Meet Lindsay Trottier

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Trottier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

firstName}, thank you so much for agreeing to talk with us about a deeply personal and sensitive topic. Postpartum depression affects so many in the community and hearing from someone who has overcome PPD might help someone who is going through it right now. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience
In 2016, I gave birth to my first child. I had a wonderfully comfortable pregnancy, and I expected the labor, delivery and postpartum period to be equally as comfortable. After all, I had been in the profession of helping to care for women prenatally and postnatally for almost 10 years by the time I was becoming a mother. Unfortunately, I ended up having quite a traumatic birth experience, and the stress on my body and on my finances were more than I could handle. Within 12 weeks of my son’s life, I began to experience symptoms i was not familiar with. This was beyond the “baby blues.” I was exhausted, yet wired. I found my thoughts going to strange places. I would get waves of nausea and digestive disturbances. I would feel tingly all over my body. I was afraid. But this was not quite depression. Up until this point, every baby book, article, and medical pamphlet I had encountered talked about PPD (postpartum depression), and in my own private practice, these were the cases that I was used to dealing with. My symptoms were different. I was diagnosed with PPA (postpartum anxiety), and I quickly looked to my medical team for help. Unfortunately, my OBGYN and our pediatrician did not give me much support or resources. I self-referred myself to a therapist, and I consulted with my own acupuncturist who prescribed me herbal medicine, food therapy, and had me come in for regular treatment. I noticed a difference in my symptoms within a few days of treatment, but with my son’s cluster feeding and my return to work, it took a few months to feel like I was in more control of my condition. I learned some useful tools through therapy, which I started to employ regularly. By the time I was pregnant again in 2017, I was naturally concerned about the symptom returning. I continued to work with my acupuncturist through my second pregnancy, and despite a second traumatic birthing experience, I now had the knowledge and resources to better care for myself despite being more physically exhausted than the first time around. I am happy to say that while there may have been a few instances of anxiety in the second postnatal period, I would not say I suffered from PPA again. I now help women heal from PPA in my own practice, and get great results with them.

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’m Dr. Lindsay Trottier of Level Acupuncture. I am a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine with a family practice in East County San Diego. I love helping patients of all ages, newborns to centenarians, heal and thrive. Many families come to me as a resource for the conditions that aren’t satisfactorily treated and addressed by conventional medicine. My patients are looking to learn how to heal themselves naturally, effectively and learn strategies to keep them healthy for life.

Since 2020, I have been expanding my virtual consulting practice, and offer health consults online for the busy professionals and for those who live too far from the clinic. Many will ask, “how can you provide acupuncture online?” The answer is, “I offer so much more than acupuncture to my patients. Consultation can include understanding your condition, lab work analysis, advocacy coaching for working with doctors and specialists, personalized lifestyle and dietary advice, supplement and herbal prescriptions, movement and breath-work analysis and exercise regimens, and, yes, personalized guided acupressure treatments.”

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
In my journey to becoming a small business owner and healthcare professional, I believe the most influential and impactful guiding thought I had was knowing from an early age that I knew I wanted to professionally help people, make enough money to support myself and a family, and have the flexibility of schedule to enjoy my family. There were lots of different professions that I thought I wanted to do from an early age, but it was those three requirements that allowed me to be flexible in mind as opportunities arose. Acupuncture was NEVER on my list as high school or college student. Yet, when I ended up working in a clinic and being presented with the opportunity to pursue this career, it was an easy decision, and it has continued to guide every step of my journey in this 15+ year career. I have many people in my clinic fraught with anxiety over the trajectory of their lives, and I often advise them to define their basic requirements for their life and lifestyle and be open to the opportunities that then present themselves. Many of my patients, after working with me, find their professional lives change for the better once we start working on these mindset patterns. It’s a happy side effect of the treatment, as often their professional or educational stress is contributing to whatever reason they have ended up in my office, anyway.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The patients that get the most out of working with me are the ones who are ready to learn and grow. They’re coming to me because they value my opinion. They are ready and willing to follow my advice and feel better. They are committed to improving their health and well-being. I purposefully share a lot of free content online with my face and professional opinions so that no one wastes their time in my office. I would much rather people “meet me” online first and decide that they want to work with me before they commit their time and money to my practice. I work with ALL types of people. I have a very diverse patient population, and I love meeting the good people of my community. I also know that I may not be the best doctor for everyone. I always encourage my patients to ask themselves honestly if they can trust me with their care. If they have doubts or hesitations about my ability, then I will gladly help them find someone they can trust. I am very committed to my practice and my patients.

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