Middlebury, Vermont
A quiet room for a loud semester
A one-person acupuncture practice for the students, faculty and staff of a college town. Visits fit around your classes and your shifts, and every needle is optional.
The usual plan
Your first five visits
This is the plan we usually suggest, not a promise. Visits can sit closer together or further apart, and you can stop after any of them.
- 01
Step 1: Visit one: we talk, you rest
A longer visit. We ask about your sleep, your week and your term, then you rest while the needles are in place. If you would rather not have needles, we start with ear seeds or acupressure.
- 02
Step 2: Visit two: see what changed
A week or so later. You tell us what you noticed, and what you did not. We change the plan to fit.
- 03
Step 3: Visit three: fit it to your week
We time the next visits around exams, lab hours or a shift schedule, and you take home a few points to press on your own.
- 04
Step 4: Visit four: leave more room
If things have settled, visits move to every other week. If they have not, we talk about what else might help, and who else to see.
- 05
Step 5: Visit five: decide together
We look back over the five visits. You choose whether to keep going, take a break, or come in only around the busy weeks.
The year here
- Move-in week
- Midterms
- Foliage weekends
- Finals
- Winter term
- Mud season
- Spring exams
- Graduation week
If you would rather not have needles
Ear seeds and acupressure are a full visit
Some people come in the day before an exam and want nothing sharp. Ear seeds are tiny seeds taped to points on the ear that you press for a few seconds when you need to. Acupressure is steady pressure with fingers on the hands, feet and shoulders. Either one is a whole visit, and you can switch at any point.
A visit without needles
Ear seeds you press yourself, between visits
Acupressure through your clothes, seated or lying down
You can say no to any step, and we skip it
Lucrecia Camarillo
Licensed acupuncturist and owner
I started this practice for people who are running on too little sleep and too many deadlines. Students, professors, dining hall and facilities staff all sit in the same chair here.
Visits here are unhurried and plain. I ask a lot at the first one, I explain every step before I do it, and I will tell you when something is better handled by your doctor, your campus counselor or someone else. Needles are always your choice.
What people come in for
- Stress that sits in the shoulders and jaw
- Sleep that is hard to start or to keep
- Low mood and low energy
- Nerves before exams and deadlines
Credentials
Diplomate of Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.), NCBAHM, formerly NCCAOM
Master's degree in acupuncture
Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.) · VT License no. 000000
Around the practice
The room, the tea, the walk over
The small things that make a first visit easier.
Sample photos.
Before the next deadline
Pick a time that works around your week
Tell us when you are free and how to reach you. We will find a time between your classes or your shift.
Questions
What people ask first
Does it hurt?
Most people feel a quick pinch, a dull ache or nothing as a needle goes in, and some feel a heaviness or warmth near it. Tell us if anything is too much and we adjust or remove it. You can also choose a visit with no needles at all.
Are the needles clean?
Yes. Every needle is sterile, used once and thrown away in a sharps box after your visit. We wash our hands before every treatment and clean the table between visits.
How many visits will I need?
It depends on you. Our usual plan is five visits to start, and we talk about what to do next at the fifth. It is a plan, not a promise, and you can stop at any time.
Can I come between classes?
Yes. A follow-up visit takes about 45 minutes, and the first visit about 75. We keep evening hours on weekdays for students and staff.
What should I wear and eat?
Wear loose clothing that rolls up at the knee and elbow, and eat something light beforehand. Do not come on an empty stomach.
Will I have to stop my medicine?
No. Acupuncture does not change what your prescriber has asked you to take. Tell your prescriber about everything you try, and tell us about everything you take.
When should I see someone else?
Come to us for stress, sleep and mood alongside your other care, never in place of it. If you feel unable to cope, start with your doctor or your school's counseling service. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), any time. In an emergency, call 911.
Can I use my HSA or FSA?
Often, yes. Ask your plan administrator before you book. How fees work is on its own page.