SPRING 2025 RENEWAL SEASON
APRIL 1 - JUNE 30, 2025
Mental Health & East Asian Treatment Options
The Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) maintains a health observance calendar and their list includes a little more than three dozen recognitions for the month of May. The national observances are detailed below in categories.
Mental health is the status of a person’s overall wellbeing, with wellbeing encompassing the status of a person’s emotional (spirit & will), psychological (mind) and social (interactions & relationships with others) conditions. One’s wellbeing determines how a person acts, feels and thinks about life. This directly impacts how a person handles life’s stressors. A person with good mental health (balanced wellbeing) likely has a history of healthy relationships and has achieved some level of success in life. A person with poor mental health (imbalanced wellbeing) is likely to have experienced the opposite, and may even have physical ailments and financial challenges that can be associated with the imbalance. Every person is different therefore the status of one’s mental health is unique to their life experience. Some of the common factors that influence mental health include biology, life experience and family history.
The coping skills and treatments for mental health imbalances vary. Research encourages a holistic, whole person approach in order to yield optimal outcomes. The foundation of the whole person [Western] treatment model includes the following elements:
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Physical Health - emphasis on thoroughly understanding one’s body, including diagnosing & treating illnesses, managing pain, incorporating prescription drugs as needed and adopting lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep.
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Mental Health - emphasis on acknowledging mental health issues such as anger, anxiety, depression, etc. and connecting to the appropriate coping & treatment resources & techniques such as therapy and journaling.
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Social Health - emphasis on examining the quality & quantity of relationships and the value of connecting to and/or establishing mutually beneficial personal, professional and therapeutic relationships.
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Spiritual Health - emphasis on recognizing the value of faith-based, religious/spiritual beliefs, practices & preferences by incorporating such into care plans.
The whole person health theory is not only evidence that Western and Eastern medicine can coexist but are complimentary, and together offer positive outcomes for persons in need of mental health support and treatment.
The foundations of the East Asian whole person treatment philosophy is as follows:
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Herbal Medicine - the use of tailored herbal formulas, both standard & compounded, to address individual mental health needs. For example, to have a positive impact on mood issues, a practitioner would integrate herbals designed to treat heart, liver, kidney and spleen function.
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Acupuncture - the use of specialized needles, inserted in points, on meridians directly related to the identified health issue. The purpose of the treatment is to stimulate energy flow (Qi) and resolve the imbalance within the body.
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Acupressure - the application of pressure to specific points, on meridians, that correspond to identified health issues. The purpose of this treatment, like acupuncture, is to stimulate energy flow (Qi) and resolve imbalance within the body.
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Moxibustion - the application of burning dried mugwort leaves on specific points in order to stimulate the flow of energy (Qi) and promote healing.
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Qi Gong - employing gentle movements, breathing exercises, and meditation to balance the flow of energy (Qi) in the body.
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Tai Chi - emphasizing the mind-body connection, engaging in slow, flowing movements with deep breathing and mental focus.
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Dietary Therapy - adhering to eating practices based in East Asian medicinal theory of balancing Yin & Yang, the five elements and the influence of the seasons; in order to promote optimal body function and balance.
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Tuina Massage - a therapeutic massage technique that focuses on stimulating the body’s energy channels.
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Feng Shui - employing principles of environment arrangement to create a supportive environment and achieve harmony and balance.
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Mindfulness and Meditation - the practice of training one’s mind to be both intune to the present moment and then building capacity to remain intune in order to achieve balance and harmony.
Like the Western whole person treatment model, the Eastern foundational principles all have been found to improve overall mental well being.
As the Yang energy (warmness and light) increases in transition to the summer season, mental health issues are more noticeable. This makes May,
Mental Health Awareness Month, an ideal time to discuss and get educated about the healthcare options that help us deal with the stressors of life. In April we highlighted the benefits of
auricular detoxification acupuncture treatments for persons struggling with addiction. This same treatment is additionally beneficial for co-occurring mental health issues. To recap the information shared last month, auricular detoxification is a form of acupuncture in which five points on the ear are treated to address the symptoms of addiction and the associated mental health conditions. Its benefits include overall mood improvement and the ability to cope with the stressors of life without the abuse of illegal substances.
The takeaway is that you don’t have to be satisfied with being overwhelmed by thoughts and isolated by behaviors that make it hard to connect to others. There is help.
Resources:
Regulatory Basics You must have a license to practice. It is illegal to practice acupuncture and use East Asian medical therapies without a license. You must also obtain additional certification to practice on animals. Certain non-acupuncturist professionals may practice as
Auricular Detoxification Specialists if they register with the Board and renew their registration. If your license or registration has lapsed please take action to reinstate before you practice.
The
National Auricular Detoxification Association (NADA), is the professional organization for all certified Auricular Detoxification Specialists (ADS). NADA offers the training to become a certified ADS in Maryland, offers membership and is a valuable resource for ADS’..
The
American Acupuncture Society (ASA), the practice’s professional organization, has a Maryland arm - The
Maryland Association of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine (MAAEAM)- that offers membership. MAAEAM is a valuable resource for Licensed Acupuncturists.
About Paper Licenses The Board does not issue printed licenses. Please visit the
License Verification and Roster Information page to print and/or save a copy of your license status.
About Forms of Payment The Board no longer accepts checks or money orders. All payments must be made by credit or debit card.
About Practice Scope The practice statutes and regulations can be accessed from the Board’s landing page via the
Regulations, Board Meeting Minutes & Newsletters menu item on the left. The Board does not have the authority to interpret statute or regulations. Please consult with a legal professional if additional understanding is required.
About Continuing Education At present the Board does not approve/accredit/endorse specific
continuing education (CEU) providers. Licensees should ensure that the CEU provider is legitimate and provides content that meets industry standards. From time to time the Board does share training information. This does not mean that the Board has a relationship with this provider.
About License Status The Board has two renewal cycles annually: Spring & Fall. This means that the renewal system is only open twice a year beginning April 1st and October 1st. Spring renewals expire on May 31st and Fall renewals on November 30th. The Board sends notices by email and mail to licensees when it is time to renew.
About Contact Information The Board must be able to contact licensees at all times. This means that the Board must have licensees correct contact information at all times. If you change your address, phone number or email address please
inform the Board of the change so that we may reach you.
About Contact Information Licensees are required to advertise and practice in the name for which they are licensed. Name changes must be
reported to the Board with supporting documentation.
*The form to report contact and name changes can be accessed in two ways on the Board’s website: 1) on the
Apply for an Acupuncture License page and ) on the
Resources, Requirements & Information Requests page.
WHAT’S ON THE 2025 CALENDAR:
- Spring License Renewal Season: April 1st - June 30th
- May 13th Board Meeting
- Memorial Day Holiday - office closed
- July 8th Board Meeting
- September 9th Board Meeting
- Fall License Renewal Season: October 1st - December 31st
- November 4th Board Meeting
