communityspotlight

Blending the Healing Arts

John Patton melds psychology and acupuncture for optimal health.

by Lee Walker

I

n 1976, while working as a mental health administrator for Comprehen- sive Mental Health in Roanoke, Vir- ginia, John Patton received a brochure that detailed a three-week curriculum on the theory and practice of oriental medicine. It changed his life. Patton registered for the course, and after only two days of listening to the instructors at Amherst College, in Massachusetts, decided to enroll in the New England School of Acupunc- ture and Oriental Medicine in nearby Watertown. “It was the first school of its kind in the United States and only two years old when I signed on,” says Patton, who notes that the school’s original master teacher, Dr. So, was from mainland China.

Patton graduated in 1978 and became a board certified diplomate in acupuncture. He also maintains his license as a psychotherapist. The two disciplines synergize well for this busy healthcare professional and sole proprietor of the Healing Arts Center in Naples, who observes that his practice has always been as much about physi- cal health as it has mental wellness. “I tell all my patients that they get some psychotherapy while they are in my office, whether they know it or not,” quips Patton, who explains that 70 percent of his first-time clients come for acupuncture and all that Oriental medi- cine has to offer. While the other 30 percent initially schedule appointments for counseling, half return for acupunc- ture treatments. “And 50 percent of my acupuncture clients end up doing some counseling,” advises Patton. “It’s just natural for me to simultaneously think in both modes when I’m working with anyone.”

Reflecting upon how his life’s path

natural awakenings

June 2010

21

first led to psychology, Patton recalls that a future in medicine felt like an un- manifested possibility until he discov- ered oriental medicine. “I changed my major in college three times,” he says. “First I was pre-med, but I realized that Western medicine didn’t offer me what I wanted. Next, I switched to architec- ture, but when I was halfway through my junior year and didn’t know what major to declare, my counselor pointed out that most of my credits were al- ready in psychology.”

While in West Virginia, Patton met Cynthia, his wife-to-be, and after marrying in 1980, the couple had four children before moving to Naples. “Our move here in 1991 was largely because I knew I could set up a practice in Naples,” he says. “I’d been in love with Southwest Florida since 1959, when my family moved here and I finished my senior year at Naples High School.” A lifelong student, in school or out, Patton has read books and invested hundreds of hours in courses on nutri- tion, herbs and the ingredients in over- the-counter supplements. “Because I make recommendations for my patients to purchase vitamins, herbs and supple- ments for their optimal health, I have

made a concerted effort during my 32 years in practice to educate myself on what does or doesn’t work,” he ex- plains. “I found inconsistencies in price and content in my patients’ purchases, which led me to begin working with a supplement company that develops products for physicians. I developed my own line of pharmaceutical-grade supplements, and now I know that my nutraceuticals, which I sell directly to my patients and through my website, are products that are consistent in quality and price,” advises Patton, who notes that the project took five years to complete.

A self-professed good listener with a keen ability to observe, Patton enjoys passing along the education he has acquired to his patients. “My main emphasis with anyone is about educa- tion and knowledge, as well as treat- ment—people can’t make good deci- sions about their healthcare unless they are knowledgeable,” he says.

John Patton, AP, LMHC, Healing Arts Center, 971 Michigan Ave., Naples. Call 239-262-6828 or visit HealingArtsCenterOnLine.com. See ad, page 13. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64