My name is Jenifer Prince. I attended Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine & Acupuncture and graduated with my Masters in Acupuncture in May of 2018. I moved to South Carolina in September of 2019 to be closer to family. I completed my NCCAOM certification in May of 2020 and obtained my acupuncture license from the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners several months later. Since that time I have been reflecting on how I want to proceed in my healer’s journey and preparing myself for what comes next.
I do have aspirations of opening a full-time clinic, but I do not feel ready for such a large undertaking just yet. I want to continue cultivating my own style as an acupuncturist and get to know the needs of my community before expanding my practice and committing to it full-time. Every step I have taken on this journey, which started over 10 years ago, has been done with intention. Nothing has been rushed and I see no need to start rushing things now. As the great Taoist teacher Lao Tzu says, “Nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished.”
This medicine is not just the knowledge I have learned during my studies, the right pattern diagnosis, the best selection of needles or correct placement of them. This medicine is Ancient Wisdom, and when I am with a patient, connecting with their Qi, I can feel the strength and wisdom of this medicine flowing through me. I become not one who heals, but one who guides the healing process – I am a conduit between this ancient medicine and the healing power within all of us. By taking on this mantle, I have become a part of something much bigger than my life or my career, and I can no longer imagine myself as anything other than Healer.
That identity shines through in many other aspects of my life. I am a cat-rescue advocate, working to TNR feral cats in my neighborhood. I also have five cats that I share my home with, four of whom were rescued from life on the streets. I’m also an avid gardener, both indoor and outdoor. I have been known to “rescue” plants from the clearance shelf at local home improvement stores and restore them to their full glory. When I see a life struggling to thrive, I feel compelled to help. Healing is not about one’s power to transform sickness, but rather an ability to help those who are out of balance find their way again.
