The Unconventional Story Behind Refuge Acupuncture – 303 Magazine

Tracey Abbott does not like to sit still. Shes an entrepreneur, empowerer of young women and a student of Eastern medicine, among other titles. When Abbott reconnected online with a childhood friend struggling with MS, she found acupuncturists and Eastern medicine practitioners who could help him leave his canes and wheelchairs behind. That childhood friend walked down the aisle to her unassisted at their 2016 wedding and is the inspiration for her Denver business, Refuge Acupuncture.

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So we met when we were nine in Alabama and connected about six and a half years ago on social media, said Abbott of her now-husband, Chris. He commented on a photo from Abbotts TEDx speech on her female empowerment group. Ive been in boardrooms for quite a while now, and one things for certain: if a woman is in a boardroom, theres a 94% chance that she was a high school or college athlete, she said on the topic of the TEDx talk. As a lover of athletics, shes passionate about issues under the umbrella of health, wellness and fitness. Im no longer doing that now, but it taught me a great deal and thats what Chris had commented on.

Abbott connected with Chris after declining health had put him in a wheelchair. I didnt know much about MS, but Im a marathon coach and someone who can get a lot of people to do things that they dont think they can, she said. So I got on a plane and went to Florida to see if I could help. And so long story short, we started working on nutrition, and we started acupuncture. We started Eastern medicine because Western had largely given up on Chris health, she added. Ive gotten the chance to do a lot of amazing and important things, and by far the most important thing weve ever done is to get him back on his feet. We wanted to start Refuge to give people hope that theres another way theres another way to live life than what we might think.

Tracey and Chris.

For those who arent familiar with acupuncture, Abbott explains her definition and how it complements Western medicine. Each human body has what it needs to heal itself inside, and so what acupuncture does is redirect energy flows so that it can go into smooth-flowing alignment, she said. The medicine looks at the full, total person rather than just looking at like, Okay, my arms broken, let me fix my arm, and its back to normal. She emphasized her respect for Eastern and Western approaches, depending on the issue at hand. We really do believe in the integrative nature of both of them. There are certain things, like if you have a broken arm, an acupuncturist cant fix that. But if you have a lot of other things, then acupuncture can dramatically help, she added.

Refuge offers acupuncture treatments along with other modalities like cupping, ear seeds, guasha and moxibustion all depending on what theyve determined the patient needs at no extra cost. Theyve also launched a line of custom herbal formulas. We sell both raw herbs for teas and granules for formulations, Abbott said. They custom-mix formulas for a patients unique needs and offer some pre-mixed standbys that are tried and true. While they use acupuncture to treat a plethora of ailments, Abbott focuses a lot on pain management and helping patients stop opioid usage. Our practitioners are especially skilled at treating pain.

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Theyve divided the space into what they call heaven and earth, in keeping with the angel wing motif seen on their logo and throughout the clinic. Earth houses the treatment rooms, complete with table warmers and noise-canceling headphones, while heaven is where people go to wait for and schedule appointments, opt for an herb consultation or enjoy a cup of herbal tea.

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Abbott saw the despair and tragedy befalling the world when COVID-19 hit, and simultaneously saw the need for a space like Refuge. It was like, we need more healing than ever, she said. But healers cant stay in business. Using Abbotts business experience, Refuge opened on April 5, 2021. I have an investment background and thought, you know, we could actually create a platform which helps patients but also helps keep acupuncturists in business and in the healing field that theyve worked so hard to be in, said Abbott. Were also all vaccinated, too, she added. Theyve also offered free treatments to frontline workers working in ICUs, emergency rooms, trauma bays and other high adrenaline settings throughout 2021.

When asked about the alternative health and wellness community in Denver, Abbott said, Theres always going to be enough healing to go around for everyone, so I really dont believe in competition.

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I think about the chiropractor down the street, she added. When he sends us patients, and I ask him what I could do for him, he just says Make them better. So I would say its a pretty giving community. Abbotts favorite part of the business by far is the people both those on her team and those who come in for treatments at Refuge. Watching patients come in in one state and walk out the door in a completely different state there is nothing better than that, she said. Its very, very humbling.

The word Refuge means sanctuary a space that provides shelter or protection. People who dont feel good need to feel safe. And these days, everyone needs to feel safe, Abbott said.

Find out more about Refuges offerings on their website, or follow along with them on Instagram.

All photos courtesy of Refuge Acupuncture.

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The Unconventional Story Behind Refuge Acupuncture - 303 Magazine