Sarasota Community Acupuncture Celebrates 1st Anniversary with Open House August 29th

Sarasota Community Acupuncture is celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday (August 29) with an open house at their Towles Court practice, located at 200 South Washington Boulevard, Suite 1. The celebration is scheduled for 9:00am – 6:00pm, and features entertainment from local artists, food and refreshments, teas from Deja Brew, and acupuncture treatments. In gratitude for the support of their community, practitioners Gene Burgess, Melonie Burgess and Nate Mohler will donate all proceeds from the day’s treatments to WSLR 96.5, Sarasota’s community-supported local radio station.

While most American acupuncturists treat patients on tables in individual cubicles, Sarasota Community Acupuncture offers treatments in a community setting. The clinic features several recliners clustered in small groups, in a quiet, soothing space. “Treating patients in a community setting has many benefits,” says co-owner Gene Burgess, A.P. “It’s easy for friends and family members to come in for treatment together. Many patients find it comforting, and a collective energetic field becomes established which actually makes individual treatments more powerful.”

The clinic’s unique sliding scale is also reflective of the Asian method of practice. Most American acupuncturists see only one patient per hour, and charge $65 to $125 per treatment. The Sarasota Community Acupuncture philosophy is that acupuncture needs to be consistent, not expensive, to be effective. “The only way we can make acupuncture affordable and still make a living ourselves is to streamline our treatments and see multiple patients in an hour,” says co-owner Melonie Burgess, A.P. “So we have returned to the traditional approach: we rely on a shorter, concise consultation, along with pulse and tongue diagnosis to determine treatment. This is the way acupuncture is practiced traditionally in Asia -- many patients per hour and very little talking.”

Saturday’s anniversary celebration at Sarasota Community Acupuncture will embody the spirit of community that makes this clinic unique, with local music, food, and support of WSLR 96.5. “We believe acupuncture can really make a difference in people's lives-it is really an untapped resource for many,” says Burgess. “It just needs to be more available and affordable and that is why we are here.”

About Sarasota Community Acupuncture: Sarasota Community Acupuncture (SCA) is a famly practice committed to cultivating healthwith the practitioner and the patient in partnership. The mission of SCA is to provide the community with high quality and affordable acupuncture, and to create a treatment space that connects people and builds community. For more information, please visit www.sarasotacommunityacupuncture.com.