Meet Christina Guthrie of Eastern Vitality Acupuncture in Park Ridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Guthrie.

Christina, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Since I was younger, I had always aspired to work in medicine as a career. In college, I decided to take the pre-med route and planned on heading into medical school, possibly to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. Not only was I interested in the science of the human body, but I always found joy in helping others reach their goals in regards to health and wellness. In my last year of college, I had a significant change in heart when I discovered acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. I started seeing an acupuncturist for some health issues I was dealing with and had such great relief. It was an eye opening experience to a whole other system of medicine. Prior to this I had no idea what acupuncture could treat, and thought it was simply for stress or pain relief. After realizing the power of this amazing medicine that has been around for thousands of years, I was convinced this could be the type of healthcare I wanted to share with my future patients. From there, I decided to look into Eastern Medicine schools and enrolled at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

Years later after receiving my masters degree and proudly graduating as valedictorian of my class, it was time to actually start a practice or find a job as an acupuncturist, not as simple as I had imagined. This in itself was a whole other endeavor. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to study with some amazing mentors, learning clinical skills as well as business skills. After working a few part time positions as an acupuncturist, I finally made the choice to delve into starting my own practice. To be honest this was a scary thought, and there were many days when I thought about giving up in owning my own business. From what I had heard there was a high percentage of acupuncturists that “didn’t make it”. However, something flipped in my mind set one day, and I was determined to not be a part of that statistic. I felt there were too many people or potential patients who could benefit from this type of medicine just as I did. I needed to do my best to help mainstream this underutilized form of holistic healthcare.

I started out by renting two treatment rooms in a medical office, and within a few years out grew this space. I truly focused on each patient as if they were my only patient, and tried my best to treat each of my patients “like gold”. I made an effort to put myself out there more and not be so shy to share my passion with others. I began networking more, and soon realized how much easier it was to talk to people and gain referrals when you have so much love for what you do. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine as a whole is deeply rooted in treating the whole person, I’ve come to realize that is sometimes lacking in our conventional medical system. When you give others your undivided attention, treating them from a place of compassion and true concern for their overall wellbeing, almost everyone benefits, both patient and practitioner. I am grateful that this mindset helped me build by business to where I am today. With the help of my patients, family, and friends, I decided to take the leap and expand to build out my own clinic space. It was not an easy process but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have learned so much, both clinically and from a business perspective. I am truly grateful for all of it, as it has shaped me both as a practitioner, and the person I am today.

Has it been a smooth road?
I have to admit it was not always smooth road. There were many days when I questioned myself. I questioned what more I could do to help my patients, especially when I had a difficult case. I questioned myself on how to build business, how to network, or how to mainstream what I was doing so it wouldn’t be such a struggle to get patients in my door.

I think that one of the most significant struggles was getting over my fear of owning my own clinic space. I was on my own, and didn’t have any occupation to fall back on. However, I kept telling myself that “If other people can do this, then, why can’t I?” Also, I was confident that there were far too many people who were not receiving the benefits of acupuncture and one of my main goals was to mainstream this type of healthcare.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
At Eastern Vitality Acupuncture, we help people reach their optimal level of health and restore their body’s natural healing abilities through Chinese Medicine. This includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, massage, and Eastern nutritional counseling.

A main focus and specialization at my practice is working with fertility patients, pregnancy support and other women’s health concerns. Helping women become pregnant, supporting them through pregnancy and as they transition into motherhood has to be one of the most rewarding, humbling experiences. We also offer placenta encapsulation to aid in postpartum health and recovery.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I believe our city is a great place for a business like mine. I don’t believe in there being too many acupuncturists or “competition” from a business perspective. Every practitioner will attract their ideal patient and in turn be able to help them. As long as there are people walking on the street who have not experienced the benefits of Chinese Medicine, there is definitely a need for more holistic healthcare offices like mine. Being a major city, Chicago and surrounding suburbs, there is a plethora of potential patients who can benefit from a clinic like mine, it’s simply more about spreading that information to those who may need it.

Contact Info:

• Address: Eastern Vitality Acupuncture
  1218 S. Crescent Ave.,
  Park Ridge, IL 60068
• Website: www.easternvitalityacupuncture.com
• Phone: 7738001806
• Email: info@easternvitality.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/easternvitalityacupuncture/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EasternVitalityAcupuncture/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/eastern-vitality-park-ridge-3

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