Hilde van der Heijden

Why did you choose the profession of acupuncturist? What or who inspired you?

I received my first acupuncture lessons from a so-called barefoot doctor. From him, I learned the unique Chinese holistic way of thinking. Barefoot doctors used to be rural doctors in China. They were physicians with basic medical and paramedical training.

Hilde van der Heijden

NVA member since June 1999

Interview: August 2014

What is your most beautiful experience with a patient?

People change through acupuncture: a complaint is relieved but at the same time, someone becomes more themselves. You see that ideas start bubbling up again, someone starts taking steps. I call that the acupuncture plus-effect. Each patient goes their own way in that. That's what makes my work so enjoyable.

What are you still amazed by in your profession?

Now, more than thirty years later, I am still sometimes amazed by what acupuncture can do: a few needles and the pain decreases.
A woman who still became pregnant.

Is there something in your practice that embodies the essence of Traditional Chinese Medicine for you?

The special vitality of people I see portrayed in the artwork of Maarten Moormann. It has been hanging in my treatment room for a long time. It is made of enameled bronze and looks playful. But my greatest source of inspiration are the patients themselves. Their stories and reactions have kept me enthusiastic for a long time.