Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

Acupuncture provides effective relief from hot flashes in women who are being treated with the medication tamoxifen following surgery for breast cancer, according to recent research presented at the Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin.
Jill Hervik, an acupuncturist at Vestfold Central Hospital in Norway, stated that breast cancer patients who received traditional Chinese acupuncture had a 50 percent reduction in hot flashes, both during the day and night, and that this effect continued after the acupuncture ceased.
“Acupuncture is increasingly used in western countries to treat the problem of hot flashes in healthy postmenopausal women, so we wanted to see whether it was effective in women with breast cancer suffering from hot flashes as a result of their medication,” Hervik said.
Tamoxifen can cause many of the symptoms that occur during menopause, including hot flashes. For healthy women, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has traditionally been used to alleviate symptoms, but HRT is associated with an increased risk of specific types of cancers.
In a prospective, single-blind, controlled trial, Hervik randomized 59 breast cancer patients to receive either ten weeks of traditional Chinese acupuncture or sham acupuncture. All were taking tamoxifen following surgery and were postmenopausal. She delivered both the real and the sham acupuncture to the patients and maintained a neutral treatment atmosphere in order to reduce the placebo effect of the treatments.
The patients recorded the number of hot flashes they experienced for four weeks before the treatment, during the treatment and during a 12-week follow-up period. Other menopausal symptoms were also measured over the same periods using a quality of life index that incorporates symptoms such as sweating, sleep problems, depression, dizziness, palpitations, joint pain, and headache.
Both the acupuncture and the sham acupuncture were given twice a week for the first five weeks and then once a week for the next five weeks. The real acupuncture was given using needles inserted at several well-known acupuncture points. For the sham acupuncture, the needles were not inserted as deep (a maximum of 3mm), and in places distant from acupuncture points.
“During the treatment, hot flashes were reduced by 50 percent, both day and night, in the acupuncture group,” said Hervik. Three months after the last treatment a further reduction was seen. No significant changes were seen in the sham group during the day. At night there was a slight reduction during the treatment period but, once treatment had ceased, the number of hot flashes increased again.
“Acupuncture seems to provide effective relief from hot flashes, both day and night, for women taking tamoxifen after surgery for breast cancer. This treatment effect seems to coincide with a general improvement in well being,” said Hervik.
Acupuncture has an advantage over other treatments for hot flashes: it does not cause adverse side effects. Study findings suggest that acupuncture could be used more widely for treating breast cancer patients suffering from symptoms related to their medication.
For more information about acupuncture for the treatment of hot flashes call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician, at (305) 595-9500.

Using acupuncture before and during surgery reduces the pain and the amount of medications needed by patients after the surgery is over, according to Duke University Medical Center anesthesiologists who combined data from 15 small randomized acupuncture clinical trials.
“While the amount of opioids needed for patients who received acupuncture was much lower than those who did not have acupuncture, the most important outcome for the patient is the reduction of the side effects associated with opioids,” said Tong Joo Gan, M.D., a Duke anesthesiologist who presented the results of the analysis at the annual scientific conference of the American Society for Anesthesiology in San Francisco. “These side effects can negatively impact a patient’s recovery from surgery and lengthen the time spent in the hospital.”
Based on the results of this analysis, Gan recommends that acupuncture should be considered a viable option for pain control in surgery patients. Patients who received acupuncture had significantly lower risk of developing the most common side effects associated with opioid drugs compared with the control group: 1.5 times lower rates of nausea, 1.3 times fewer incidences of severe itching, 1.6 times fewer reports of dizziness, and 3.5 times fewer cases of urinary retention.
While opioids, a class of medications that act on the body similar to morphine, are effective in controlling pain, the side effects of opioid drugs often slow a patient’s recovery from their surgery. “The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence that acupuncture can play an effective role in improving the quality of the surgical experience,” said Gan.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can be more effective than conventional medications in lessening the occurrence of post operative nausea and vomiting, the most common side effect experienced by patients after surgery.
“Acupuncture is slowly becoming more accepted by American physicians, but it is still underutilized,” Gan said. “Studies like this, which show that there is a benefit to using it, should give physicians sitting on the fence the data they need to integrate acupuncture into their routine care of surgery patients.”
While it is not completely known how acupuncture works, recent research points to its ability to stimulate the production of hormones known as endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers. In addition to effective pain management, acupuncture can increase energy, strength and vitality as well as enhance well being in recovering patients.
For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500. For information about acupuncture for health and wellness ask for Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician. .

The number of acupuncture points was originally established to be the same as the number of days in the year: 365. These points were mapped to 14 major channel lines, one channel for each of the 12 inner organs, one channel along the spine (called the governing vessel), and another along the midline of the abdomen (called the conception vessel).
More recently, the number of points identified by acupuncturists has expanded. There are additional channels with their own sets of points, special points located off channels and complete mappings of body structures by points along the ears, nose, scalp, hands, feet, wrists, and ankles.
Despite the growing number of acupuncture treatment zones, most acupuncture physicians utilize the traditionally identified points on the 14 main channels. Each channel has a small number of points used repeatedly for their versatility in treating a wide variety of diseases.
Although a list of disorders and diseases treated by each point can be given, sometimes the points are selected on the basis of the Chinese theory of balancing the qi flow in the channels, so that the point might be used for other kinds of disorders aside from those listed, due to its usefulness in this balancing process.
Some commonly used acupuncture points include:
Large Intestine Channel: LI4, Hegu
This point is located on the back side of the hand between the thumb and first finger. The primary uses of this point are to relieve pain and treat inflammatory and feverish diseases.
Lung Channel: LU7, Lieque
This point is located above the wrist on the inside of the arm. It is used to treat several disorders of the upper body, including headache, neck stiffness, cough, asthma, sore throat, facial paralysis, and wrist conditions.
Stomach Channel: ST36, Zusanli
This point is located on the front of the leg, just below the knee. It is helpful for digestive disorders. Research has been conducted with treatment of this point, demonstrating positive effects in treating anemia, immune deficiency, fatigue, and numerous diseases.
Spleen Channel: SP6, Sanyinjiao
This point is located on the inner side of the leg just above the ankle. Although it is on the spleen channel, which generally influences the digestive system, this point is also valuable for treating hormonal disorders (irregular menstruation) and immune disorders.
Gallbladder Channel: GB20, Fengchi
This point is located at the base of the skull where it joins the neck in back. It is used in the treatment of acute disorders, such as common cold, influenza, headache, neck pain, and fever. In addition, it lowers blood pressure.
Liver Channel: LV3, Taichong
The point is located on the top of the foot, between the first and second toes. It is used to balance emotional energy, to regulate menstruation, to reduce pain in the chest, treat eye disorders, alleviate headaches, and reduce high blood pressure.
Pericardium Channel: PC6, Neiguan
This point is located on the inner arm, just above the wrist. Like other points on this meridian, it is useful for cardiac disorders, such as heart palpitation and angina pectoris. It is also useful for nausea, vomiting, spasms, and convulsions.
Heart Channel: HT7, Shenmen
This point is located on the outer side of the wrist. It is used in the treatment of a variety of mental disorders, such as absent mindedness, insomnia, disturbing dreams, hysteria, depression, agitation, and mental illness. It is also used in the treatment of heart disease and fatigue.
Urinary Bladder Channel: BL40, Weizhong
This point is located at the back of the knee. It is utilized in the treatment of back pain, hip impairment, muscular atrophy, leg pain, abdominal pain, nausea, and many other symptoms.
Kidney Channel: KI3, Taixi
This point is located just behind the inner ankle. It is used for disorders in several areas of the body, including sore throat, toothache, deafness, tinnitus, dizziness, asthma, thirst, insomnia, lower back pain, and menstrual irregularities.
Triple Burner Channel: TB5, Waiguan
This point on the channel is located on the outer side of the arm, above the wrist. It is mainly used in treatment of disorders along the pathway of this meridian, that is, of the fingers, hand, arms, neck, ears, cheek, and top of the head.
Small Intestine Channel: SI3, Houxi
This point is located on the side of the hand, below the little finger. It is used for treating mental disorders, stiffness and pain in the neck, seizures, night sweats, and fevers.
Governing Vessel: GV20, Baihui
This point is located at the top of the head. It is traditionally applied in the treatment of various mental disorders, and for headache, vertigo, ringing in the ears, and nasal obstruction.
For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500.

Music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. Certain music helps to focus attention, accelerate learning and enhance health. Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, including lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of stroke. Music is increasingly being utilized as a tool to help the body maintain health and prevent illness.

People are increasingly discovering ways music can be leveraged for the benefit of health. Listening to any music that is personally enjoyable has positive effects on cognition. In addition, music can strengthen memory. Musical recitation enhances the coding of information by activating neural networks in a more optimal manner. Researchers have found that individuals who are given musical training have better verbal memories than those who have not had lessons. These findings can also aid in helping people recover from brain injury.

Music with a quick tempo can stimulate brainwaves to resonate with the beat, resulting in sharper concentration and more alert thinking. Alternatively, music with a slower tempo can produce a calm, meditative state. The change in brainwave activity can bring lasting benefits even after you’ve stopped listening to music by aiding the brain to function more effectively.

Listening to classical music, such as Mozart, produces positive neurological effects that can enhance performance on cognitive tests and improve learning and concentration. Classical music can aid in getting a better night’s sleep by boosting levels of melatonin (the sleep-inducing brain chemical). Additionally, classical music has been found to lower blood pressure in college students.

Music can also benefit Alzheimer’s patients by boosting memory. Alzheimer’s patients have improved recall of words, faces and names after listening to certain types of music. Singing and playing an instrument can increase and deepen breathing capacity, which can aid in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who experience breathing difficulties. Music can also combat cases of chronic stress by slowing breathing and heart rate.

Music has been shown to effectively treat depression by producing a more positive mind state. Upbeat music combined with aerobic exercise can reduce symptoms of depression by as much as 25 percent. Using music during a workout can also keep up energy levels during cardiovascular exercise.

Music therapy has been used to treat cancer patients and individuals with ADD. Music has also been integrated into pain management health care along with guided imagery to combat chronic pain.  Music decreases pain by increasing production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Additionally, music therapy has been integrated into hospital health care programs to promote patient mental, physical and emotional well being.

For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500. For information about acupuncture for wellness ask for Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician.

Brain foods improve cognitive fitness and enhance mental power. It’s possible to improve the brain’s performance by including brain foods in our diet. Eating the right foods can boost IQ, improve mood and concentration and sharpen memory.

A diet containing specific brain foods also helps to decrease the effects of oxidation and inflammation on the brain. The development of neuronal degeneration such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease has been thought to be caused by oxidative stress on the brain. Foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals contain brain-enhancing and general health benefit properties.

Antioxidants
Products of normal metabolism known as free radicals can damage brain cells. Antioxidants found in vegetables and fruits neutralize free radicals before they can harm cells. Vegetables are a great source of antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment by diminishing oxidative stress. Spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower are especially rich in antioxidants.

Like vegetables, fruits are also an excellent source of antioxidants. Some of the healthiest options are blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, oranges, cherries, kiwis, strawberries, plums, red grapes, and avocados. Blueberries, also known as the ‘brain berry,’ contain a high level of antioxidants. Blueberries protect the brain through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action.

In addition to vegetables and fruits, Japanese Matcha (Tencha-grade green tea powder), mixed into hot water, is an excellent source of antioxidants and C and A vitamins. EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate, a compound found in green teas) possesses anti-aging, anti-cancer and general health benefits. Matcha contains higher amounts of EGCG than regular brewed green tea, including Sencha green tea. Matcha also has over 30 times the antioxidant levels of blueberries.

Cacao beans, found in chocolate, are an excellent source of antioxidants, catechins and flavonoids. Cacao beans improve cognitive processes and mood states. Most candy and chocolate products contain low levels of cacao bean. Health properties and high levels of cacao bean are found in high cacao percentage dark chocolate bars and organic non-alkalized cocoa powders.

Coffee beans are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and amino acids. Freshly-ground organic coffee powder carries several brain and general health properties. Coffee consumption has been linked with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, Dementia and other mental diseases.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel, flax seed oil, olive oil, and walnuts have been linked to improved memory, alertness and increased attention span. Omega-3s are essential to optimal brain performance. Omega-3 diet deficiencies can lead to poor memory, low IQ, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and ADD.
Omega-3s are known to be particularly crucial constituents of the outer membrane of brain cells. DHA is a particular omega-3 fatty acid found in fish that appears to boost brain development. Wild salmon is an excellent food for brain health. One of the best sources of Essential Fatty Acids (such as omega-3); wild salmon is a rich source of protein and can reduce risk of stroke, Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Protein
The brain’s neurons are basically composed of fat, but they communicate with each other through proteins that we eat. Proteins are essential to make neurotransmitters which are vital for the thinking process. Include plenty of protein rich foods in your diet, such as lean meat, dairy products, seafood, poultry, seeds, and nuts. Protein foods enhance the brain’s production of dopamine, a natural brain chemical that optimizes alertness and enhances mental tasks like memory, concentration and reaction time.

B Vitamins
B vitamins aid in the production of neurotransmitters. Particularly important for the brain, B vitamins enhance mental performance and play a role in producing energy. B vitamins are found in broccoli, asparagus, carrots, whole grains, seafood, eggs, dairy products, spinach, and leafy greens. Choline, the fat-like B vitamin in eggs, enhances memory and reaction time and minimizes fatigue. In addition to B vitamins, vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants which can promote and preserve memory.

Minerals are also critical to mental functioning and performance. Magnesium and manganese are needed for brain energy. Sodium, potassium and calcium are important in the thinking process and facilitate the transmission of messages.

Iron is also required to carry oxygen to the brain cells and aids in the formation of brain neurotransmitters, which affect attention and learning capacities. Sources of iron include lean beef, whole grain breakfast cereals, whole grain breads, raisins, dried apricots, legumes, and bran muffins.

Brain foods, when added to your diet, optimize brain health, have anti-aging properties and increase longevity. Brain foods should be incorporated into a healthy food diet along with well-being practices and physical exercise.

For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500. For information about nutrition for health and wellness ask for Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician.

Chinese medical cupping is recommended particularly for cases of bronchial congestion and chronic ailments such as arthritis and bronchitis. Chinese medical cupping can also effectively treat a multitude of conditions, including asthma, aches and pains, sprains, swellings, low back pain, headache, and can enhance localized circulation. Individuals experiencing congestion or chronic pain often notice an immediate difference after Chinese medical cupping treatment.

Chinese medical cupping is a technique in which glass cups are heated from the inside to create a vacuum and then placed on the afflicted area of the body. The vacuum of Chinese medical cupping reduces swelling, warms the qi, draws out toxins, and reduces blood stagnation by drawing the underlying tissue up into the jar, forming an area of blood stasis. In some cases, Chinese medical cupping may combine fixed position cupping with a technique called gliding cupping in which the cups may be moved to other acupoint locations along different energy channels during a treatment session.
Acupuncture physicians may utilize Chinese medical cupping in addition to acupuncture when acute or chronic deep tissue pain affects certain regions of the body. The heated cups of traditional Chinese medical cupping simulate the moxibustion therapy often applied during acupuncture and are left on the body for up to 15 minutes. By causing tissues to release toxins, Chinese medical cupping clears energy blockages and activates the lymphatic system. Chinese medical cupping often follows the acupoint selection pattern used in acupuncture therapy; back points in fleshy areas of the body are preferred sites.
Chinese medical cupping increases blood flow into the cupping area which allows the body region to heal more quickly. Chinese medical cupping also opens the lungs and draws toxins out of them towards the skin surface to facilitate improved breathing. When combined with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese medical cupping can accelerate the healing process and improve health.
Acupuncture & Massage College’s Masters of Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs prepare graduates for careers as acupuncture physicians and massage therapists. For program information call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500. For acupuncture and homeopathic therapy, request Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician and Homeopath.

Chinese Medical Cupping Therapy

What is Chinese Medical Cupping?

Chinese Medical Cupping is an ancient practice in which a jar or cup is attached to the surface of the body. The method of attaching the jar to the skin can be accomplished either by using a flame to suck out the air or by use of a pump that removes the air thus causing a partial vacuum.

When the vacuum is established the cupping begins. In some cases the cups are left in place, in another technique the cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, causing a pulling of the skin the technique is called gliding cupping.

Chinese Medical Cupping therapy has been practiced for thousands of years for the treatment of disease and pain. Typically cupping has been used to move bad blood that is stagnant blood. In Chinese medicine pain is said to be caused by qi stagnation. This stagnation can be a result of injury or stress. Chinese Medical Cupping is used to reduce the pain of stagnant Qi and blood. Cupping stimulates the flow of Qi and blood. Its uses include relieving pain in the muscles, back pain, shoulder pain and stiffness. Cupping therapy has been used to clear congestion in the chest, due to cold, flu and asthma.

How is Chinese Medical Cupping done?
The Acupuncturist takes a number of glass cups, which are heated with a flame. The cup is then quickly applied to the skin. This creates a vacuum. Generally, the cup is left in place for about 10 minutes (typical range is 5-15 minutes). The skin becomes reddened due to the congestion of blood flow. The cup is removed by pressing the skin along side it to allow some outside air to leak into it, thus equalizing the pressure and releases it. After the treatment there is usually a decrease of pain in the area that was cupped. There are number of conditions in which cupping contraindicated, such as high fever, skin disease or tendency to bleed easily. For more information about cupping or acupuncture treatment you can contact Dr. Richard Browne at 305.595.9500.

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
The seven habits of highly effective people, principles discovered by Stephen Covey, are habits which when established lead to interdependent “effectiveness”. The first three habits (“private victory”) are personal and take an individual from dependence to independence, or self-reliance. Habits four through six (“public victory”) are related to working effectively with others, shared victories, and lead to interdependence, aligning individual needs with those of others that results in the ability to create effective relationships and teams. The final habit results in renewal and self-improvement.

Habit 1: Be proactive. Take action and be responsible. Being proactive means taking initiative as opposed to being reactive, or responding passively. You have the opportunity to use your free will to change yourself and your circumstances. Efforts should be focused on long-term consequences.
Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind. Consciously plan out and visualize your actions (visualize where you want to go). Set goals that will allow you to make progress towards the end result. Use creative thinking and images before starting something to plan it out. Formulate a personal mission statement of one’s purpose in life.
Habit 3: Put first things first. Prioritize work to achieve long-term goals. Focus on benchmarks and results rather than detail work. Decide which of your values and goals are most important, then determine steps to achieve those goals. This habit deals with effective time management.
Habit 4: Think win/win. Seek mutually beneficial solutions in interactions rather than negotiating from a competitive mindset (“I win, you lose”). This liberates individuals from the effort of persuading the opposing party to compromise or shift ground.
Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then be understood. Empathetically/actively listen to another person’s concerns before stating your viewpoint to establish effective communication, collaboration and exchange of ideas.
Habit 6: Synergize. In work, open yourself to others to work effectively in teams. Apply collaborative decision-making. Build on divergent strengths with others to create a synergistic effect where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Habit 7: Sharpen the saw. Relax, revitalize. Focus on body/mind/spirit self-renewal through exercise, reading literature, listening to music, and meditation/inner reflection. Rejuvenate yourself for more effective future work.

When the seven habits are established, achievements come from people working at the highest, or third level, interdependence. This is when people have the capacity to work together to achieve a common goal. Interdependence is the stage of human development of greatest maturity and power, which results in the greatest human achievements. For more information contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

My Unfolding Life in Five Element Theory

I would enjoy depicting myself balanced within the elements but as things are I cannot. I would like to write assuredly about the state of my elemental positions at the time of my birth but I can only speculate a diagnosis as told through my mother’s definition, my mother who is herself out of balance.
I was not ready to be born. My mother induced her labor; she says she feared I ingested the heavy drugs during her inducement because I was an extremely sleepy baby, one that had to be awakened for feedings. As an infant I was quiet requiring little attention. I was born with an enlarged spleen, bowed legs, and pigeon toes. In my baby pictures I look sallow and drolly- very Earth.
A year and a half later consciousness and awareness bubbled up from my belly through my lips with a voracious appetite appeased by feeding me with two spoons in succession. This demand caused my mother then pregnant with the third child much irritation for I shouted I cried I demanded attention - Wood wood would if I could and I did. I gained weight. Therapeutic braces were put on my legs and feet: Spleen nine to one, Stomach thirty-six to forty-five, UB forty to sixty-seven, Kidney ten to one. And then came the phase of high fevers that lasted 4 to 5 days on end.
I developed a mystery lung condition- Metal - that required examinations from a slew of pediatricians. My father carried me to the appointments through brightly painted clinic corridors where I and the clowns with large balloons catatonically floated on my toddler brain. The doctors concluded I had pleurisy; they instructed my parents to keep me away from the chickens but we were no where close to farms or animals. I develop a taste for baby aspirin and one night with a craving took the bottle on the sink in the green tiled bathroom glowing under the nite-light and ingested it all. My parents woke to the smell of oranges and an overdosed gurgling baby on their bedroom floor. Was I grieving for myself, was I only looking to fulfill my sweet cravings, were Earth and Metal in conflict? To this day a cold stethoscope on my chest gives me a jolting yet familiar sensation and I believe baby aspirin, that taste-bud tantalizer would be a hit as an ice cream flavor.
Two years after my dances with the clowns while sitting in front of T.V. the world changed and I noticed. Chaos, bewilderment then silence prevailed in the days following President Kennedy’s assassination. Our young country faced death and mourned. But my generation, in our age of innocence, suffered the dent. The damn broke and Water flowed into life.
I was a sweet child: heartfelt, curious, full of joy, and strong - Fire. My Shen gave hope, my Qi was filled with good intentions but the world around me was tough and stressful. My father was the only doctor in a small farming community, our hospital serviced the surrounding five towns. Protocol for answering our home phone was that of polite receptionists in a clinic. Discipline and perfection were expected from us.
I participated in high school sports and social activities, I was an honor roll student; a normal American kid in the 70’s but my youth, like my country, was filled with flux. We were free and windy- Fire and Wood. The pressures of capitalistic success snaked into everyone’s lives as did Vietnam, angry societies in revolt, free sex, drugs, rock and roll, Nixon’s resignation and feminism. My mother was exhibiting odd behavior and my father’s bustling practice made him emotionally unavailable. I failed at my self-appointed task to save my parents from divorce and I departed for college with the knowledge my family was unraveling. I became rudderless and wild, finished my first year of college then quit and I never took shelter in my parents home again- Fire to Metal.
Adolescence on my own was filled with Fire and Water and Wood aches. I was a dancer, an actress and a waitress who raked in the cash selling food and wine and spent it with my friends eating food and drinking. We were athletes, playmates, frolickers. In 1995 while doing a stunt I suffered a pelvic injury which threw me into heavy Metal years. Forced to quit dancing I grieved deeply and cried, lost my stamina and weight, developed sinus problems and moved to Chicago where I lived in darkness, fearful and cold - Water- I drank much to escape reality and one day before work while eating my employee meal I had a seizure. The medics tried to strap me on a gurney but in a blacked out state I fought them off by kicking, and wiggling. I bit one til he bled. I was hospitalized, diagnosed with a seizure disorder and drugged. With effort I toned my life down grew quiet and pensive, moved to NY where I worked as a waitress pursued acting gigs and studied jazz vocals -Earth. That city showed me depth, control, maturity and the frustration of pursuing heartfelt acting as a business.
These days with the wisdom of adulthood, I have less dramatic fluctuations and reactions to it all. The five elements are woven into a comfy pair of slippers. Only natural that I catch my foot and pull a yarn or two chipping Wood, dinging Metal, spilling Water; but the knowledge and reminders I’m receiving from this course and the groovy free acupuncture sessions courtesy of AMC set a focus, realignment and excitement toward the future with a sweet, joyful hopefulness of my inner child.
Make way for menopause!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING

Assertiveness training is a behavioral technique designed to develop the necessary skills to manage interpersonal situations effectively. Specific areas of training may include developing new strategies for conflict resolution, growth goals and stress management that result in taking a more active approach to self-determination. Used in various settings including schools, corporate boardrooms and vocational programs, it identifies three main styles of communication: aggressive, passive and assertive.

Communicating more assertively and effectively requires developing an understanding of one’s communication style and learning modification of it through application of assertiveness principles. Aggressive individuals express rights and self-enhance at the expense of others (win-lose solution). Passive individuals are self-denying, inhibited and allow others to make choices for them (lose-win solution). Assertive individuals are expressive, self-enhancing, make personal choices that reflect respect for self and others (strives for win-win solution).

Assertiveness can be assessed. When differing with someone, do you speak up and share your viewpoint without hesitation? Do you accept positive criticism and suggestion? Do you have confidence in your own judgment? Do you express thoughts, feelings, intentions, and goals in a direct way? Do you work for a solution that benefits all parties? Assertive behavior is constructive and involves a balance between aggression and passivity that promotes fairness and allows others to experience self-empowerment.

The goal of assertiveness training is to increase the variety and number of situations in which assertive behavior is possible and to become aware of personal rights: You have a right to accept your convictions as legitimate, to negotiate for change, to change your mind, to request clarification, to put yourself first sometimes, to not have to justify yourself to others, to not respond to a situation, to ignore the advice of others, to not anticipate others’ needs or wishes, to have your own opinions, to decide on a different course of action, and to make mistakes.
For more information about assertiveness and self-empowerment contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”