Caroline Strassberg, licensed acupuncturist and studio owner

Caroline graduated with high honors in 2010 from the Classical Chinese Medicine program at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. Prior to her current career in Chinese medicine she worked for the University of Oregon for 10 years as a Child and Family therapist where she offered coaching and support for families in the Portland public school system.  She runs a family style practice and often sees multiple generations of the same family, sometimes all at once. 

​Caroline practices an older style of Chinese medicine called Classical Acupuncture as opposed to TCM, or Traditonal Chinese Medicine, which was created in the 20th century and is the main style taught in many acupuncture schools. The primary difference between the two being that classical acupuncture uses a variety of diagnostic techniques to identify the specific imbalance in the individual, in addition to their illness or injury, and tailors a treatment strategy that treats both the illness and the individual person. Rather than following a protocol for a diagnosis, Caroline treats the person and how the diagnopsis came to be in this particular person.

In Classical Acupuncture the success of the practitioner is dependent on his or her ability to influence a patient's qi by having cultivated a degree of strength and sensitivity in their own. Since 2013 she has been studying qi gong and qi sensitivity exercises, acupuncture and body work with Andrew Nugent-Head, a teacher who learned these methods over the course of more than 20 years living in China.  His foundation, The Association for Traditional Studies, has archinved and preserved medical knowledge from China that existed before the cultural revolution [www.traditionalstudies.org].

As a result of training in Chinese medicine and Craniosacral therapy, Caroline offers her patients customized treatments using the modality and intensity that best treats their specific constitution and condition and can treat children, pregnant women, athletes and the elderly. Caroline has been training in internal and external movement arts for 25 years and teaches private and group classes that compliment the healing journey for each of her patients.

What makes Mendham Acupuncture unique?

 What makes Caroline unique from other acupuncturists is her specialization in treating the fascia meridians [經筋]. She has studied anatomy extensively and learned specific techniques to treat fascia with both needles and bodywork. As a therapist, she is well aware of the interconnectedness of the nervous system and the fascia body and uses techniques to calm the body, soften tissue and release tension. Her multimodal approach to treatment integrates Eastern and Western knowledge and techniques. Caroline teaches fascia meridian anatomy and theory to Chinese medicine practitioners and Western fascia workers both in Europe and the US.

Another unique feature of this practice is that only one patient is seen per hour. Unlike most practices that leave the patient alone for 20-30minues, Caroline spends the entire appointment time working with her patients and doing either qi work or cranio sacral therapy while the needles are in [if needles are used] and often finishing her treatments with body work, stretching or therapeutic exercise.