conversation about sources of stress at work, participants will explore a range of stress responses, both physical and emotional.  We will discuss cultural and professional messages about stress, pain and caregiving.  We will examine burnout as a risk in the caring professions.  
• Participants will learn techniques to bring mindfulness to daily life, to work and to stressful situations at work. Although these techniques can be taught to our students and patients, the focus of this class is on caring for the self while caring for others.

8 week Monday evening series begins Sept 19th. Meeting time is 6:30 to 8:15pm. Tuition is $330 with a $30 early bird discount before August 30th.

Space is limited to 8.

Email Laura@acuphilly.com with Mindfulness Class in the subject heading to reserve a spot or to ask questions.  There will be a brief phone interview to ensure the class is a good fit.

About the teacher:

Laura Hawley, Lic Ac, LSW is an acupuncturist and social worker.  Her acupuncture practice includes a focus on the treatment of anxiety, depression and stress related disorders. She incorporates meditation instruction into her treatment of patients.   She is a graduate of the practicum in Teaching Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at the Jefferson Myrna-Brind Center of Integrative Medicine.  Her teaching includes Beginners Mindfulness at her practice, Open City Healing Arts, and seminars on Ethics and Communication for the Association of Professional Acupuncturists.  

A healing event for the LGBTQ community and our allies

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Laura Hawley, Lic Ac, LCSW - No Comments

All members of the LGBTQ community and our allies are welcome to come for acupuncture and time to heal.

Brought to you by the local acupuncture community, the event will take place at Open City on Saturday, June 25th from 1 until 4 pm.

There will be a place for conversation and time together, as well as quiet space for treatment. Drop in for care and community. We will collect donations to send to Orlando, but the event is free.

You can RSVP by clicking the “Going” button on Facebook