My Journey to Acupuncture and Wellness How It All Started

Many of my friends and patients have encouraged me to share my story, and I feel now is the right time. Welcome—and I hope you find my experience helpful on your own path toward better health and balance.

I’m often asked how I got into acupuncture and wellness. Usually, I give the short version, but here, I’d like to give you the whole picture of my journey—how I went from a student unsure of his future to a passionate practitioner of Chinese therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

From Uncertainty to Purpose

After graduating high school in 1990, I started college at Wayne State University in Detroit as a political science major. But I wasn’t feeling motivated, and after my first year, I dropped out. I worked a few different jobs and eventually took a physically demanding position in one of my father’s companies doing asbestos removal.

Later, I returned to college and shifted my focus to pre-med, thinking I might go into sports medicine. But the job’s heavy lifting left me with painful tendonitis in my elbow. I followed the standard medical route—internist, orthopedist, anti-inflammatories—but nothing worked. That’s when my father suggested I try acupuncture. I was skeptical, but desperate.

My First Real Experience with Acupuncture

This wasn’t my first exposure to acupuncture services. Years earlier, I had accompanied my father to appointments for his stress-induced tinnitus. He found relief through acupuncture, herbs, and clean eating—though, as a teenager, I didn’t appreciate it at the time.

When I finally went for my own appointment with Stefan Brink, I was open-minded. Along with the treatments, Stefan emphasized the importance of clean eating and a balanced lifestyle. After just a few sessions, my elbow pain was gone. I did a three-week detox, switched to a vegetarian organic diet, and felt more energized and mentally clear than ever.

I was sold.

Discovering the Benefits of Chinese Medicine

I began reading books on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and was amazed by the depth and philosophy behind it. I realized that the benefits of Chinese medicine went far beyond just treating symptoms—they addressed the root causes of imbalance.

I soon found a school in Denver—the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine—that aligned with my values and aspirations. After three years at Wayne, I applied and was accepted.

Training to Become an Acupuncture Specialist

My training was intense: 25 credit hours a semester, classes year-round, and a strong focus on both Chinese and Western theory. I was one of the youngest in my class, and among only a few who made it to graduation.

During my second year, I was honored to intern with two highly respected acupuncture specialists:

• Dr. Zhang Li Xin, a 7th-generation master of acupuncture and former head of the Red Cross acupuncture department in China.
  
  
• Dr. Ron Rosin, OMD, who learned directly from his grandfather and Chinese mentors in a time when Chinese therapy was virtually unknown in the U.S.
  

These internships gave me hands-on experience that shaped how I practice today.