Since May Day, 2011, Open Space Community Acupuncture has offered affordable, community acupuncture in the heart of Somerville
From Private to community Practice
Open Space was founded by Daphne Jochnick after years in private acupuncture practice and community-based work. Today, Open Space is a team effort, shaped by our practitioners, patients and the community we share.
Rooted in the community acupuncture Movement
It is thanks to activists and pioneers of the community acupuncture model that Open Space Community Acupuncture exists.
The Young Lords and the Black Panthers, two groups challenging racism and oppression in the 1970’s, fought to bring affordable group acupuncture into their communities.,as one of their many community healthcare initiatives.
Decades later, C.A.N., now the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) helped practitioners like Daphne convert from private practice to community acupuncture.
We aspire to POCA’s vision:
” a world in which every community has access to local, affordable acupuncture to reduce collective and individual suffering and to nurture resilience.”
From Community to Liberation Acupuncture
Over time, we’ve recognized the link between individual well-being and collective health: As always, we provide excellent, individualized treatment. We also understand health in the context of systemic injustice, and participate in movements for change.
As a Liberation Acupuncture Clinic, Open Space recognizes:
- Collective Health: individual wellness is linked to healthy community. An individual’s healing ripples out with benefits to their community. Healthier community similarly ripples out with health benefits to the individuals.
- Centered on the Marginalized: No one’s liberation is complete if others remain excluded. Health is not binary. Disability, neurodivergence and fatness can be sites of knowledge and resistance rather than deficits.
- Roots in Liberation Theology: We draw inspiration from Liberation Theology and the Healing Justice movements.
- Trauma-Informed Care: We treat everyone as if they might have a trauma history and take care to prevent accidental harm.
What are you waiting for... book an appointment today
Our skilled acupuncturists have delivered over 30,000 acupuncture treatments since we opened, May 1st 2011.
