Creating Safe Spaces ...
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"Maria Luisa, originally from the state of Oaxaca, arrived with her family eight months ago in Ciudad Juarez. She has been living at the San Romero shelter, where she first received acupuncture. Sometimes she is afraid of the needles, but she attends regularly because they help her with stress and headaches. Her family is one of the thousands of Mexicans who have been displaced by violence from their places of origin, they were threatened with death in a way that I would not wish on anyone. Now they are waiting for the opportunity to cross the border, seek asylum in the US, and find a better future for their children. She is sure that they can no longer return to their town in Southern Mexico."
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From Disaster Relief to Long Term Social Development
Acupuncture as Bare-FootMeans ``feet`` on the ground, that people on the ground in a given place are able to offer care for the people in that community.
MobilizationWe mobilize assistance in the aftermath of disasters to assist with trauma and stress management, and to support the local efforts of first responders. We offer safe and evidence-informed clinical services for migrants, refugees, the homeless, survivors and their families. Our teams can set up a clinic anywhere people can sit.
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Apprenticing Locals
We show community health workers how to create safe spaces for people seeking refuge or support for health problems. Our students observe us offering direct care while they apprentice to apply basic community acupuncture techniques, like the NADA protocol, distal Tan style acupuncture, and the Miriam Lee Protocol.
Community Acupuncture
We offer acupuncture in a group setting, which is traditionally how acupuncture has been practiced in Asia. This model allows us to make acupuncture accessible and affordable to underserved groups, through donation only or sliding scale payments. Community acupuncture is also easily integrated into hospital settings. Treatments are offered in comfortable recliners. We do not ask people to disrobe. In addition to ear acupuncture, community acupuncture primarily uses points in the head, hands and feet, known as distal style acupuncture.
El Paso Shooting Response by the Barefoot Acupuncture Movement
“It’s best for all of us in El Paso to do something, instead of just fighting with one another… I want to move forward in the city and helping my community, and see what I can do to help other people who are hurting,” – News Interview at Barefoot Clinic
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