Meet Vadim Dekhtyar

We recently connected with Vadim Dekhtyar and have shared our conversation below.

Vadim, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience stems from transformation — both personal and professional. Relocating to a new country required rebuilding my life and career from the beginning, yet it also revealed the depth of inner strength that grows through adaptation. I began my path as a medical doctor, but over time my curiosity about holistic healing led me toward Eastern medicine, where science meets philosophy. Becoming a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine allowed me to integrate these worlds and discover that resilience is not merely endurance, but balance — the ability to stay centered while life reshapes itself around you. This perspective now guides my work with patients, helping them restore harmony within themselves as they navigate their own challenges.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My professional path has always been guided by curiosity and compassion — the desire to understand why people suffer and how healing truly happens. I began my career in Western medicine, where during my residency I worked extensively with patients struggling with pain. I quickly realized that medications alone often could not provide lasting relief. About thirty years ago, I discovered acupuncture and was fascinated by its ability to activate the body’s own healing resources. That experience became the foundation for the Pain Relief System, which now combines acupuncture with advanced modalities such as laser therapy to effectively treat both acute and chronic pain, including sports injuries and degenerative conditions.

Later, my work in a psychiatric hospital deepened my understanding of the emotional side of illness. I treated patients with anxiety, depression, and mood disorders — and learned how profoundly mind and body influence each other. This insight inspired the Emotional Balance System, where I unite my medical background with Traditional Chinese Medicine to help patients restore inner calm, emotional stability, and better sleep through acupuncture, natural supplements, and innovative light-based therapies.

My third program, the Vision Balance System, was born from a remarkable experience while studying with Dr. John Boel in Denmark. Seeing patients with serious eye conditions improve through specialized acupuncture inspired me to develop a comprehensive approach for vision care. Today, the program integrates targeted acupuncture and photobiomodulation therapy to support people with degenerative retinal disorders such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

These three systems reflect the philosophy of Life Balance Clinic: blending ancient wisdom with modern science to create medicine that heals the whole person — body, mind, and spirit.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that shaped my path most profoundly are curiosity, open-mindedness, and compassion. Curiosity kept me moving forward — it led me to question established systems and explore new dimensions of healing beyond the limits of conventional medicine. Open-mindedness allowed me to bridge East and West, to see how ancient practices and modern science can complement rather than compete with each other. And compassion — for my patients and for the human condition itself — gave meaning to every challenge and every change along the way.

For those just beginning their journey, I would say: stay curious, because curiosity opens doors that logic alone cannot; stay open-minded, because growth often begins where certainty ends; and cultivate compassion, because healing — in any field — starts with genuine care for others. The rest will unfold naturally if you remain willing to learn, adapt, and trust the process.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the greatest challenges I face today is raising public awareness about the true potential of acupuncture and holistic medicine. Despite its long history and growing scientific support, many people still see Eastern medicine as something “alternative” or secondary to conventional care. I understand this hesitation — I once stood on the same side of skepticism when I practiced Western medicine exclusively. Yet over the years, I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations in patients who found relief and balance through these methods.

To bridge this gap, I focus on education — through lectures, workshops, media appearances, and direct patient conversations. My goal is not to convince, but to inform; not to replace modern medicine, but to complement it with a broader, more integrated understanding of health. I believe that the more people learn about how these systems work together, the more they can take active, informed steps toward their own well-being.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lifebalanceclinic.com
• Instagram: @lifebalanceclinicus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeBalanceClinic.USA