Meet Sophia Arnesen: Licensed Acupuncturist & Chinese Herbalist

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

Hi Sophia, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
When I say “I’m an acupuncturist”, the first response I get usually has something to do with some pain or injury they’ve had. “Oh, my back hurts”, or “I get this neck pain”, or “I pulled my hamstring hiking”… you get the picture. The biggest misconception is that acupuncture is only helpful for pain. Don’t get me wrong, acupuncture is super helpful for the treatment of pain. It helps to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow and releases endorphins (aka the body’s natural pain killers). But acupuncture doesn’t only help pain. Acupuncture is incredible for nearly anything under the sun. It helps digestion, autoimmune disorders, fertility, hormone imbalances, anxiety, insomnia, immunity, etc. You get the picture, it’s an amazing holistic medicine that heals by treating the root cause and the whole entire person, rather than using band-aid treatments to treat symptoms. For example, in my practice I focus on women’s health and hormones. The majority of my patients are seeking relief from menstrual disorders and balancing their hormones to optimize fertility. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m a Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist in Arvada, Colorado. My practice, Arnesen Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine, is located in bustling Olde Town Arvada. I help women navigate hormone imbalances so they can have more energy, more balanced moods and emotions, regular menstrual cycles, pain free periods, and optimized fertility so they can get back to living out their wildest dreams. I focus on the treatment of women’s health because it’s how I found my way to acupuncture & Chinese medicine. I was dealing with my own pain & health concerns and was tired of being prescribed medication after medication as my only option. I found my way to an acupuncturist, and the rest is history! I’ve had the privilege of completing additional coursework and intern hours in gynecology and women’s health and it is truly where my passion lies. I love helping women feel better and more in-tune with their bodies. I came into this business with some business experience as I have worked for a Naturopathic Doctor since 2013. I gained a lot of invaluable experience during this time and have carried a lot of that over to my own business & practice. Starting a business during any year can have its ups & downs, but starting a business during a global pandemic has truly been humbling but I wouldn’t change any of it. I love what I do, and the majority of my patients come to me through word of mouth referrals from current patients or via Instagram. I spend the majority of my focus on my Instagram on education. Educating people on how acupuncture & Chinese medicine works and how it can help them is my number one goal. It’s very important to me because I’m well aware that as an “alternative” medicine, a lot of people don’t know how it can help them… and that’s what I’m here for! Acupuncture & Chinese medicine is thousands of years old, and I believe it’s time we bring it mainstream and show the Western world how it can help in a gentle, non-invasive & holistic manner. In my practice I use not only acupuncture, but also cupping, tuina (Chinese medical massage), guasha (skin scraping), Chinese herbal medicine and moxibustion (the burning of herbs on or near the skin).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow. I love this question. I’m going to assume this is outside of covid era and I’d like to preface by saying that I’m VERY partial to Arvada, it’s not only where I live, but also where I play! My business is also here, in Olde Town Arvada, and it’s an amazing place to be and where I spend most of my time! For drinks, I’d head over to the Bluegrass Lounge, or Arvada Tavern. For coffee, Bluegrass Lounge, Hunter Bay or La Dolce Vita. For beer, I’d head to Joyride Brewery, New Terrain Brewery, Outer Range or Denver Beer Company. For food, So Radish, Bluegrass Lounge, Yak and Yeti, Blue Pan Pizza, Real Thai Arvada, Lariat Lodge Evergreen and Breadwinners. For shopping, head to The Electric Cherry (Vintage, Vinyl & Handmade Goods)… and while you’re at it just head to Olde Town Arvada because we’ve got everything you could need here… from a sock shop to pet supply store to boutique clothing stores. We’d definitely head up to the mountains while we’re at it. I’m partial to Copper Mountain for skiing and love the Conifer area for hiking & camping!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would absolutely not be where I am today without the guidance & encouragement of my mentor Dr. Kivette Parkes, Naturopathic Doctor. I accidentally found holistic medicine in 2013 when I began working as an assistant in her clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. I began to witness the effects of holistic medicine and lifestyle changes on a persons life. Watching the transformation of patients lives through dietary changes and herbal medicine truly humbled me and made me question everything I knew about “medicine”. Seven years and a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine later, I’m humbled to be able to have the opportunity to be of service to others and have my own healing practice and business. Dr. Parkes has been my number one supporter through it all. When my husband and I wanted to relocate to Colorado in 2015, she allowed me to continue working & learning from her remotely. When I wanted to get my Master’s Degree in an accelerated program that would leave me very little free time to work, she allowed me to not only continue working with her but allowed me to make my own schedule based on my class schedule. And now as I have ventured into being a business owner and practitioner, she continues to support me and act as a business coach. I truly do not know where I would be without her mentorship and it has inspired me to pay it forward and mentor someone in the future when the opportunity arises.

Website: https://www.arnesenacupuncture.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arnesen.acupuncture/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arnesen.acupuncture

Image Credits
Chesney Louie Photography