by Dr Naoki Ota
Hi, my name is Naoki, and I grew up in Tokyo. I left Tokyo at the age of 18, just after high school, not quite knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Initially, I started a career in hairdressing because I had always been interested in hair and had experimented with a lot of crazy hairstyles over the years. After a bit more than 10 years in hairdressing, I felt ready to find a new passion.
While I was unsure at first about what to pursue, I became intrigued by cosmetic acupuncture. As I delved deeper into acupuncture, I discovered a profound love for it.
During my studies, I met Dr. Houng, who became my mentor and trained me to be an exceptional practitioner like herself. She spent an incredible amount of time teaching me the delicate and complex aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)—skills that are difficult to acquire in a university setting. Dr. Houng’s mentorship involved a lot of patient interaction, pulse-taking, and handling various conditions, which are crucial to becoming an excellent practitioner. Our connection felt very natural since she practices Japanese-style acupuncture. Being Japanese myself, I found this style more appealing and relatable than the traditional Chinese style. Thanks to Houng, I acquired practical skills essential for treating patients, while my university education focused more on the basics and theoretical aspects.
Since I started working at Eastern Therapies, I have grown, changed, and matured as a practitioner. Now, I am embarking on my own journey in Chinese medicine, exploring exciting avenues involving energies, frequencies, crystals, and the more spiritual aspects of Chinese medicine. There is a whole world within Chinese medicine dedicated to emotional and spiritual wellness. Discovering this has opened my eyes, and I now have a strong passion to master these areas. My goal is to elevate my treatments to a level of healing for spiritual and emotional wellness that traditional acupuncture can achieve
I look forward to sharing these topics in future posts.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing you in the clinic!
