 Located in the heart of Millcreek, Retreatment Wellness is our July Business of the Month! Keep reading to learn more about Dr. Alessandra Young and her wellness center that will make you feel serene inside and out.
UMLF: Hi Alessandra! We’re so excited to interview you as our Business of the Month. Tell our readers about yourself. Alessandra: I am a holistic healthcare provider with a Doctoral degree in Acupuncture & East Asian Medicine, specializing in the treatment of pain, anxiety, women's health, and facial rejuvenation. I have been a clinician at the Disney Cancer Center in Burbank, CA, and also at the Clinic for Pain & Anxiety in Beverly Hills, CA. For the past two years, I've been seeing patients at a clinic in The Avenues called Flow Acupuncture. I am proud of my work there, providing excellent care at a clinic that has been rated "Best in Utah" for the past two years by readers of the SLC Weekly. This accolade is a wonderful acknowledgment of the healing work done there. I moved to Utah in November of 2020 from Los Angeles to live in the mountains and enjoy the beauty of the four seasons. I have lived all over the country from New York City to a tiny town in New Mexico. I have traveled all over the world. So I say this as a person who has seen a lot of what the world has to offer: Utah is a beautiful and special place to live. My family and I are happy to be here and to be welcomed into this community. UMLF: What’s the story behind Retreatment Wellness and how did you get started? Alessandra: I started Retreatment Wellness to provide signature treatments that are unique to my skills and that use advanced technologies not available at other Acupuncture clinics - like Microneedling & LED Light Therapy & Sound Bath Meditation. I align beauty with health. I've created a place where, for example, you can take care of your back pain while also addressing signs of aging. Or, you can address the inflammation in your gut with acupuncture while also reducing anxiety while enjoying deep restorative meditation in a sound bath. The thing about facial rejuvenation acupuncture is that many of the points on the face that have cosmetic applications are also what we call "shen" or "spirit" points. "Shen" points are used to treat psycho-emotional disharmonies like anxiety and insomnia. So, it's a lovely two-for-one for women to have the benefits of great skin and a feelings of serenity in one treatment. I hope to have created efficiency around self-care by providing multiple healing and beauty modalities in one session. The need for this business arose in my mind when I was treating a patient with an Acupuncture Sound Bath at a busy clinic. The patient was having a personal and transformative moment that deserved quiet and privacy but instead there was a loud and busy conversation right outside of the door that interrupted the sacred space that had been created. This experience, and also my personal experiences of healing while in retreat, brought to mind how important quiet, peace and privacy are to deep healing. To start my business I needed to find the perfect venue. When I walked into the private, peaceful, second-floor suite at Soma Sage & Soul, I knew that I had found the place! Soma Sage & Soul is a holistic healing collective in Millcreek in what was once a family home - so it feels safe and warm and homey. The collective are highly credentialed women practitioners offering yoga therapies, massage, pelvic floor therapies, and talk therapy - we're a well-rounded bunch with a broad set of skills. (Pun on the word "broad" was intentional!) There is also a community room where I hold Sound Bath Events that are open to the public. I hope that I have created a space and an experience that is like being on a retreat - where transformative body, mind & spirit healing occurs. And where you can address the signs of aging. UMLF: For someone new to acupuncture and Eastern medicine, what can they expect from their first treatment? Alessandra: Relaxation. I know it sounds strange because the idea of getting poked with needles is less than relaxing for any reasonable person. But what studies have shown is that Acupuncture is excellent for reducing inflammation and it causes a cascade of "feel good" neurotransmitters. With a reduction in inflammation, your body can start healing itself. And with the "feel good" effects people usually report having an excellent night's sleep and a lifted mood. UMLF: You have some cool retreats and events coming up, tell us about those? Alessandra: Twice monthly on Wednesday nights, I guide a community sound bath meditation with Acupuncture. It's a way for people to more easily access deep meditative states. Many people think that they can't meditate, so they don't benefit from a practice that is proven to improve measures of health and well-being. And sometimes experienced meditators become frustrated with their practice because they are experiencing blocks. The binaural beats created by crystal singing bowls entrain the brain to operate in meditative brain wave states. The acupuncture allows the body to more easily "downshift" into the "rest, relax and repair" aspect of the nervous system. So, I like to say it's like meditating with "training wheels" - it makes the practice easier for most people. Of course, if a person just wants to experience the sound bath without needles, that is also beneficial. I'm so excited about the retreat! It's an immersive healing experience at Maple Grove Hot Springs in Idaho from Sept 30 - Oct 3rd. It's going to be like summer camp for adults but with yoga and sound bath meditations and acupuncture and reiki and group shadow work and bodywork and hot springs and autumn colors... *sigh* It's an opportunity for people who have felt overwhelmed and anxious to reset their nervous system and feel supported in community. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Can you tell us about a challenge you faced as an entrepreneur and how you overcame it? Alessandra: As a start-up business the greatest challenge has been learning how to differentiate myself in the marketplace and attracting customers. This is something I am currently working to "overcome." Certainly, opportunities like this interview are so valuable - to be "seen." There has been a lot of trial and error with Google Business and Google Ads and SEO companies etc... And then there is the social media aspect with the constant refining of messaging etc... Hiring people to manage all of these aspects is not financially feasible for a start-up of my size. So, it's a lot of work and the mistakes are costly. I am currently discovering how valuable professional partnerships are to the viability of new businesses and this is where UMLF comes in... UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Alessandra: The UMLF has been integral to every aspect of my business. The thoughtful review of my business plan caused me to rethink and refine some of my approaches which saved me from making some poor decisions. And now I am benefitting from coaching around marketing my business and understanding the best practices to develop new business in these high-pressure economic times. UMLF has helped by always offering expert advice and support. I am so grateful for the support. Aw thank you! To book a session with Alessandra visit:
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