Hidden Gems: Meet Rebecca Ness of Monarch Acupuncture & Herbs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Ness. 

Hi Rebecca, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Acupuncturists seem to be led to this profession either by their own health issues or via martial arts. As a child and young adult, I had health issues that biomedicine was unable to successfully address. In my early 20s, I sought out help from alternative medicines and was intrigued to learn more through the New York Open School in 1998. As my body started to heal from acupuncture, herbs, adjusting my diet, and practicing yoga, I became increasingly interested in natural medicine. As my interest piqued, I decided to move away from working in documentary film and towards natural medicine. In 2004 I started a full-time 4-year acupuncture and herbal program at the American College of  Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. Six months into the program, I developed debilitating joint pain. I visited many doctors and eventually received care from Dr. Johns, an acupuncturist and herbalist in Berkeley, California who healed my joint issues and became my mentor.

Apprenticing from a master practitioner lies at the heart of the Classical style of acupuncture—a style that has been practiced in the East for thousands of years. Dr. Johns is a classically trained Chinese Medical Doctor with knowledge rooted in his own twenty-plus years of apprenticeships with Dr. Fung Fung, Dr. Andrew Tseng, and Dr. Shen—all high-level Chinese Medical Doctors. My 7-year internship with Dr. Johns was the most important and formative aspect of my education.

I also completed a 2-year qigong certification at the Yang Sheng Center in San Francisco as well as one year at the South Star cooking academy learning Chinese Medicinal cuisine with Nam Singh.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome? 

Having been greatly helped by Chinese Medicine and seeing so many others helped as well, I am very passionate about this medicine. When I first started two decades ago, I was overzealous and wanted everyone I know to experience this wonderful medicine. I needed to learn that people need to choose their medicine and if they are seeking Chinese Medicine, they will find it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

I opened my private practice in San Francisco in 2008. Shortly after relocating to Ohio in 2017 to raise my family, I opened my practice in Worthington, Ohio. In December 2021, I relocated and reopened my practice, Monarch Acupuncture & Herbs in Bexley, Ohio.

Issues I commonly treat in the clinic include: Stress, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, digestive issues, muscle tightness, all types of pain including headaches and migraines, arthritis, allergies, and colds. I’ve also been treating patients through post covid recovery. For a full list of commonly treated ailments, please visit monarchacupunctureandherbs.com.

I offer highly personalized treatments, and my approach to care is multidimensional:  factoring in symptoms, history, lifestyle, and diet. Since patient education is a vital part of the medicine as it empowers individuals to play an important role in their own healthcare, I spend time with patients discussing how they can learn to take better care of themselves. I teach patients to plug up their “qi leaks” and to take better care of themselves.

Coupling a love for caring for others, having personally experienced many health issues of my own, plus a solid education in Chinese Medicine has aptly prepared me to help patients with a wide array of ailments.

Any big plans?
When the time is right, I plan to offer group qigong classes, nutritional classes, herb classes, and introduction to Chinese medicine classes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.monarchacupunctureandherbs.com/

Image Credits
Kimarie Martin Photography