Tucked around the back on the west side of the Mass. Ave. complex in West Acton that houses True West Brewery and Acton Coffee House are several offices that comprise Wellness at Villageworks. The 10 practitioners here, from massage therapists to a nutritionist to an art therapist, all use natural healing rather than medication, and most of them share an office, coming in on different days or times. Among them are two women from Harvard: Kathy Elkind, an eating psychology coach and self-compassion teacher who has lived in town for 26 years, and Stacey Fiutem of Full Circle Family Acupuncture, who moved to Harvard two years ago. The women, who didn’t know each other before renting offices at Villageworks about a year ago, agree that the space works well for them and they love what they’re doing. But there are challenges, given the kinds of professions they’re in.
Stacey Fiutem (left) and Kathy Elkind recently spoke to the Press in Elkind’s home office. Elkind, who is an eating psychology coach and self-compassion teacher and Fiutem, an acupuncturist, are practitioners at Wellness at Villageworks, 525 Mass. Ave. in West Acton. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Being an acupuncturist wasn’t in Fiutem’s plan when she graduated from college. She was aiming to go to medical school to become a doctor when illness changed that plan. Hair loss and fatigue were some of the symptoms that doctors couldn’t seem to diagnose, and Stacey continued to be very ill. A friend suggested she try acupuncture. Not only did the practitioner correctly identify the problem as a thyroid one, but the treatments erased her symptoms. “It changed my life,” Fiutem said. Relieved to be cured, she wanted to bring others the same kind of restored health through acupuncture and herbal medicine that she herself had found. She graduated from the four-year master’s program at the New England School of Acupuncture, which was then in Cambridge and is now in Newton. It is the oldest school of acupuncture in the country and was then the only one accredited in New England. Fiutem said her training was outstanding, with teachers from China and Japan and lecturers from many other parts of the world as well. She has been practicing for 17 years.
Although 3,000 years old, acupuncture is new to a lot of people; “I want to educate others,” said Fiutem. People imagine huge needles being stuck all over them, but in fact, she explained, the needles are hair-thin, and people become very relaxed during treatment. The needles release endorphins and there’s a natural feeling of well-being. The body remembers how to be healthy; acupuncture undoes the roadblocks—both physical and mental—so the body can heal itself, she said. Natural treatments boost the immune system and speed up the process. Said Fiutem, “I’m happy when I can help someone in pain.”
Aware of being different
Elkind, like Fiutem, came to her profession from personal experience. She is dyslexic, and growing up she was frustrated and ashamed by her inability to read like other girls could. Despite her intelligence, supportive parents, and help at school, Elkind said she was keenly aware of being different, but she never talked about the shame she felt. Instead, she soothed herself through food. As an adult, Elkind found that she reached for food when faced with something stressful for her, like a writing task. Once her two kids were in high school, Elkind wanted to conquer this emotional eating for herself and others like her.
About eight years ago she became certified in a nutritional cleanse program and offered classes in her home. While there were successes, she found that half of the women reverted to overeating once the session was over. Elkind began seeing an eating psychology coach and then trained to be a coach herself. She said she got better at identifying the feelings that triggered the desire for food and appreciated the increased energy that came from not stressing about overeating. “It’s an ongoing process,” said Elkind. “I’m a good coach because I’m still close to the problem.” Acknowledging Fiutem’s similar experience, she added, “We’re the ‘wounded healer’; we know the path and we know it’s not a quick fix.”
Another important piece was added when Elkind became a certified teacher in mindful self-compassion after being trained by nationally known Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. Elkind credits the training and Neff’s book “Self-Compassion Step by Step: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself” with helping her understand the power of self-compassion. When you stop beating yourself up and realize that you’re only human, she said, you can be understanding and mindful of your emotions. You can show compassion for the feelings you experience and “be there” with the loneliness, the grief, the shame. You can soothe yourself with compassion, not with food.
Fiutem’s clients are both men and women, and she treats children seven and older for such things as asthma, allergies, ADHD, and digestive problems. She explained that children younger than seven are treated with acupressure because their systems are not stable enough for use of needles. Elkind, on the other hand, sees mostly women, both in private coaching and in classes. She does have a few men in the mindful self-compassion classes, and once in a great while for private consultation. “I have some clients who want to heal themselves in order to help their daughters,” she added.
Both women said they like the fact that the Villageworks building is “green,” with solar heat and floors of cork, a sustainable material. They feel supported working with other natural healers. “We all do it differently,” said Fiutem, but there is a lot of overlap. They send each other clients, enjoy sharing ideas and frustrations, and like learning about one another’s practice.
They had high praise for Lucy Goldstein, who manages the building and who markets the wellness center. There is great communication, they said; Goldstein brings them together for meetings every other month to check on how things are going. Each month Goldstein features the work of a different local artist in the common waiting room and holds an evening reception at the start of each new exhibit. Elkind and Fiutem both feel that she wants them all to be successful. “And not just so we can pay the rent,” joked Fiutem. “She wants us to be happy.”
Challenges
But there are some challenges. One issue is that natural healing is not usually covered by insurance. Acupuncture is not a quick fix and the commitment to multiple sessions can be costly, said Fiutem. People need to understand that it took a while for their bodies to become unhealthy and so it will take time to “reboot the body” in a natural way. She said that some people have an insurance plan that reimburses part of the cost, but there’s a lot of red tape.
Addressing emotional eating is a process, said Elkind, who works with clients from three months to a year. She acknowledges that it’s expensive and that it’s hard for people (especially women) to buy into the idea that spending the money on themselves sooner rather than later will save money in the long run. Elkind wishes they could see it as a good investment. “Taking care of yourself is like the oxygen mask—you help yourself first so you can take care of others,” she said.
Just as the health-care industry is slow to support preventive care and alternative practices, both women believe that society in general is not a friend of wellness. The food industry and its advertising, the diet industry, self-help books that perpetuate the myth of perfection—all these can be overwhelming. Elkind commented that it’s difficult for a person to remain self-confident and not become stressed and insecure in the face of media messages.
Trust is paramount
Marketing is hard, agreed both practitioners. Acupuncture depends on trust, said Fiutem, which makes marketing to new clients particularly challenging. Elkind currently offers Kind Nourishment and Mindful Self-Compassion classes; she also offers one-on-one coaching. In an attempt to reach people through a more accommodating medium, on Jan. 16 she is launching a five-week Kind Nourishment class online. Subscribers will have four prerecorded classes a week and participate in a private Facebook group. They may also add private sessions with Elkind that support the online course.
Elkind and Fiutem said they hope that all the practitioners in the wellness center can work together to continue to educate people in the various alternative ways to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
