Healing Oasis – CLINIC Alternative Medicines Takes a Holistic Approach

Candles are set on the steps of the staircase leading to the second-floor oasis, where a wooden sign emblazoned with the word ‘CLINIC’ is surrounded by lush greenery that trails from a multi-tiered planter set in the wall.

The soothing scent of essential oils fills the air, and smiling practitioners greet clients like friends in this multi-disciplinary healthcare center in Northampton that offers a wide range of healing modalities, yoga classes, workshops, and herbal products.

“This is a place where the whole patient is cared for; we address a lot of lifestyle issues that contribute to problems that western doctors don’t have the time or opportunity to work on with patients,” said Jennifer Nery, who founded the clinic in 2011 and specializes in acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Since its launch, the clinic has become home to 16 healthcare providers who rent space from her and operate their own businesses within the two-story retreat. “They refer patients to each other, which removes the barrier and inconvenience of having someone go to a new place; we make it seamless for our clients,” Nery told HCN.

She understands that many people may want to try something new to alleviate a problem, but the unknown can be intimidating. “So we do our best to help people have a pleasant experience. This is a good place for anyone who is trying to correct a problem or seeking better health.”

• Classical homeopathy, a form of medicine that uses the body’s own mechanisms to heal itself;

• Dreamwork, which helps people gain insight, wisdom, and healing from their dreams;

• Herbal medicine;

• Energy medicine, which works to create a balance between the mind and body (“the person who does this specializes in autoimmune disorders and uses Donna Eden’s methods,” Nery said);

• Nutritional therapy;

• Psychotherapy, with a licensed social worker who specializes in adults with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity and those with gender and sexuality issues;

• Therapeutic massage; and

• The Yuen Method, a form of talk therapy developed by a Kung Fu master to eliminate weaknesses and help people reach a state of balance or neutrality.

There are also 16 yoga classes each week, and people can also sign up for sessions in Zen Shiatsu, a unique form of bodywork that rebalances the body’s energy, or Reiki, a type of energetic healing in which the therapist channels energy (qi) through him or herself by the gentle laying on of hands to activate the patient’s own natural healing processes and restore physical and emotional well-being.

In addition, the clinic offers myofascial release. Practitioners work with the fascia system, or the connective tissue similar to a spiderweb that is woven throughout the entire body, to relieve pain. There is also hypnosis for children and adolescents to help them manage physical and psychological problems.

All that and more lies behind that one wooden sign. For this issue and its focus on alternative health, HCN takes an in-depth look at how this facility goes about its unique mission.

Nery’s journey into the world of alternative medicine began with a frozen shoulder.

“I was a rugby player in college and kept playing after I graduated,” she said, adding that this led to the injury, and conventional physical therapy didn’t alleviate the chronic discomfort she felt. “It was terribly painful all of the time.”

After two years of living with pain in her shoulders and neck, she went to another physician, who told her to return to physical therapy or try acupuncture, suggesting that one session of the alternative treatment could make a difference.

She figured she would try it, and was thrilled with the result. “After three treatments, my pain disappeared, and I regained full use of motion; it was pretty powerful,” she recalled, adding that, when she gets occasional flare-ups, she returns for another session.

At the time, she was a student at UCLA, seeking a doctorate in philosophy. But the relief she experienced from acupuncture led her to begin looking into alternative medicine; she began fasting and did extensive reading about herbal medicine.

The information she discovered, spurred by the fact that she wanted to work independently and use her hands to help people, changed her focus, and Nery left UCLA with a second master’s degree in philosophy and enrolled in the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.

After graduating from their program with additional master’s degrees and becoming a licensed acupuncturist, Nery returned to Northampton, a town she had come to call home after earning a bachelor’s degree at Smith College. She opened a practice on State Street, and her new career, which combines acupuncture, Shiatsu massage, Chinese herbal evaluations, and adjunctive therapies, was rewarding.

“But I wanted to do something bigger,” she said, explaining that she really enjoyed the business end of the operation.

When she voiced that desire during a meeting of wellness practitioners and was told the space operated by Valley Ayurvedic in Northampton was available, it seemed serendipitous.

“It was fate,” said Nery, adding that she took action and created her clinic with the idea of being able to help other solo alternative-medicine practitioners as well as clients, who would have access to many therapeutic modalities under one roof.

“Most healers don’t tend to be business-savvy, and this works well for them because I take care of the accounting and help with the marketing,” she said.

Today, Nery’s clinic offers information about different types of alternative medicine via workshops, including one that will be held June 13-14 titled “Learn Eden Energy Medicine.”

But traditional medicine is not ignored, and in some cases practitioners advise people to visit their primary-care physicians. That’s important to Nery, who grew up surrounded by family members who worked in the medical field. In fact, the sign that reads ‘CLINIC’ came from the office of her grandfather, who was a neurosurgeon, then a general practitioner, supported by her grandmother, who was a nurse.

While she’s kept busy managing the clinic, Nery has certainly not neglected her own training, and practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine at the clinic.

“I specialize in stressed-out women, especially when there is an interaction between physical and emotional issues,” she said, adding there is a very strong connection between the two. “It’s acupuncture’s shining moment, because it can treat the intersection between simple physical problems and anxiety.

“A classic example is a woman with terribly tight shoulders, digestive issues, headaches, or insomnia; these things can cause them to miss work, which leads to more stress,” she went on, describing a typical cycle.

And her services are just some of the many forms of alternative medicine available at the clinic.

For example, there are several types of yoga classes each week, including Ashtanga yoga with therapeutic postures, restorative yoga with postures designed to relax the body, and Vinyasa yoga, where the breath is consciously linked with each movement to create fluidity.

“Some people use yoga for mediation, others do it for exercise, and many find it very balancing,” said Nery. “There is a spiritual side to it, as it merges a variety of Eastern spiritual traditions, including Taoism and Buddhism.”

Since most treatments offered at the clinic are not covered by insurance, the practitioners do their best to make them affordable. In addition to individual sessions, Nery conducts group sessions and, like many of her peers, has a number of package deals.

Craig Fear of Pioneer Valley Nutritional Therapy, who has written several books, including The 30 Day Heartburn Solution, offers prospective clients a free, 30-minute consultation. “We provide people with an alternative to the approach taken by the traditional medical realm,” he said, adding he takes a holistic approach to nutrition and concentrates on natural foods that come from local farms and “foods people ate in the 20th century.”

 “No culture on this planet ever ate a low-fat diet; every culture ate fermented foods, and almost every culture used bone broths,” he wrote in his book, which outlines five “food pillars.”

Nery said everyone who works at the clinic has a desire to make healthcare accessible to people. “Conventional medicine is very, very successful. But a lot of problems people are facing today are caused by lifestyle issues and can be helped by alternative medicine,” she told HCN. “We take a holistic approach and look at what is needed to remedy an issue.”

Nery says a lot of research is being conducted on alternative medicine.

“It’s the way of the future, and this is a place where people can get help from emotional and physical issues. A holistic approach is needed to remedy the problems people face in this century that include stress, poor diet, inactivity, autoimmune disease, heart disease, and other issues.”

And while all types of energy work are conducted to help clients at the clinic, the relaxing atmosphere of the space itself offers its own peace in the encompassing continuum of integrative medicine that combines to heal the mind, body, and spirit.