First Visit

Everything you need to know if you are new to acupuncture or just new to our clinic.

Visiting Our Clinic

Complimentary Consultation

Want to learn if Five Seasons is right for you? We offer a complimentary ten minute phone consultation to discuss your concerns.

Your First Visit

The first treatment lasts about 90 minutes. After a thorough inquiry into your health concerns and a physical examination, you will rest on a massage table with inserted needles for 20-30 minutes in order to allow the treatment to take effect. Certain conditions may call for other Chinese medical techniques such as tuina (Chinese medical massage), moxibustion (heat therapy), cupping and/or guasha (muscle releasing therapies). Your practitioner will discuss these options with you if applicable. Prior to your first visit, you will receive an appointment confirmation with a link to fill out your health history form. Please use this link to complete your onboarding forms or plan to arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. If you have any relevant blood tests, scans or other lab work, please bring them to your first appointment.

Treatment

The Acupuncture Experience

Acupuncture is extremely safe when administered by one of our qualified and licensed professionals. Thin, sterile needles are used and disposed of after each use. After insertion, patients often report sensations of tingling, warmth, or heaviness. Many patients report feeling a sense of deep relaxation or increased energy after a treatment. Sometimes the therapeutic changes are not felt until hours or days after a treatment.

Tips For Your Acupuncture Treatments

Typical Course of Treatment

The number of treatments varies depending on the severity and duration of the condition and the strength of the patient. In general, acute conditions may be resolved in just a few treatments while chronic conditions take longer to treat. Most patients, however, report feeling changes immediately after just one treatment. Typically, weekly treatments are advised, although some acute cases may require 2-3 treatments a week at the beginning of a course of treatment.

Acupuncture has a cumulative effect. Once symptoms improve, treatments are reduced to once every other week and eventually once a month or less to maintain health and prevent reoccurrence. After the completion of your first visit, the recommended length of treatment will be discussed with you.

Communication

Communication with Your Practitioner

At Five Seasons, we always welcome questions and concerns. Outside of your sessions, you will be able to contact your practitioner via email or phone. Our front desk can assist you with any scheduling, billing or logistical concerns.

Five Seasons Practitioners Work Together

After your first visit, you may choose to continue treatment with your initial provider or you may see any other practitioner in the office. Our clinicians communicate regularly and keep clear medical notes to ensure you receive continuity of care. Our priority is your comfort and providing excellent service.

Partnering with Your Healthcare Providers

Chinese medicine can be utilized synergistically with Western medicine and other healthcare modalities. The practitioners at Five Seasons are happy to work collaboratively with your doctor, reproductive endocrinologist, obstetrician, midwife, therapist, osteopath, chiropractor, nutritionist, massage therapist and/or other healthcare providers. We can also refer you to other providers we trust.

Payment, Cancellation & Insurance

Payment Policy

Payment is due at the time of service. Five Seasons accepts cash, check, Venmo or credit card.

Cancellation Policy

In order to fairly compensate our practitioners, 24 business hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment at no cost. Any missed appointments or appointments cancelled or rescheduled less than 24 hours before the scheduled time will be charged the full out-of-pocket price of the visit. Sunday and Monday appointments must be cancelled by the prior Friday.

Our goal at Five Seasons is to give our patients the highest level of care, and booking a session confirms an agreement to reserve time with our expert staff. We never overbook and always run within 10 minutes of the scheduled appointment. Last minute cancellations directly affect the practitioner’s income. Furthermore, with less than 24 hours notice, it is unlikely that another patient will be able to book that time slot, impeding our ability to help others.

Below are examples of situations for which you will be charged for late cancellations. We understand that these situations may be out of your control, however they are also out of our control, and we ask that the patient take responsibility. This allows us to pay our practitioners for the lost session.

  • Changes in work schedule
  • Child care issues
  • Travel hiccups – delayed flights, subway, traffic
  • Illness

If you have a family member, friend or colleague who is already a Five Seasons patient, you may ask him or her to take your appointment. As a courtesy, should we be able to fill the session within 24 hours, we will not charge you the cancellation fee. You may also reschedule for a same day appointment if available.

Covid-19 Cancellation Policy

We will be adhering to a more relaxed cancellation policy for those patients who present with flu-like symptoms and are unable to come in for their visit. They have the option of changing their scheduled appointment to a virtual one or rescheduling for another time.

Verify Insurance

Five Seasons Healing works with many insurance providers. We are in-network with BCBS and out-of-network with many other providers including Cigna, United Healthcare, and Aetna. Please provide us with your information and we will verify your coverage plan.