Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Valenti.
Hi Amanda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My connection to acupuncture began in 2010 when I sprained my neck. I started working regularly with a physical therapist and she referred me to an acupuncturist in their office. I began treatments on my neck and during that time someone very important to me passed away.
Without knowing exactly what was happening I fell into a deep depression. I was certain that something was physiologically wrong with me, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, something labs could confirm I wasn’t “just” grieving. Multiple doctors informed me that I had been suffering from depression and needed to be medicated.
At the time, I was months away from starting nursing school and had spent a lot of time in the Western medical field. Even so, I had a very hard time wanting to take anti-depressants. I was worried if I didn’t take the time to grieve, I would want to stop the medication in the future and all my grieving would show up right where I left it. I shared my predicament with my acupuncturist and she simply said “we can work on that here.”
I had no idea that was a treatment option and within just a few weeks and a few Chinese herbal formulas I began noticing I was willingly getting out of bed, and my lust for life had returned. I immediately looked up acupuncture schools, applied to the graduate program in San Diego and the rest of my life started right then and there. I chose an integrative program because I highly value Western medicine and didn’t believe there was a one-size-fits-all approach to healing.
I wanted to offer a type of healing that gave others the option to choose while knowing there were natural alternatives in conjunction with biomedicine.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh boy, how much time do we have, and do you have some tissues nearby?
Two months after I opened my doors, my mom fell into a comatose state from West Nile Encephalitis. She went from a very active badass who shot 45-caliber, single-action revolvers off her horse in a competitive sport to being 100% incapacitated. She was on life support within two days of being in the hospital. I had to cancel my busiest week to date, I reluctantly called 13 new patients and told them I didn’t know when I’d be back.
For seven months I left Utah every month for 1-2 weeks to go help caretake. Not even one year into my new practice my mom passed away. I took about two weeks off, flew back to Utah, and began my full-time practice again. It is truly a miracle my business survived and I still treat some of those same patients I had to cancel.
Fast forward three years later and Covid-19 arrives and for some reason, I did not apply for financial support. I kept thinking “I’m an essential worker, we will probably open up next week” but had so many internal fears around viruses because that’s what killed my immunocompromised mother. It was a finically and emotionally trying time to say the least. Again, I am very thankful to have been one of the small businesses that have survived this challenging time.
This year, I began working with a new business coach and was able to bring on three new employees! I will also be managing the wellness clinic that I co-own! It’s hard to believe how much can change in one year, good and bad.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Valenti Acupuncture, Terra SLC, and The Little Wellness Place?
When I started Valenti Acupuncture my goal was to create a place where people could feel truly safe. I want my patients to know that my goal is not to sell you on my practice but to help you feel better. Sometimes I have the tools to accomplish that, and other times I recognize there may be other modalities that better suit you.
To assure my patients have access to other services, I teamed up with some extremely talented healers and we started a health collective. I wanted to create a web or network of reliable practitioners for my patients to lean on. An overall “care team” where you feel that I’m working in your best interest and not in competition with other therapies.
I co-own Terra SLC and The Little Wellness Place. All three offer alternative and integrative healing practices that are patient-centered. I really enjoy bringing people together, so we also offer workshops, retreats, and group gatherings. Additionally, this year, I did a Birth Doula training and have been extremely passionate about birth work.
As far as acupuncture and Eastern Medicine goes, I once learned from a teacher to “treat what you find, not what you think.” I try to apply this to every patient because truthfully everybody is different. I tend to work regularly on mental health, generalized fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
I also love to geek out on Sports Medicine Acupuncture which focuses on orthopedic injuries, sports rehabilitation, and pain management.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love that SLC has so many young small business owners. When I moved here fresh out of grad school I wasn’t sure how I was going to start my own practice. Once I started to meet more people, I was truly inspired by the amount of small businesses in the city, and many that are female-owned! I want to be a part of that movement.
The air quality is really really hard for me.
Pricing:
- New Patient – $125
- Follow up – $100
- Student $70-$90 sliding scale
- Cupping $40
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@valentiacupuncture.com
- Website: http://valentiacupuncture.com
- Instagram: @valentiacu, @thelittlewellnessplace, and @terrahealthcollective
Image Credits
@auttyshipp, @jasper.gibson, and @mlauchert
