Skin Care Expertise Series for Acupuncturists

September 12, 2026

Skin Care Expertise Series for Acupuncturists – 23 & 24 Sept 2026

with Bahareh Hosseini R.TCMP/R.AC and Stefanie Makagon R.Ac

TCMO members: SAVE $125 off bundle of two classes on Sep 23/24 or $50 each individual class. PLEASE email Bahareh Hosseini at: info@kitowellness.ca and quote this TCMO discount to get registration info. 

Want to learn more about the instructors? Members can watch Bahareh Hosseini’s webinar on Microneedling that was specifically presented to TCMO members and is available to watch in your TCMO web account. 

Taught by two expert instructors and TCMO members: Bahareh Hosseini, R.TCMP/R.Ac and Stefanie Makagon R.Ac

Skin Care Expertise Series for Acupuncturists!

These courses are designed specifically for acupuncturists to help you build a complete skin health toolkit 

All courses include:


• Pre-recorded online theory so we can maximize hands-on learning
• Reference videos to help guide your practice after the course
• A full day of in-person instruction and practice
• Small class sizes with plenty of individualized guidance

These courses provide a complete skin health education built specifically for acupuncturists. Rather than piecing together information from skincare courses, massage trainings, and online resources, you’ll learn an integrated system that fits seamlessly into acupuncture practice and gives you the confidence to treat, educate, and recommend with clarity.

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September 23: Advanced Manual Techniques & Skincare for Acupuncturists (Fascia, Buccal, Skincare)

Expand your cosmetic acupuncture treatments with advanced manual techniques and gain the confidence to become your patients’ trusted skincare resource.

You’ll learn:


• Sculptural Facelifting & Buccal Massage
• Facial Fascia Massage Techniques
• Evidence-based skincare for in-clinic use and home care recommendations

Bonus: A professional skincare ritual video from a holistic esthetician demonstrating hot towelling, cleansing, and luxurious product application.

Date: September 23, 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm

Location: 115 Wolseley St. Toronto

Tuition: $495.00


SAVE* Take both September courses & save: Bundle $895.00 

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September 24: Microneedling for Acupuncturists

Experience microneedling firsthand while learning everything you need to decide whether it’s the right addition to your practice.

You’ll learn:


• Microneedling theory and treatment protocols
• Canadian vs. U.S. regulations
• The pros and cons of adding microneedling to your practice
• Safe integration of skincare products and consumables
• How to treat concerns beyond skin rejuvenation
• Demonstrations of three different microneedling devices
• Give and receive a complete microneedling treatment

Bonus: Your tuition includes a full microneedling treatment for yourself (a $350–$400 value).

Date: September 24, 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm

Location: 115 Wolseley St. Toronto

Tuition: $495.00


SAVE* Take both September courses & save: Bundle $895.00 

CEUs provided for both days (please check your jurisdiction’s requirements).

Member Spotlight: Dina Khorasanee

September 2, 2026

Dina Khorasanee, R.Ac

Name: Dina Khorasanee; Registered Acupuncturist

Practice type: multi-disciplinary clinic

How long have you been in practice: 3.5 years

How long have you been a TCMO member: 3-5 years

Why you are a member of TCMO:

I enjoy being part of a diverse community that helps practitioners connect, grow their practice, and share resources and their love for Chinese medicine.

Focus areas:

Women’s health, fertility

Conditions you love to treat:

As I have a long history of being a birth doula, I love supporting families in different stages of their reproductive health and wellness.

Looking back on your career, what is is something you’ve learned that shapes how you practice:

I’ve learnt through my years of caring for families who are expecting or shortly after birth, and now as an Acupuncturist, that being a good practitioner means bringing calmness to the treatment space, listening carefully to your patients concerns, answering questions, and always treating them with care, gentleness and respect.

One thing you always tell patients:

It’s ok to go at your own pace. When our Shen feels settled, our Qi will flow.

The last CEU course you signed up for was:

It wasn’t the last but my favourite! Treating Trauma through the 5 elements

What’s new?

I’ve recently joined the Myocare Wellness team in Leaside!

Practice locations in Toronto:

Slow Medicine Co. 181 Carlaw Avenue

Toronto Center for Naturopathic Medicine, 475 Broadview Avenue

Myocare, 1517a Bayview Avenue Toronto, Ontario

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrive.acupunctureto

Community Opportunity: Southwestern Ontario Acupuncture Practice

August 27, 2026

We are sharing an update on behalf of one of our members in Southwestern Ontario, who is preparing to transition their well-established acupuncture clinic after 25 years of dedicated practice.

They are looking for an experienced, registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner or Acupuncturist interested in taking over a vibrant, turnkey operation:

  • Space & Amenities: A beautifully renovated facility with a reception area, 8 treatment rooms, a private office, staff kitchen, and laundry facilities.
  • Location & Access: Excellent, high-accessibility location featuring ample free parking.
  • Operations: Strong patient caseload equipped to support multiple clinicians immediately.

This is a wonderful opportunity for a practitioner with serious intentions to step into a fully active clinic environment.

For additional details or direct inquiries regarding this transition, please call 519-859-8686.

President’s Message – August 2026

August 9, 2026

There are many things we can influence within our own practices. We can provide excellent care, educate our patients, build relationships within our communities, and help others better understand Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.

But some of the challenges facing our profession are bigger than any one practitioner can address alone.  Regulatory barriers, scope-of-practice concerns, public awareness, government policy, and how our profession is positioned within Ontario’s healthcare system require something different. They require organization, relationships, persistence, and a collective voice.

This is where a strong professional association matters.

Over the past several months, TCMO has been strengthening its advocacy capacity and developing the infrastructure needed to represent our profession more effectively. We are building relationships with government and healthcare stakeholders, investing in dedicated advocacy and external relations, and identifying regulatory and professional issues where change is needed.

This work is rarely immediate, it takes time and repeated touch points to stay top of mind. Advocacy often happens through conversations, meetings, research, relationship-building, and sustained effort long before a visible outcome is achieved. But it is how professions create lasting change.

And TCMO’s ability to do this work ultimately comes from you, from me, from all of us working together.

An association representing a small number of practitioners has a voice. But an association representing a significant portion of a profession has influence. Every new member strengthens our ability to demonstrate that the issues we bring forward represent the concerns of practitioners across Ontario.

Last month, I reflected on the individual contributions that build our profession every day. Those contributions matter enormously. But there are also things we can accomplish only when we come together.

One practitioner can raise an issue.  But how much attention does that issue actually receive if it’s coming from one voice?  A profession that is organized, engaged, and speaking collectively on behalf of many voices can begin to change what happens next.

That is the strength we are continuing to build at TCMO, and I am excited about where it can take our profession.

Member Spotlight: Courtney Cartmel

August 4, 2026

Courtney Cartmel, R.Ac

courtneycartmel.ca

Member Name: Courtney Cartmel, R.Ac

Practice Type and Location: Sole Practitioner within a Multi-disciplinary clinic in Peterborough ON

Number of years in practice: 5

Number of years as a TCMO member: 2 (Courtney is also a volunteer board member!)

Why are you a member of TCMO?

I am passionate about TCM & A and advocating for our profession and supporting individuals that do this.

Special focus areas:

Working in a smaller city like Peterborough with very few acupuncturists, I see just about everything in a week. Most of my practice is women between ages 25-60, but I do also see a lot of seniors in their 70s and 80s as well as men. I treat pain, fertility and menstrual cycle support, digestion, sleep, stress, cosmetic acupuncture and everything in between.

Conditions you love to treat:

Knee pain and dysmenorrhea

Looking back on your career, what is is something you’ve learned that shapes how you practice:

Building confidence has immensely shaped how I practice because it transfers to patients and how they perceive me, acupuncture and treatment.

One thing you always tell patients:

“Warm drinks!”

The last CEU course you signed up for was:

Micro-needling for Acupuncturists

Practice location: 386 Burnham St Peterborough ON courtneycartmel.ca

Social media: IG @courtneycartmel.acu FB Courtney Cartmel Acupuncture

The 10-Minute Weekly Bookkeeping Habit

August 1, 2026

by Ann at Holistic Business Advisors

One of the biggest bookkeeping mistakes isn’t doing it incorrectly, it’s waiting until tax season.

By setting aside just 10 minutes once a week, you can stay on top of your finances all year long. Instead of facing a mountain of receipts in March or April, you’ll spend just a few minutes each week keeping everything organized.

Here’s a simple routine that works.

Step 1: Gather your receipts

Throughout the week, keep your receipts in one place.

  • Paper receipts can stay in your wallet or a small envelope.
  • Email receipts can be saved to a dedicated folder in your inbox.

The goal is making sure everything ends up in one place.

Step 2: Record your expenses

Once a week, open your bookkeeping tool or software and enter each expense.

Common business expenses for acupuncturists include:

  • Clinic supplies
  • Professional dues and licensing fees
  • Continuing education
  • Accounting and legal fees
  • Website and marketing costs
  • Office supplies

Recording expenses while they’re still fresh makes the process much faster than trying to remember purchases months later.

Step 3: Save your receipts

The CRA requires you to keep records that support your business expenses.

A simple approach is to scan or photograph each receipt and save it in a secure folder. Giving each file a clear name (such as 2026-07-15-Clinic Supplies) makes it easy to find later if you ever need it.

Small habits create big results

A consistent weekly routine can save hours at tax time. You’ll have more accurate financial records, be less likely to miss deductible expenses, and you’ll spend far less time sorting through receipts at year-end.

The best bookkeeping system isn’t the most complicated one; it’s the one you’ll actually stick with.

About the Author

Ann is a retired acupuncturist and co-founder of Holistic Business Advisors (HBA). After experiencing the challenges of running a practice firsthand, she created HBA to help acupuncturists feel more confident and supported in managing the financial side of their business.

Book a complimentary consultation at holisticbusinessadvisors.com/acupuncturists

President’s Message – July 2026

July 6, 2026

As we enter into the heart of summer, we’re reminded that this season has long been associated with flourishing, vitality, connection, and joy. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer reflects the Fire element: a time when life is in full bloom and the work of previous seasons becomes visible.

As healthcare practitioners, it can be easy to lose sight of that perspective. Much of our attention is naturally drawn to what needs to be improved: the patient who is still in pain, the charting that needs to be completed, the advocacy work ahead, or the challenges facing our profession. We spend our days helping others through difficult moments, often without pausing to recognize the impact we are already making.

We often measure our profession by milestones: legislation advanced, meetings attended, partnerships formed, or research published. While these achievements are important, they are only part of the story. The true strength of our profession is built incrementally each day through the care you provide, the trust you earn, the students you mentor, the colleagues you support, and the conversations that help others better understand TCM and acupuncture. Every patient whose quality of life improves because of your work contributes to the reputation and future of our profession.

Joy is not only something we help our patients rediscover. It is also something we, as practitioners, deserve to experience in our own work.

As you enjoy the longer days of summer, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on how far you have come, both as a practitioner and as a profession. Our community has grown because thousands of dedicated practitioners continue to show up each day with knowledge, compassion, and a commitment to serving others.

Thank you for the care you provide, the lives you change, and the role you play in helping our profession continue to flourish.

Member Spotlight: Daniel (T’agyol) Adler

July 3, 2026

Daniel (T’agyol) Adler R.Ac R.TCMP

The Daniel Adler Clinic

Member Name: Daniel (T’agyol) Adler R.Ac R.TCMP

Practice Type and Location: Toronto, Sole practitioner within a multi-disciplinary clinic

Number of years in practice: 26

Number of years as a TCMO Member: 3-5

Special focus areas: Sports medicine, cosmetic, life transitions, pediatrics, women’s health, MSK, mental health

Why are you a member of TCMO?

I deeply appreciate the work that the TCMO is doing for our profession. Being a member is a way that I can support this.

Which conditions you love to treat most?

The specific condition does not matter to me so much as the process. The work I love to do most involves a long term therapeutic relationship with the patient where I am allowed to be alongside them and support them and their arising needs through the various stages and events of their lives.

Looking back on your career, what is one thing you’ve learned?

Treatment of the chief complaint may be successful or it may not be successful. But this doesn’t determine the success of the treatment. How I treat the person and how I make them feel is more important. Have I listened to them? Have I made my best attempt to be there for them? Have I done my best to be of service to them (even if it means that I refer them to a more appropriate practitioner)? Have my touch and my actions been as gentle and connected as possible? This is a foundation of my practice.

What is one thing you tell patients?

It’s okay to fail. It’s the consistent small steps that lead to large gains.

Last CEU you’ve signed up for?

Kampo Diploma Programme with NYKI

Practice location: The Daniel Adler Clinic (operating within Dupont Naturopathic Family Clinic)

789 Dupont St, Toronto / 647 262 5722 / www.adlerclinic.ca

Daniel also teaches courses in the GTA – keep an eye out for upcoming offerings!

The Method SYNERGY and Sports Acupuncture at OCTCM

July 3, 2026

The Method SYNERGY and Sports Acupuncture – Level 1 and Level 2 with Valerie Truong R.Ac & Physiotherapist


The SYNERGY Method is a method of treating musculoskeletal pain and injuries with 2 simple and effective SYNERGY Sequences, the Upper and the Lower Sequences, by rebalancing the fascias and muscle chains, in the clinical setting with the general clientele and applicable on field with high-level athletes using distal points.

DATE: August 14th – August 16th, 2026 Friday – Sunday

LOCATION: OCTCM Toronto Campus

COST: $950 CAD + Tax

TCMO MEMBER PRICE: $875 CAD + Tax

PREREQUISITES: R.Ac or students who have completed the Acupuncture program

INSTRUCTOR: Valérie Truong, Acupuncturist, Physiotherapist, B.Sc

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Be effective treating musculoskeletal conditions and enrich the recommendations given to the patient to accelerate progress according to Phases 1, 2 or 3 of patient’s healing.

At the end of the seminar, therapists will be equipped to work effectively in their clinic and on field in a sports environment, as well as any environment, where the pace of action is intense and where effectiveness of intervention must be maximal in a small amount of time (eg humanitarian)

Presentation of the SYNERGY Method is based on more than 1000 interventions on field with professional athletes and sports teams and 25 years of private clinic practice in Montreal, Canada.

TOPICS COVERED:

Presentation of the Upper and Lower SYNERGY Sequences rebalancing muscle chain by muscle chain with the use of palpation and distal acupuncture points.

Presentation of treatment strategies and SYNERGY recommendations to accelerate patient progression and optimize acupuncture treatment, according to the 3 healing phases:Phases 1, 2 or 3.

The following will be covered during the hands-on workshops:

1) Upper and Lower SYNERGY Sequences rebalancing of the spine and the 4 muscle chains of the limb with palpation and use of the distal points.

2) Refinement of SYNERGY Sequences with the use of points at the sacroiliacs and of the scapulas.

3) how to perform SYNERGY fascia and muscle chain rebalancing AND powerfully treat an internal disorder simultaneously using: 

  • superimposed images, which will allow us to puncture only from the elbow to the hand and from the knee to the foot
  • the 3 Yin Meridians
  • the 3 Yang Meridians
  • the combination of the SYNERGY Sequences and Dr. Richard Tan’s “Magical 8+1” prescription, aka “the million dollar prescription” to address issues such as: digestive, intestinal, menstrual problems, menopausal, weight loss, glycemic control, seasonal allergies.

THE SEMINAR IS FOR TCM Therapists who have completed their course in acupuncture with an interest in Orthopedics.

SCHEDULE:

DAY 1: 9 AM to 6 PM – The first day consists of presenting the SYNERGY Method Theory in the morning followed by 2 demonstrations on models in the afternoon.

DAY 2: 9 AM to 5 PM – The second day, presentation of the final part of the SYNERGY Method Theory followed by the Practical Workshop Level 1.

DAY 3: 9 AM to 5 PM – The third day, presentation of the SYNERGY Method Theory Level 2 and demonstration on model Level 2 in the morning followed by the Practical Workshop Level 2 in the afternoon.

TEACHING METHODS:

Oral presentation, case histories, 4 clinical demonstrations on models, sharing of experience. The Method Seminar manual and educational tools will be provided. 

INSTRUCTOR BIO Valérie Truong

Physiotherapist and Acupuncturist in private clinical practice for 25 years in Montreal, Canada, specializing in Sports Acupuncture for teams and professional athletes. She teaches the SYNERGY fascia rebalancing Method in Canada and in Europe since 2016. 

She works with the Canadian Women’s Professional Hockey League, Le Royal de Montréal of the American Ultimate Disc League (Frisbee), The Red Bull Cliff Divers and dancers of the Ballets Jazz de Montréal and of the Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal. In spring of 2024, she was the therapist for the cast and crew of Netflix « Emily in Paris » season 4 during the filming in Paris.

She is involved in teaching and research in the field of acupuncture in Quebec. 

For more information on the course and instructor, please see:https://www.octcm.com/single-post/the-method-synergy-and-sports-acupuncture-level-1-and-level-2

Any questions, please contact toronto@octcm.com.

Pulse Diagnosis Course at AIM

June 13, 2026

Practical Pulse Diagnosis with Richard Kwan

Details:

Dates: Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th 2026

Time: 10:00AM – 5:30PM

Cost: $700

TCMO Member Cost: $600 (Call 416-323-1818 ext. 202 to register at your discounted rate.)

Location: In Person at AIM Academy, 455 Spadina Ave, Suite 300, Toronto ON, M5S 2G8

Requirements: Participants must be Registered Acupuncturists or Acupuncture students (Students must provide proof of enrolment, call 416-323-1818 ext. 202 to register.)

Instructor: RICHARD KWAN, BSc, R.TCMP, R.Ac

Description:

Do you feel a lack of confidence in Pulse Diagnosis? Do you feel confused about the different kinds of pulses?

Richard Kwan is offering Practical Pulse Diagnosis for students and practitioners to simplify your Pulse Diagnosis and practice knowing how to improve your Pulse taking skills.

There will also be a Practical component not only to palpate the Pulse but also to influence the Pulse of patients through palpation of acu-points and Acupuncture. By seeing how the Pulse changes during a treatment, this helps to build your confidence and improve your treatment results.

For full course details, click here.