Allison Millar, BS, MS, LAc.
Tracy Schreiter, BS, MAOM, LAc.
Welcome, Tracy Schreiter, LAc!
Basic Balance is thrilled to introduce Licensed Acupuncturist, Tracy! Tracy will be observing and training at the clinic through March & April, and will available to treat patients Friday evenings starting in May.
Both Allison and Tracy share a background in Western Medicine and a passion to continuously improve upon their trade. They both incorporate a variety of acupuncture styles and techniques into their practice, not limited to Dr. Tan Balance Method, TCM, Master Tung, Japanese-style acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation, guasha, cupping, and moxibustion.
The two practitioners work as a team to achieve the best results. They hold weekly meetings to discuss and collaborate on shared patient’s cases. In this way, patients benefit from two perspectives achieved via 20+ years of cumulative experience.
About Allison
About Tracy
Allison majored in Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychology and Biology at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and was a Pediatric Medical Assistant at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, MA for 5 years.
Over these years, Allison gravitated more toward the theories of Chinese Medicine than Western Medicine, following an inclination to assist the body's natural healing capacity in order to address health concerns in a reparative and preventative way.
She attended a 4-year master program at Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Acupuncture. Allison's first professional job as an acupuncturist involved practicing on cruise ships.Allison founded Basic Balance in 2016.
A scholar at heart, Allison is driven by an intense motivation to learn and improve. She specializes in treating headaches, neck/shoulder pain & chronic and/or systemic pain.
Tracy comes to Basic Balance with and an extensive background in Western Medicine and 15 years of clinical experience as an acupuncturist.
Tracy majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry at Suffolk University, where she gained her Bachelor of Science degree. She studied graduate-level Genetic Engineering, Neurobiology and Epidemiology at Harvard Extension School before attending and graduating from New England School of Acupuncture in Watertown, MA in 2006.
Tracy was the owner and sole practitioner of Chester Community Acupuncture in Chester, VT for many years, gaining experience in the treatment of pain syndromes, chronic conditions, allergies, digestive problems, weight loss support, women’s health, anxiety/depression, and more.
Tracy specializes in treating mood disorders and women’s health issues, such as, regulating menses, menopausal symptoms, and fertility. Tracy is know for her gentle needle technique, calm presence, warm and compassionate manner, and superb lifestyle suggestions.
Allison's Story
How I chose a career as an acupuncturist is a question I'm commonly asked so, I thought I'd share the answer here, on my website.
From a young age, I was driven to discover a career that would keep me challenged and give me freedom to grow and learn. I had always been fascinated by science, nature, and the human body so, I chose to focus my studies on these subjects in undergraduate college. During and after my years as a Biology major at Northeastern University in Boston, I worked at a pediatric office located within a hospital.
Here, I witnessed the pros and cons of Western Medicine. Only 15 minutes were scheduled with the doctor when children were sick, the same questions were asked to each patient, and the same types of pharmaceutical medications were offered as medicine. The paper charts I handled were enormous, reflecting the number of doctor visits that had become routine for such a young population of patients. The pediatricians I worked with were phenomenal yet, I became aware of limits and flaws within the system of western medicine.
It made sense to me that each child should be treated as an individual - by their person, not their symptom - and that more time was needed with the patients to discover the true causes of their disease. Over time, I decided I wanted to focus my studies on how to strengthen the health already present within the body, as opposed to, identify and treat disease. Fascinated by what I already knew about Chinese Medicine, I decided to experience it first-hand.
Over 2 months of weekly acupuncture treatments, issues that I had accepted as normal like PMS, digestive discomfort, and anxiety, began to resolve. I was less moody, had more energy, a faster metabolism, and solid/restful sleep. I thought I was healthy and happy to begin with, and I was astonished by how much healthier and happier I felt! I knew this feeling of renewed wellbeing was what I wanted to share with the world and I decided that as my profession, I would continually develop my knowledge and skills in the field of acupuncture & Chinese Medicine.
After enjoying a couple years of hiking and snowboarding in Colorado and Wyoming after graduating college, I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to enroll in a 4-year masters program, where I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine and practiced both Chinese & Japanese styles of acupuncture.
After traveling to 13 countries while practicing acupuncture on cruise ships, I returned to New Hampshire to enjoy the beauty of New England, start a business of my own and be of service to my community.
Tracy's Story
The question I am most frequently asked is what drew me to acupuncture. For me, it was pure fascination and interest that brought me to a career as a licensed acupuncturist.
After graduating college I worked in biotechnology concentrating in the field of molecular biology. It was a wonderful career which allowed me growth on many levels. However, after several years I felt something was missing. I seemed to be more interested in giving lifestyle advice to coworkers than the lab work I was conducting.
After some soul searching I concluded I wanted to connect more with people. I thought back to my favorite course in college, 'Medical Sociology' where we read about Eastern Medicine, acupuncture, and alternative medicine. During one class my instructor invited an acupuncturist to administer ear (or auricular) acupuncture to myself and my classmates. I remember being so surprised by the deeply relaxing effect that it had and just couldn't believe it. Over the years, I would recommend acupuncture and other lifestyle tips I had learned from that class to friends and family.
Remembering all this, I started getting regular acupuncture treatments and also attended a class at the school I would eventually graduate from (New England School of Acupuncture). I remember sitting in the class thinking this is where I want to be!
Over the years, acupuncture has helped me with headaches, plantar fasciitis, allergies and many other issues. What I love about this ancient medicine is that it is individualized to the patient and that I am always learning. It is such a joy to introduce acupuncture to folks but it is equally enjoyable to reintroduce it to those who already have a relationship with acupuncture. I'm so happy to be part of the Basic Balance team and to be working with all of you!
