Maria Mulcahy
Maria Mulcahy, MSOM, L.Ac, has been treating patients since 2003. With a strong background in hospital-based acupuncture, she has developed a gentle, effective style that that addresses everything from minor aches and pains to more complex, chronic conditions such as autoimmune disorders and the secondary effects of cancer treatments. From insomnia to fibromyalgia, Maria specializes in health concerns that are often hard to treat through conventional medical practices alone.
In addition to having built a thriving private practice, Maria was the founding director of Whole Women, Whole Health, an integrative program at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in Chicago that provided acupuncture, oncology massage, and other holistic services to breast cancer survivors from 2004 - 2016. In 2012, she helped launch Community Acupuncture Chicago, an innovative acupuncture clinic at Mercy Hospital that made acupuncture available to underserved patients who would otherwise not have been able to afford alternatives in health care.
Maria has a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine and is both licensed in the state of Illinois and nationally certified by the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). Practicing both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture, Maria has specialized training in the areas of women’s health, oncology, and immunology. She is certified in Advanced Oncology Acupuncture through the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
The core of my practice is not just about effectively treating the main complaint, but also addressing the patterns of functional disharmony that can result in multiple complaints. For example, a patient might think their frequent migraines are a stand-alone problem, but what about their GI trouble? What about their allergies? Why do they always wake up at 3am? Seen together through the lens of Chinese medicine, these symptoms start to reveal a highly treatable pattern.
My goal is to work myself out of a job with my patients. When old patterns shift, healing starts to happen exponentially. Once this happens, only occasional treatments are needed to maintain the body’s ability to heal itself.
I also pay close attention to where a patient’s emotional outlook and physical complaints intersect. I firmly believe that how we feel about our health is not separate from our health.
That is the essence of holism.