The Journey That Shaped the Way I Care

By Rina Liu

When patients come to see me for the first time, one of the questions I hear most often is:

“Can acupuncture really help me?”

Before I talk about acupuncture, I usually ask them a question in return:

“Can you tell me what you’ve been going through?”

Over the years, I’ve learned that pain is rarely just about pain. Behind a painful shoulder, there may be months of poor sleep. Behind chronic neck pain, there may be long hours at a computer, the stress of caring for aging parents, or the demands of raising a family. Behind low back pain, there may be exhaustion, worry, or simply the challenge of trying to keep up with everyday life.

Every patient has a story. I believe healing begins by listening to that story. This belief comes not only from my professional training, but also from my own life.

When I first came to the United States, life was far from easy. I faced language barriers, raised my child as a single mother, and worked many different jobs while trying to build a new life. I sold sunglasses at Fisherman’s Wharf, worked in a dry cleaner, cared for children, attended culinary school, and later worked in a hotel kitchen.

During those years, I wasn’t thinking about success. I was simply trying to make it through each day. The stress eventually affected my own health. I struggled with depression, gained a significant amount of weight, and lost the sense of balance I once had. Looking back, I realize my body had been carrying burdens that I didn’t yet know how to express.

That experience changed me.

It led me to study Traditional Chinese Medicine—not simply because I wanted a new career, but because I wanted to better understand health, healing, and the remarkable connection between the body and the mind.

As I learned to care for my own health, I gradually regained confidence, balance, and a new understanding of what healing truly means.

That journey continues to shape the way I care for my patients today.

When someone walks into my treatment room, I don’t just see a diagnosis, I see a person with responsibilities, hopes, frustrations, and a life outside the clinic. Even when two patients share the same condition, their experiences are never exactly the same. That’s why I believe treatment should always be individualized.

Working within an integrated healthcare team has also strengthened my belief that acupuncture and modern medicine are partners, not competitors. Acupuncture can work alongside primary care, physical therapy, exercise, and other evidence-based treatments to help patients reduce pain, improve function, and enjoy a better quality of life.

Some of the most meaningful moments in my work aren’t when someone tells me their pain score is lower, they’re when a patient says:

“I finally slept through the night.”

“I walked with my family without thinking about my pain.”

“I feel like myself again.”

Those moments remind me why I chose this profession.

If you’re considering acupuncture for the first time, I hope you’ll know that you’ll find more than a treatment here. You’ll find someone who will listen. Someone who understands that healing is rarely a straight line. And someone who believes that every person’s story deserves care, compassion, and respect.

It is a privilege to be part of that journey.

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