Meet Joanne Chang | Acupuncturist and Alchemical Healer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanne Chang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanne, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
The ability to take risks is paramount to who I am today. At 32 years old I found myself in a total rut: unhappy marriage, lucrative but unfulfilling career, burnt out/stressed out, and exhausted by my seemingly safe yet suffocating choices. I was trapped in layers upon layers of safety net, and I was incredibly, undeniably unhappy.

As a late bloomer, I had never before considered that I could make different choices. I wanted what everyone else seemed to want, liked what everyone else seemed to like. The questions “What do you do for fun?” and “What are your hopes and dreams?” made me cringe because I could not answer them. It seemed risky to have an identity that wasn’t based on someone else’s version of “good.”

My marriage took a turn for the worse (or the better, if we’re honest) and I ended up getting a divorce, quitting my “dream job”, packing a suitcase and buying a one-way ticket out of the country. I did not know what I was looking for out there, but I knew that if I didn’t find out who was in “here”, then I would be perpetually miserable. The risk I had to take was betting on myself, which I have learned is the one that matters the most.

These decisions were not without their consequences. My (ex) husband was furious, my parents were dumbfounded, friends were sad. How could I destroy such a good-looking life in search of an unknown, un-guaranteed, question mark of a future? Wasn’t it better to live with certain misery than to risk it all for something totally uncertain, and possibly even worse?

I didn’t look at it that way. When the foundation of my life began to crack and crumble revealing all the ways I had abandoned my self and relinquished my power, I knew that the only thing I had left was my willingness to tear it down and start over as the architect of my existence. The greater risk was to do nothing; to stay and pretend that the structure was not on the verge of collapse, not about to swallow me whole.

Today, risk-taking is embedded into my life. I am constantly exploring, changing course, and peeking into lesser known corners of the universe while trying to find my way. I’ve learned that regret is one of the hardest emotions to carry, so I practice pushing the edges of comfort when opportunity calls. Taking risks is a lot about surrender — following the call, and trusting that life will unfold as it will. Sometimes, playing it safe is a huge risk; and taking a risk is the least risky thing to do.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Brave Life Acupuncture is unique because it prioritizes Transformation over Restoration. Much of the way acupuncture is practiced today focuses on Restoration: fixing the problem by making pain and discomfort go away so that you can get back to life as it was. In my practice, we aren’t trying to go back. We see physical, mental, and emotional ailments as messages that come in service to a deeper understanding of the soul and spirit so that we can grow and be of service to the world. We get curious about what the body is trying to say and meet discomfort with openness and compassion instead of judgment and resistance. We transform challenges into possibilities and practice looking deeply and honestly at who we are and where we are heading. We use needles as a conduit between the body and universal energy, shifting not only how energy flows within the body, but also how it flows out into the world to do the work it came here to do.

I love my work because it’s deeply meaningful, though it’s not widely accepted in today’s science-minded, quick-fix, there’s-a-pill-for-that kind of mentality. People, myself included, have to be willing to do the inner work that is required for real change to occur. We have to be willing to look beneath the surface, beyond what is tangible, and have faith in processes that we cannot see. We have to honor the darkness, sit in discomfort, surrender to not-knowing, and trust. Acupuncture is like that; the needle goes into the dark places we cannot see, and ignites a healing response that is felt but cannot be measured. We know it works because of experience, and our willingness to open to something that cannot be empirically explained.

Placing needles into the body is an incredibly intimate and sacred act, and I honor this by spending a significant amount of time connecting to my clients and building a safe container for us to do the work. In addition to needles I use essential oils, touch therapy, guided meditation, and deep listening to create resonance in the therapeutic field. I see one client at a time, devoting my full attention to each person, and am genuinely invested in the whole person — past and present, physical and emotional, mental and spiritual. We are all interconnected, and the trust and relationship between us is an integral part of my practice.

One thing I’ve continued to follow is my love of acupuncture as a spiritual, transformational, alchemical medicine. It isn’t as lucrative as more western-based practices like orthopedic or cosmetic acupuncture, but it’s work that inspires me to grow as both a human and a practitioner — work that is intrinsically woven into who I am and the life that I want to live.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I spent most of my 20s and 30s hanging out in all the cool places. Today I care less about where I am and more about who I’m with and the energy we’re creating. Some of my most precious and memorable experiences have taken place in local coffee shops with one or two of my favorite people, musing about the workings of the universe and how to find our place in it.

That said, I do have some favorite spots in Denver that I would love to share. Why not have both meaningful conversation and incredible food/drinks/views to go with it?

Sushi: Nozomi, Makizushiko
Brunch: The Bindery, Duo, Wooden Spoon, Postino
Vegetarian: Somebody People, Green Collective, Watercourse
Coffee: Huck, Convivio Cafe, Whittier Cafe, Steam Espresso, Sweet Bloom
Entertainment: Red Rocks, The Buell, Arvada Center, Mission Ballroom, Cosmos Magic
Hikes: Lily Mountain, Cataract Lake, Brother’s Lookout

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My partner Tony and my daughter Nova are the well from which I drink, providing daily support and inspiration for my journey. My alchemical teachers, Lorie Dechar and Benjamin Fox, have changed the way I view health and healing and are a steady source of love, guidance, and cosmic exploration. My late husband George and both parents who have passed have ushered me into a world beyond the veil, bestowing the gifts of wonder, curiosity, and awe. Gratitude to my patients who teach me so much about dedication and the healing relationship, and to all those who have pushed me, sometimes mercilessly, towards the person I am constantly becoming.

Website: https://www.bravelifeacupuncture.com/

Image Credits
Profile pic – Mia Gorrell Photography