Acupuncture

A Unique Approach: Vietnamese Five Element Acupuncture

The style of acupuncture I practice is a rare and precious gem. While its roots are in classical Chinese medicine, the true essence of this diagnostic and treatment method was preserved and developed in Vietnam. It offers a deep and holistic path to healing.

The Wisdom of the Five Elements

At the heart of this practice is the law of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) . These elements represent the fundamental phases of energy that flow through all of nature and our own bodies. When these energies are in harmony, we experience good health. When they become imbalanced, we may experience pain, illness, or emotional distress .

A Deeper Diagnosis: The Functional Evaluation

Unlike approaches that may focus primarily on surface-level symptoms, this method uses a comprehensive Functional Evaluation (FE) to uncover the root cause of your imbalance. This evaluation integrates:

• The Six Roots (or Six Element Law)

• Five Element constitutional typing

• The Eight Principles (Yin/Yang, Interior/Exterior, Cold/Hot, Deficiency/Excess)

• Classical assessment tools like pulse and tongue diagnosis, along with blood pressure and heart rate .

Once the Functional Evaluation provides a clear picture of your underlying imbalance, the treatment itself becomes beautifully simple and precise. We are not just treating a disease name; we are rebalancing you.

A Treatment for the Whole Person

This system is often described as treating the "Oriental Tree"—a metaphor for the whole person, not just the branches and leaves (the symptoms). By using specific acupuncture points to regulate the flow of energy and restore harmony between the Five Elements and the Yin-Yang organs, we aim to bring your entire system back into a state of equilibrium. The result is a profound and lasting healing that addresses the deepest causes of dis-ease .

My Teacher: Dr. Marc Mezard

The depth and precision of the acupuncture I practice come directly from my studies with Dr. Marc Mezard, a French medical doctor who has devoted his life to preserving and transmitting a nearly lost lineage of Vietnamese Traditional Medicine.

A 30-Year Journey Into Vietnamese Medicine

Dr. Mezard's journey began in the 1980s when a deep curiosity for holistic healing led him to Vietnam. There, he had the great fortune of meeting and being accepted as a student by the late, legendary Vietnamese doctor Truong Thin (1940–2012), former president of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Traditional Medicine.

For over two decades, Dr. Mezard studied intimately at the feet of his master. This was not a distant, academic relationship—it was a true apprenticeship. He spent countless hours alongside Dr. Truong Thin at the Hospital of Traditional Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, observing treatments, discussing philosophy, and absorbing diagnostic wisdom that had been passed down through generations.

Preserving a Forgotten Tradition

Dr. Truong Thin was a rare guardian of a diagnostic method that traces its roots through Vietnamese history—a system that emphasizes the Five Elements, Six Roots, and a deep Functional Evaluation of the patient. Dr. Mezard recognized that this profound approach was at risk of being lost or diluted as modern influences began to overshadow classical teachings.

Dr. Mezard has often spoken of how his master, Dr. Truong Thin, was initially hesitant to teach Westerners. But over time, a deep mutual respect formed. Dr. Thin saw in Dr. Mezard a genuine dedication to preserving the integrity of the medicine, not merely extracting techniques for commercial gain.

A Lifetime of Teaching and Sharing

In 1995, Dr. Mezard co-founded the Sino-Franco-Vietnamese Institute of Traditional Oriental Medicines, an organization dedicated to bridging Eastern and Western medical understanding. Since then, he has taught thousands of hours of classes to students from around the world—from France and Switzerland to Canada and beyond.

His teaching is characterized by remarkable precision and clarity. He does not simply teach "points" and "protocols"; he teaches his students how to see—how to read the subtle signs the body reveals through pulse, tongue, and energy. He often emphasizes that the Functional Evaluation, the comprehensive assessment he learned from Dr. Truong Thin, is the true key to unlocking effective treatment.

A Rare and Exclusive Lineage

What makes this teaching even more special is how few practitioners remain who are actively carrying it forward. Dr. Mezard has shared with me that across all of North America, there are only two students who consistently follow him and his method—traveling regularly to train with him in Vietnam, China, and Réunion Island.

I am honored to be that one student in all of Canada.

This means the treatments you receive in my home clinic are not a diluted or second-hand version of this ancient wisdom. They come directly from an unbroken lineage—from Dr. Truong Thin, to Dr. Marc Mezard, and now to you—preserved through years of dedicated, in-person study and practice.

My Gratitude

I feel immense gratitude to have trained under Dr. Mezard and to be counted among his most dedicated students. His trust, wisdom, and passion have shaped the way I practice and the way I see my patients. When you come to my clinic, you are receiving something rare: a authentic connection to a profound healing tradition, offered by the only practitioner in Canada actively carrying this specific method forward.

It is my honor to continue this work and to offer you the deep, lasting healing this tradition provides.