Qiological Podcast History Series, A Love Affair with Herbs Cara Frank
In this History Series episode we time-travel with the vivacious Cara Frank. Her story begins in the gritty, creative pulse of 1970s New York City, where as a teenager, she was navigating the counter cultural scene. Her first encounter with acupuncture was anything but ordinary—an illegal treatment that changed her life and set her on the path she travels today.
Cara’s journey is a tapestry woven with threads of rebellion, discovery, and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. From the scarring moxa treatments of Dr. So, to her worldview changing with the discovery of herbs in a Beijing hospital. Cara’s story is one of exploration and deep connection to the roots of Chinese medicine practice.
Listen in as we explore the alchemy of Cara’s life in Chinese medicine—as she reflects on the influential figures who guided her, her insights into the community’s growth and the importance of mentorship. All with her hardscrabble wisdom, humor, and a dash of New York grit.
In this episode, we discuss:
The landscape of the times when Cara first heard about acupuncture
A propensity to leap at new opportunities
The early days a NESA, lack of textbooks and popularity of bootlegged materials
The phone call that lead to closing her clinic and getting out of town
How disposable needles changed things
Falling in love with herbs in China
Working at Lincoln hospital
How the Black Panthers looked out for the health of their community
The legal challenges of practicing acupuncture in New York in the early 1980s before it was licensed
The development of acupuncture education and regulation in the United States
The progression of herbal medicine education and understanding, from basic knowledge to a deeper historical and structural framework
The process of writing and translating Chinese medicine tex
Considerations at the end of a career
Concerns about the future of the acupuncture profession and the importance of practitioner involvement
Reflections on a long career in Chinese medicine and what might be next.
