What does the acupuncture clinic look like?
Clients are treated for 45 minutes seated in a group setting. Talking – especially drug-talk and “war stories” – is discouraged. There are no behavioral or cognitive expectancies, and clients are “free to do nothing.” A special blend “detox tea” is also usually served during or following treatment. Clients are optimally seen on a drop-in basis, with no appointments required. Like the twelve step program, the clinic is “barrier-free” in that there are no motivational or other screening requirements for entering or continuing acupuncture treatment. People are instructed to come as “clean and sober as they can” for treatment, and treatment is recommended daily, in the same “one day at a time” rhythm as recovery. While other treatment and recovery services are usually also held in proximity to the clinic, participation in these activities should not a condition of receiving acupuncture treatment. Clients do everything they can for themselves, such as “prepping” their own ears with an alcoh
