Andrew Macfarlane MS, L.Ac, received his Masters of Science in Acupuncture from the Swedish Institute School of Health Sciences in New York where he studied under the preeminent master of Classical Chinese Medicine, Dr. Jeffrey Yuen. The Swedish Institute Acupuncture program is highly respected and unique, consisting of thousands of hours of Chinese Medical and Biomedical course work as well as extensive clinical training. The program was an ideal match for Andrew’s keen interest in natural health approaches and the art of healing. Andrew is currently licensed to practice acupuncture by the state board of medicine in both Pennsylvania and New York.
Before undertaking the study of Classical Chinese Medicine, Andrew completed his undergraduate training in music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied jazz guitar performance and composition. He worked as a professional jazz musician during and following his time at Berklee, at which point he was introduced to meditation.
He went on to practice Vipassana (Mindfulness) Meditation extensively in the United States and abroad in India, Thailand, and Burma for a number of years. This period culminated with Andrew taking temporary ordination as a Buddhist monk in a Burmese monastery for 6 months, during which time he meditated continuously. Meditation and self-cultivation continue to be a central focus in Andrew’s life. He has found these practices to be very synergistic with and supportive of the art of Chinese Medicine, which historically has emphasized the necessity of self-cultivation by the practitioner. More recently, he has taken up the practice of Qi Gong as a means of self-healing and to refine his acupuncture skill and sensitivity.
Living in Southeast Asia, Andrew had the fortunate opportunity to observe and be treated by some highly skilled healers and practitioners of Chinese Medicine. The profound benefit these healing arts afforded was easily apparent. He has since had the pleasure of seeing many of his family members benefit greatly from Chinese Medicine. Inspired by these encounters, and feeling an inner calling to take on a service-oriented profession, he decided after much consideration to take up the study of Classical Chinese Medicine.
Andrew has had a diverse range of clinical experience as an acupuncturist. Amongst these, he was a featured acupuncturist in an ongoing study funded by the National Institute of Health at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York. This study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in treating chronic intractable pain. He also had the opportunity to work at the AIDS Center Of Queens County in New York, where he treated HIV positive and AIDS patients from all walks of life and at various levels of disease progression. He has also treated a wide spectrum of disorders at the Yu Wen Clinic at the Swedish Institute in New York.
Andrew continues to be amazed by the practical effectiveness of this ancient art and science of healing and its power to help people find relief from their ailments on the physical levels and beyond. He enjoys treating all manner of diseases, and has a special interest in chronic degenerative conditions, autoimmune conditions, psychological, spiritual and emotional conditions, digestive disorders, and gynecological conditions. He is thrilled to bring the rich traditions of Classical Chinese Medicine to Pittsburgh and values every opportunity he has to help patients overcome their suffering.