Workshop Presentation:
Releasing Trauma’s Hooks – Regaining Resiliency in Body, Mind and Spirit
Trauma doesn’t discriminate, it will sink its hooks into anyone.
Dr. Jill Richards (DAc) will discuss her journey with trauma survivors and the science behind the transformational process of releasing trauma’s hold on a survivor through acupuncture.
She will conclude her discussion by sharing some self-care techniques based on millennia-old medical theory that can help with common post-traumatic stress physical manifestations (e.g. nightmares, panic attacks, anger, sadness, etc.) to regain resiliency in body, mind, and spirit.
Bio:
A 30+ year Navy veteran, Jill Richards is a Doctor of Acupuncture (D.Ac.) who is licensed by the Oregon Medical Board to practice this millennia-old style of medicine and Board-certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental medicine as a Diplomate of Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.).
She is the owner and Chief Catalyst of Catalysis Acupuncture, LLC, here in Bend, Oregon. Jill completed her undergraduate education in Ocean Engineering at the United States Naval Academy (USNA), graduating and commissioning in 1994, after which she earned her wings as a Naval Flight Officer, deploying twice to Japan to fly antisubmarine and search-and-rescue missions.
Following a near-fatal car accident at the end of her first squadron tour, she was medically grounded and was consequently posted to teach Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) students at the University of Utah where, fascinated by the resiliency of her crumpled body, she completed her Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and, compelled by her Navy experience, pursued a second Bachelor’s in Gender Studies.
Following her time in Utah, she took orders as an officer recruiter in Washington State, after which she completed her master’s-level training in East Asian Medicine at Middle Way Acupuncture Institute. She graduated shortly before being recalled to active duty for three years to teach at USNA.
While teaching Control Systems Engineering at USNA, she proposed, established and ran a Complementary Medicine Clinic within Navy Medicine where she treated dozens trauma survivors in addition to hundreds of others suffering in body, mind, and spirit.
In addition to maintaining a private practice, now again a Navy Reservist, Commander Richards works part-time with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and is developing two studies with ONR Code 34 (Warfighter Performance) to evaluate acupuncture’s efficacy, one in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the other Phantom Limb Pain (PLP).
Jill is eager to partner with anyone who is not living optimally in body, mind, and spirit to catalyze their respective journeys to whole health. Although she is eager to assist as many trauma survivors as she can, our nation’s warriors hold a special place in her heart and it is for them that she especially seeks to advocate.