Meet Kelly Urtiaga

We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Urtiaga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelly, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome was something that took me a long time to overcome, and something I still struggle with from time to time. I have always been someone who has battled with anxiety and self-doubt, so it was no surprise that I was constantly comparing myself to other acupuncturists and medical professionals when I first became licensed. I was threatened by the success of others, and feared I would never be able to attain their same level of achievement. By having this mindset, I was also limiting myself with what I was capable of – I was nervous to take on new patients out of fear of not being good enough or not providing the same or better level of treatment as their previous acupuncturist. These limiting beliefs were inadvertently becoming reflective in my personal and professional life – my personal needs were not being met, my schedule was slower than I could afford it to be, and I was avoiding promising networking opportunities out of fear of rejection.

What took overcoming imposter syndrome was a lot of inner reflective work to understand what these fears were and where they stemmed from. I knew I needed to change my frame of mind and be kinder to myself. I started doing cheesy things like looking at myself in the mirror and telling myself “you are doing an amazing job” or “you are exactly where you are meant to be;” validating my fears but also reminding myself that I am knowledgeable, capable, and successful in my career. When I start to have self-doubt, I remind myself of the thousands of acupuncture treatments I have performed and the countless number of patients I have successfully helped by improving their quality of life. When I find that I am comparing myself to other acupuncturists, I remind myself that this medicine has been around for thousands of years and that there have been numerous treatment approaches discovered within the scope of acupuncture; that there is not only treatment method to successfully treat ailments such as pain, digestive issues, mental health, or hormone balance for example. I remind myself that I do not specialize in all areas of acupuncture, and that I may not be the right fit or “perfect” acupuncturist for someone, and that is okay. I have become confident as a professional, especially in the areas where I specialize and find most success. Instead of comparing myself to other acupuncturists, I instead ask what I can learn from them, see their success as inspiration rather than discouragement, and feel appreciation that there are other amazing practitioners improving so many lives.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a licensed acupuncturist and the founder of Sacred Healing Acupuncture in North Dallas. I absolutely love what I do and it is the biggest privilege to be a holistic medical provider, helping people find real solutions to their root causes without involving harmful ingredients or chemicals. While I treat a variety of ailments, my practice specializes in fertility and reproductive health, mental wellness, as well as cosmetic acupuncture. I have worked with countless women who have successfully been able to regulate their menstrual cycles, restore hormone balance, improve fertility health and achieve sustainable pregnancies, as well as provide prenatal and postpartum care with acupuncture and east Asian medicine. Mental wellness is something I will always advocate for, therefore it is something I highly prioritize in my practice. No matter what my patients are coming in for, I always make sure to check in with their mental health. Our brain is very influential on our bodies and the state of our mental well-being can impact the state of our physical health. If a patient is experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, or difficulty making big decisions for example, I make sure to address these emotions in addition to their primary concerns. Another area I specialize in is cosmetic acupuncture, which is a holistic treatment for anti-aging and youthful looking skin without the use of injections. Cosmetic acupuncture works naturally with the body to restore collagen to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increases muscle movement to naturally lift the face and reduce sagging or muscle tension, decreases puffiness and stagnation in the lymphatic system, reduces acne breakouts, and more!

Sacred Healing Acupuncture has recently moved to a new location! Located inside Inwood Chiropractic & Wellness Center, I am very thrilled to be working alongside founders Dr. Caley Nawrocki and Dr. Tim Nawrocki as well as hypnotist Valerie Grimes and some greatly talented massage therapists. You can now find Sacred Healing Acupuncture at the following address: 5310 Harvest Hill Rd. #135 Dallas, TX 75230.

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?

An area of knowledge I found to be most successful was finding my niche within my scope of practice. When it comes to acupuncture, there are many areas of specialty including sports medicine, pediatric care, neurological conditions, cardiovascular health, etc. For me, it was important to really focus on what area I felt most passionate and confident in, which is reproductive health, mental wellness, and cosmetic acupuncture. This in turn has helped me grow my audience in areas such as social media platforms, patient increase, and partnering with professionals who specialize in the same type of work or see similar patients in their practice.

A major quality that has helped me along my journey is the quality of self-care. When I first started my business, my wellness was being put on the back burner. I was not tending to my mental needs, I was letting stress, fear and anxiety take over my life to the point where I developed a severe stress rash throughout the entirety of my body, I lacked natural sunlight, exercise and sufficient nutrients; and this was significantly affecting my professional life as well. The cycle of not addressing my mental and physical health needed to change. I began therapy, started working with a nutritionist, incorporated practices like reiki, sound therapy and massage therapy into my self-care regimen, and the transformative work really reflected in my career as well. The more I have been able to show up for myself, I have been able to show up more in my practice and attract new patients. I am able to have more energy and not feel depleted. I have gained confidence in myself and my work. Tending to my mental and physical health has become a top priority for achieving success.

Another area of knowledge is understanding patience. If you are at the start of your journey, be gracious with yourself! It is going to take time to build your business/brand, you may find things you thought you wanted to be part of your brand no longer align with you, you may make mistakes or be thrown learning curves starting out, you may question if starting this journey was the right decision for you. Know that these are normal and all part of the path to success. Do not be afraid to ask for help in an area you are unfamiliar with. I learned very early on that there are areas I just don’t understand and need for personal or professional help, and that it’s okay to not wear all of the hats as a business owner. And while it does take patience, it does also take effort and dedication. Things are not going to fall into your lap and build itself for you. You have to be willing to put in the work to gain growth and success in your business. For me, again, it was finding my focus area and really honing in on that by connecting with like minded professionals, being active on social media, collaborating with individuals and seeking events to advertise my business, and finding ways to be active within the community.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Being that a large part of my practice revolves around reproductive and mental health, I would love to connect with professionals who also work with clients or patients in related fields! I am all about partnering within the community especially for the betterment of our patients/clients. I would love to connect with birthing centers, doulas, fertility clinics, mental health therapists and specialists, nutritionists, and anyone in the health and wellness field specializing in these or related areas.

If you are reading this and want to connect, please introduce yourself! I can best be contacted via email at [email protected].

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sacredhealingacu.com
• Instagram: @sacredhealingacu
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/sacredhealingacu
• Other: TikTok: @sacredhealingacu

Image Credits

Dylan Green