Sarah Poulin, DACM, LAc, Dipl. OM

Sarah Poulin is a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist with a private practice in Middlebury, Connecticut. She is an alumna of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, where she received both her Master's of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine (in 2012) and her Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (in 2016). For more information please visit her website at sarahpoulinlac.com.

Previous Articles

Informing Your Patients to Empower Them: Communication Strategies for Integrative Medicine
May 2019 (Vol. 20, Issue 05)
Public Speaking for Success
December 2017 (Vol. 18, Issue 12)
Practicing Acupuncture in a Multi-Disciplinary Setting
July 2017 (Vol. 18, Issue 07)
TCM and the Caregiving Population: Treatment Considerations and Our Vital Role
March 2017 (Vol. 18, Issue 03)
Trending
News / Profession
Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution: China’s New National Standard
Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution

On April 1, 2026, China implemented a landmark national standard: Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution. Although designated as a recommended rather than mandatory standard, it represents a major step in modernizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by converting traditional constitution theory into a clear, measurable and clinically practical framework. By clarifying the relationship between constitution, disease, and pattern differentiation, the standard strengthens professional credibility, supports research, and enhances patient-centered treatment.

Ann Y Wang, CMD (China), LAc
News / Profession
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change

The field of acupuncture in the U.S. continues to grow in visibility, patient demand and clinical effectiveness. Yet behind the curtain, many acupuncturists are quietly struggling to keep their doors open. While the profession is rooted in centuries of healing tradition, modern economic pressures – particularly those driven by insurance limitations, low reimbursement rates and job-market saturation – are making it increasingly difficult for licensed acupuncturists to thrive.

Shabnam Pourhassani, LAc, QME, DACM
Acupuncture & Acupressure
It’s Time to Stop Prescribing Points
It's Time to Stop Prescribing Points

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.

Bruce W. Park, DACM