A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.
Heidi Hawkins, MAc, LAc
Heidi Hawkins received her Master's degree from Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NIAOM) in 1994. After graduation, she pursued additional studies in allergies, which led her to reunite spiritual healing traditions with a practice in traditional Chinese medicine. She is a member of the Acupuncture Association of Washington. She currently maintains a pair of busy practices in Seattle and Bellingham, Washington.