Corvallis Community Acupuncture
ADDRESS: 2151 NW Fillmore Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330
PHONE NUMBER: 541-753-8000
WEBSITE: www.corvalliscommunityacupuncture.com
OWNER: Leyna Jensen, L.Ac.
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 3
WHAT THEY SELL: Acupuncture to treat a wide variety of conditions
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: Leyna offers acupuncture treatments in a peaceful, relaxing community setting, the way acupuncture has traditionally been performed in Asia. She is committed to making acupuncture affordable and easy, and she loves to see all kinds of people getting acupuncture together and feeling great.
Even before you open the door to the business there is a sense of relief. With the aroma of the essential oils that have escaped, the soothing sounds of the background music, and the warmth of the greeting attendant, you just know there will be relief in a matter of minutes.
Leyna, when and why did you decide to start your business? I was practicing acupuncture in New York, making house calls to clients of means. They were getting all the care they needed from many other areas of health care, and I felt my acupuncture support was being offered as an extra, not as an essential. When we moved west, I realized there was a lack of affordable acupuncture care. Corvallis was an ideal place for community care, so we opened Corvallis Community Acupuncture in July, 2010. I was excited for many reasons, but living here meant I could treat my family and friends.
Could you tell me more about your services, specialties, and favorites? We treat in a community setting. This has many benefits: friends and family can be treated together, group energy enhances the treatment, clients are comfortable rather than isolated, scheduling is convenient, and it allows for affordable care. My favorites are first timers, or people who are nervous or afraid of acupuncture. No matter how nervous the patient is, I am convinced they can have a good experience here. I have new patients on a daily basis.
What does being featured as Local Business of the Week mean to you? I am so proud to be on the list. It is a definite point of pride that there are this many local businesses in Corvallis. To me, you can really tell the difference between Corvallis and other communities that do not have the commitment to support local businesses. The emphasis on “local” is a large part of our community. In fact, local business owners who are experiencing trouble find relief in community acupuncture to keep going.
What does your business do better than anyone else? Our mission is to be accessible and affordable to anyone who wants to come here. We make every effort every day to break down barriers so that people can receive treatment. We want to give people the tools to manage their own health and well-being. We provide a safe environment with skilled practitioners. Basically, we are giving adults permission to take a nap.
What challenges have you faced as an independent local business owner? Being a solo business owner is very difficult. Having life happen with no backup is my biggest challenge. I am looking for a qualified community acupuncturist to join Corvallis Community Acupuncture. Money isn’t a challenge; the number of people that I see makes it more sustainable.
How important is sustainability to you and your business? Our office is furnished with re-purposed furniture. We found most everything at second hand shops. There isn’t much waste other than needles and cotton balls; we keep it pretty simple. Our prices are on a sliding scale. We respect your time and money and hope to make acupuncture affordable to you as often as you need it to get the best results. The most important thing to me is our accessibility.
What charities do you support? We participated in the food drive for South Corvallis Food Bank by offering a free first visit for each food donation. I would like to participate more, but right now I am focusing on the community acupuncture cooperative’s membership drive which is coming soon. For more information you can go to www.pocacoop.com.
(Interview and article by Debra Hascall – March 24, 2013)
The Local Business of the Week program is designed to help the Corvallis community identify our locally owned independent businesses by featuring one business each week. The program is part of the Buy Local First campaign co-sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Community Independent Business Alliance (CIBA).