There are people in our communities who are looking for exactly the kind of care we provide. The problem is that many of them don’t know we are here.
And I don’t think that is only a marketing problem. I think it is a challenge for our profession.
For many years, Acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners have done good work. We have built practices largely through word of mouth, cared for our patients, and allowed the results of our work to speak for themselves.
There is something admirable about that. But I also believe the next chapter of our profession requires more from us.
We need to be willing to be seen.
Not because every practitioner needs to become a content creator or build a large social media following. Visibility can mean educating your community about what acupuncture and Chinese medicine can offer. It can mean building relationships with other healthcare professionals. It can mean speaking at a community event, contributing to a conversation about healthcare, mentoring a student, participating in advocacy, or simply becoming more confident in talking about the value of the work we do.
Because when we make ourselves more visible, we make our profession more visible.
And why does that matter?
Well, if we want Chinese medicine to have a greater role in Canadian healthcare, we cannot wait for someone outside our profession to tell people why our work matters. We have to be willing to tell that story ourselves.
Every practitioner who educates their community, builds a strong practice, collaborates with another healthcare provider, or advocates for our profession moves all of us forward.
So perhaps the question for October isn’t simply, “How do I grow my practice?”
It is, “Where am I still hiding?”
And what might become possible for our patients, our practices, and our profession if more of us were willing to step forward and be seen?
The work we do matters. Let’s make sure people know it.