Acupuncture faq

Our acupuncturist offers a range of pricing tiers because we believe everyone should have access to this medicine.

Base rate: this is the value of the service based on the practitioner’s level of experience and will increase over time. We ask white clients with salaries and extended health benefits to pay this rate at minimum.

A Little Extra rate: $25 more than the listed base rate. This rate is for anyone who has expendable income and/or class privilege (i.e. you are able to regularly go out for meals/drinks, can take vacations, have savings or assets, have extended health benefits. This rate is always for people who own their home or have access to family wealth/inheritance.) This rate makes the solidarity rate possible.

Reduced rate: $25 less than the listed base rate. This rate is for anyone who is unable to afford the Base rate.

Solidarity rate: available for low income Black and Indigenous and other system-impacted folks who are otherwise not able to access acupuncture. As this rate is subsidized by the Extra rate, spaces are limited. Solidarity rates are individualized according to what works for you.

At or before your initial appointment, you can let Katie know which rate best fits your overall financial situation, and your appointments will be billed at that rate. For the sake of our administrative processes, we ask that you generally try to stick with the same rate. However, should your situation change, you are welcome to change rates, no questions asked.

Some elements of this tiered structure were inspired by @CatalystCommunityHerbals - thank you to Tara for their work.

We currently accept credit cards and e-transfers for payment.  Registered Acupuncture is covered by many private health plans in Ontario, but Cetiri is not yet set up to do direct billing. There is no HST on acupuncture in Ontario.

Acupuncturists in Ontario are unfortunately not allowed to offer gift certificates or other pre-paid arrangements.

The sterile single-use needles used in acupuncture are extremely fine, and are not at all like syringes used for drawing blood or vaccines. If you’re nervous about needles but curious about acupuncture, we have many strategies to ensure your comfort - including using fewer needles for your session, or using ultra-fine facial needles for all points. We also offer other modalities like cupping, acupressure, gua-sha and tuina (massage) if you decide needles just aren’t for you.

Registered acupuncturists are trained for a minimum of two years in Chinese medicine, and understand the interconnected systems of the body that, when disrupted, can become out of balance and cause illness. Registered acupuncturists work on addressing not just your symptoms but also the root causes of your health concerns. Registered acupuncturists also undergo significantly more safety training than other types of practitioners that use acupuncture needles.

Acupuncture points are found all over the body, so loose and layered clothing is a great idea, but however you show up is just fine.

It’s recommended that you eat before your session, as it’s possible to feel light headed if your blood sugar is low during a treatment.