On June 1, Carbondale Acupuncture Center is hosting an open house to celebrate 20 years of serving the community and to thank all who have passed through their doors at 54 Weant Boulevard.
While ordinarily the small stucco building provides a quiet, soothing atmosphere in the daytime, the space will liven up for an evening shindig, in the spirit of welcoming and wellness, from 6 to 8pm on June 1.
Over the past two decades, the team at Carbondale Acupuncture Center has offered a variety of wellness services including Chinese herbal medicine, therapeutic massages, nutritional counseling and, of course, acupuncture.
The center first opened as a team of four, consisting of Dave Teitler, acupuncturist Nancy Thal, and masseurs Christina Byrne and Jill Meadows. While most of the original team has transitioned out of the clinic, all four remain in the Valley.
While the staff has changed throughout the years, the team has remained small and has always sought to offer care that is personal, thoughtful and compassionate.
Teitler first moved to Carbondale in 1997 from Boulder, searching for a smaller town with a strong sense of community.
“As a practitioner working in the town where I live, I just couldn’t be happier,” Teitler told The Sopris Sun. “I’m so happy to be able to serve the people in the community that I live in.”
Currently, Carbondale Acupuncture operates with a team of six practitioners. Teitler and Alexis Mahon specialize in acupuncture and herbal medicine, while Georgia Ackerman, John Ackerman, Becky Koski and Abby O’Regan practice massage therapy.
Over the years, Teitler has noticed a gradual rise in the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine in the United States – especially acupuncture. Over his 29 years of professional experience, Teitler said that most of his new clients had not had acupuncture before, whereas now most new clients have had some experience. “Our profession has grown leaps and bounds over the past thirty years when I first started,” he stated.
While “acupuncture” may be written on the sign, Chinese herbal medicine also plays a vital part in the services offered at the clinic. Formulas are carefully prepared from dozens and dozens of dried plants to treat a variety of conditions. Recently, Teitler visited China to see the species, which populate the hundreds of glass jars kept in the clinic, in their natural habitat.
When it comes to acupuncture, Teitler noted that there’s no one type of person or perspective coming into the clinic. “Conservative, liberal, rancher, hippie, businessman … There’s not a lot of distinction when people are looking for a solution to a problem that maybe western medicine hasn’t been able to solve for them.” Carbondale Acupuncture Center sees a true cross-section of the community, and for that their service is all the richer, he continued.
On that note, one of the most rewarding aspects of healing has been creating long-term relationships with all sorts of clients. Teitler joked that he only sees his clients when there’s something wrong with them, but in a town like Carbondale familiar faces are everywhere. “Maybe I won’t see them from a professional standpoint for years,” he said, “but it’s great [to see them] out at First Friday, Mountain Fair or Dandelion Day.”
Whether you’re a longtime friend of the Carbondale Acupuncture Center or new to their holistic services, all are welcome to attend the celebration and say hello to the healers. The party is in no small part an offering of thanks to the clients and the community, without whom the center would not be what it is today.
After 20 years Teitler said they show no signs of slowing down. “I have miles left in me,” Teitler concluded. “I’m not stopping anytime soon.”
