Allison Millar, BS, MS, L.Ac.
A scholar at heart, Allison is driven by an intense motivation to learn and improve. She has been trained in both Chinese & Japanese styles of acupuncture, not limited to TCM, Integrated Synergy Therapeutics, Dr. Tan Balance Method, Tung Style, & 5 Element. She enjoys practicing medicine as an art and frequently uses additional modalities in her clinic, like moxibustion, guasha, cupping, electrical stimulation, trigger point therapy/dry needling, and cranial/ cervical massage.
Allison enjoys educating her patients, helping them hold the benefit of their treatment as long as possible. Nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle suggestions are always recommended, as well as, referrals to her excellent colleagues in the Monadnock region, if and when warranted.
Allison's first professional job as an acupuncturist involved practicing on cruise ships, treating patients over 1-2 week periods. This setting allowed patients to receive multiple treatments in a short amount of time, so Allison gained valuable experience, both honing her skills and satisfying her wanderlust, simultaneously.
Allison founded Basic Balance, PLLC in Keene, New Hampshire in 2016. She is licensed to practice acupuncture in New Hampshire and is board certified by NCCAOM (National Certification Committee of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine) and certified by CCAOM (Council of Colleges of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine) in Clean Needle Technique.
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 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.
