ABOUT ME
Marnie and her family moved to Sooke in 2014 immediately falling in love with the community and all Sooke has to offer. She is very excited to live and work in Sooke and help those suffering to achieve a better quality of life.
Marnie has always had a passion for learning and has never stopped. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and then took a break from school to start her family knowing she would eventually go back to school to continue her education. After having children, she developed back pain that wasn’t resolving through other measures, so she sought out acupuncture. This is when her love of and interest in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine first began. Her fascination with anatomy, pathology, and the human body combined with her very positive and beneficial experiences with acupuncture led her to pursue Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was immediately confirmed to be a perfect fit. She graduated with a Diploma in Acupuncture from Oshio College of Acupuncture and Herbology and is a registered Acupuncturist licensed with the CTCMA of BC.
Marnie likes to incorporate a variety of modalities in her treatments including acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, gua sha as well as exercise and lifestyle recommendations. She enjoys treating a variety of different ailments with special interest in any type of pain, musculoskeletal issues, sports injuries, digestive health, stress, gynecology, headaches and migraines. Her goal is not just to help her patients find relief and feel better but to work on the root of the problem so they can achieve and maintain lasting results and enjoy a higher quality of life.
Treatment Options
Traditional Chinese Medicine incorporates acupuncture, moxabustions, gua sha, cupping, tui na, diet therapy, and lifestyle recommendations. Using a variety of these modalities, I offer a customized treatment for your specific set of concerns. My goal is to help others receive and maintain relief from their ailments so they can live and enjoy their best life. Below is a short description of some of the treatments I offer.
Cupping
Cupping is the process of using cups (glass or silicone) and suction to resolve stagnation, draw out pathogens, bring warmth to the area, and increase the flow of Qi and blood. This can be done by leaving the cups in place for a period of 5-20 minutes or by moving them around the body in a sliding motion. Some benefits of cupping are that it relaxes the muscles, decreases pain, improves circulation, and opens the lungs which help with colds and coughs.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is inserting single use sterile filiform needles into specific points in the body to achieve a desired effect. The insertion of the needles is relatively painless, often with many feeling nothing at all. Once inserted needles may be manipulated and "De Qi" is acquired. De Qi is the sensation of Qi having arrived or being awakend at the point. De Qi can feel like an aching, numbness, tingling, heaviness, distention, or soreness but should always resolve after a few moments. Then one is left to relax as the needles sit for a period of 20-35 minutes.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is the process of using a smooth massage tool to scrape the skin in a downward motion with short or long strokes. This scraping causes minor damage in the tiny blood vessels resulting in petechiae. This produces a healing response in the body that improves circulation, reduces inflammation, increases immunity, and releases toxins. Gua Sha can be used to help with a variety of conditions including acute or chronic pain and the common cold and flu.
