Meet Dinah Blue, an AIAM Alumna who opened Balanced Care Acupuncture in Kentucky. Dinah shares the journey that led her to acupuncture here!
“I first had the idea of studying acupuncture about 10 years ago. It began with 2 friends who were suffering from different chronic ailments and had been to multiple doctors, specialists and tried various medications without success. Although I had worked within the western medicine system for more than 20 years, I knew they needed to try something different. When we looked around, there were not enough alternative medicine options in central Kentucky. This was the first time I thought about going off to study “something different.”
“An old friend had been an acupuncture practitioner in San Diego for as long as I had been a nurse, so I knew of the field through her, and knew how useful it could be. At that time I thought all of the acupuncture programs were on one coast or the other which wouldn’t fit my life.”
“I casually mentioned my idea of going back to school to another old friend who had heard about a brand new acupuncture program in Columbus. When I spoke to my family about the idea they were immediately enthusiastic and supportive.”
“Having a school in Columbus allowed me to continue my job as a Hospice nurse on Monday and Tuesday, drive to Columbus Tuesday night, go to class and clinic on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, drive home Friday night and study all weekend..for three years. A rather grueling schedule, but the material was so exciting and my teachers and classmates such interesting people that the time passed very quickly.“
“When I started school, acupuncture was not legal in Kentucky and AIAM did not have full accreditation. I had to accept on faith that this would all come to pass by the time I was ready, and it did. Since I set up practice in my small town I have been blessed to be busy with a wide variety of patients. My license was number 39 in the state, but as a member of the state advisory board I have been privileged to watch the numbers grow over the past 7 years. Acupuncture has become a stronger force in Kentucky.”