Dr. Suzanne Dansereau LAc MD
About me
I have training in both Eastern and Western Medicine. I am both a licensed MD and LAc, which is rare if not unique in the Asheville area. I have graduated from med school, a family practice residency program, an acupuncture for physicians training course, as well as a 4 year Classical Chinese Medical School. I am board-certified in the NCCAOM. I will spend all the time necessary to understand you and your problems.
I am located in Weaverville but have seen patients from the Asheville, Mars Hill, Burnsville, Marshall, Black Mountain, Waynesville, Mills River, Hendersonville and other areas as well as patients from Tennessee.
I am part of the VA Community Care network, which means qualifying veterans can see me and get acupuncture for free.
I love bringing Classical Chinese Medicine into mainstream modern day healthcare, not simply as something on the side to dabble in out of curiosity, or to go to as a place of last resort, but as an accessible and valid powerful system of healing.
Acupuncture, cupping,
moxabustion, gua sha & more.
Dr. Dansereau's diverse background allows her to run an integrative clinic. However, her greatest love lies in Eastern Medicine so when she practices she typically "thinks" in terms of Classical Chinese Medicine, although she will slip out of that mode if necessary. In addition to general counseling and health advice she offers the therapeutic techniques listed below. Her western background allows her to speak to you about your western diagnoses, labs, medications etc that you may bring in from outside sources. She will not, however, prescribe medicines, order labs or studies, do any testing and in general is not running Western clinic at this time. She can help you decide what is the best approach for you to take for your particular problem which may include advice to seek care elsewhere. Please note that this is a simple clinic without the personnel to handle the bustling activities of a more traditional western health facility.
My services
Acupuncture
involves insertion of fine gauge sterile single use needles into specific points on the body. This is done to balance the energies of the body.
Moxabustion
involves lighting moxa (Mugwort) in its various forms to heat or tonify various points on the body.
Gua Sha
involves gently scraping the skin with a tool, which could be a chinese soup spoon, to release stagnation from an area to open it up.
Fire Cupping
involves placing glass cups onto the skin into which a flame has been put to create a negative vacuum. The result is a pinching up of the skin to release stagnation which allows smooth flow of qi through the area, and consequently assists in the healing process.
Precise, holistic treatment for a variety of health conditions
Frequently asked questions
-
Dr. Dansereau is in-network with United Healthcare and Aetna. If you have a policy with these carriers that covers acupuncture for your particular problem, she will be able to bill for your treatments.
In addition, coverage for treatments as an out of network provider may be possible. This applies to commercial insurance plans and Medicare advantage plans that cover acupuncture done by an out of network provider. Sometimes in these instances, the practice will bill the insurance directly, and sometimes you will be able to be reimbursed for your payments to me. Please check with your plan to see if coverage is possible for you.
We can also explore the possibility of coverage through either HSA (Health Savings Accounts) or FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts) should these pertain to you.
Dr. Dansereau is able to bill for acupuncture done on eligible veterans through the VA Community Care Network. This is a program that covers numerous therapies done by participating community providers. There is no cost to the veteran for acupuncture treatments done in this program. If you are a veteran please check with your VA to see if you qualify for care in this network.
Dr. Dansereau is not currently participating in Medicare so will not be able to bill Medicare for any care she provides to you. Nor will you be able to get any kind of reimbursement for payments made to her for treatment. Please note, however, that this is different from the Medicare advantage plans, so feel free to check with your advantage plan about the possibility of coverage. Following the lead of regular Medicare, the Medicare advantage plans will cover acupuncture treatments for chronic lower back pain. If you have had lower back pain for longer than 12 weeks, and meet other eligibility criteria, please check with your Medicare advantage plan about the possibility of them covering acupuncture for you.
In all other circumstances, Dr. Dansereau charges modest fees based on the current rates for acupuncture set by the healthcare industry.
Dr. Dansereau is committed to expanding access to Eastern healing arts. Please check with us for further details regarding your situation. Sliding scale options are available.
-
I charge modest rates comparable to what the health industry is currently paying. I am committed to expanding access to eastern healing arts. I have a sliding scale for some patients if needed. I am willing to work with patients to make acupuncture accessible. Please discuss with me your specific financial/insurance situation for payment information for your individual case.
If you're interested in seeing me, please get in touch and we can discuss how to make treatment affordable for you. I accept payment by cash, check, or Zelle, but not by debit or credit cards.
-
Acupuncture is generally not painful and many people find it to be a relaxing experience. If you have a specific condition you're looking to treat or any concerns, please don't hesitate to communicate them to me.
-
I’m an inclusive, LGBTQ+ affirming practitioner. My practice is inclusive and affirming for everyone, I welcome you to share as much or as little as you want with me in order to help you feel comfortable joining my healing space.
-
Patients come to me with a variety of complaints, including but not limited to mood issues, anxiety, depression, pain issues both acute and chronic, digestive problems, gynecological problems, autoimmune issues, fibromyalgia, fatigue, arthritis, headaches, stress etc.
Sometimes a person will have a very specific and simple problem that can be easily addressed with acupuncture, like a simple ankle sprain or head cold. What is usually the case, however, is that it is a bit more complicated than that, especially with chronic problems. Two people with the same Western diagnosis can be entirely different and require different interventions. So truly, in Chinese Medicine, you are treating the individual person and what uniquely goes on with them, and not their Western diagnosis. This approach is the beauty and power of Classical Chinese Medicine.
Overall, acupuncture can be used to treat acute and chronic problems, to help maintain control of symptoms related to medical problems, and in people who don't have a specific complaint, to help stay balanced to limit the possibility of problems developing in the future.
-
New patient visits take about 2 hours. This will involve an extensive intake and check up, with some business related paperwork. We’ll talk about your health history, do an exam, discuss therapies and then do a treatment.
Established patient visits typically take about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. This will involve an update about how you are doing, a less extensive exam and then a treatment.
Testimonials