Acupuncture for Anxiety & Stress Relief
Serving River Forest • Oak Park • Chicago
Acupuncture is one of the most effective natural therapies for calming the nervous system, easing anxiety, reducing stress, and supporting emotional wellness. Whether your symptoms stem from chronic stress, panic, trauma, burnout, or hormonal imbalance, treatment helps bring your body back into a grounded, regulated state.
In Chinese Medicine, emotional health and physical health are inseparable. Stress, overthinking, trauma, and worry can disrupt the smooth flow of qi (vital energy), leading to anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, fatigue, headaches, and tension in the body.
Acupuncture gently restores balance—helping you feel calmer, clearer, and more emotionally resilient.
How Acupuncture Helps Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Overwhelm
Acupuncture regulates the autonomic nervous system, shifting you out of fight-or-flight and into a restorative parasympathetic state. Research shows it can:
• Reduce anxiety and panic
• Calm the racing mind
• Lower cortisol (stress hormone)
• Improve emotional regulation
• Relieve muscle tension and jaw clenching
• Support better sleep
• Reduce depression symptoms
• Help the body recover from chronic stress
• Release emotional holding patterns
Most patients describe treatments as deeply soothing—many fall asleep during sessions.
Trauma-Informed, Nervous System–Centered Care
For individuals with trauma, long-term stress, or nervous system dysregulation, care must be gentle, respectful, and paced appropriately. Acupuncture supports regulation without forcing emotional processing.
When additional support is beneficial, care may be complemented by Craniosacral Therapy, a hands-on modality that works directly with the nervous system to promote safety, grounding, and deep regulation.
What to Expect During Treatment
Your session may include gentle techniques such as:
• Body acupuncture to calm the nervous system
• NADA ear acupuncture protocol for anxiety, trauma, addiction healing, and emotional regulation
• Acu-nervous system reset points
• Craniosacral therapy when the body is asking for deeper regulation
• Flower essences for emotional support
• Breathwork or guided grounding
Every treatment is tailored with compassion, safety, and gentleness.
Holistic Therapies That Complement Acupuncture
While not part of every session, these modalities can support emotional healing:
• Craniosacral therapy – unwinds the body’s stress patterns
• Reiki – supports energetic balance and calm
• Shamanic healing – gentle release of stored emotional energy
• Flower essences – support grounding, courage, grief healing, and emotional clarity
This is a safe, supportive, non-judgmental place to receive care and reconnect with your sense of inner peace.
Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Symptoms That Respond Well
• Generalized anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Racing thoughts
• Chronic stress
• Trauma & PTSD
• Overthinking / worry
• Insomnia
• Emotional shutdown or overwhelm
• Burnout and fatigue
• Nervous system dysregulation
• Feeling “stuck,” tense, or unsettled
If symptoms are linked to hormonal imbalance, cycle irregularities, or menopause, consider visiting the Women’s Hormone Health page. For care focused specifically on trauma recovery and nervous system regulation, explore our Trauma-Informed Care and Craniosacral Therapy offerings.
How Many Treatments Do You Need?
Every person is different, but most clients feel calmer after just 1–3 sessions. A series of 6–10 treatments supports deeper emotional regulation, improved sleep, and long-term resilience.
Is Acupuncture Safe?
Yes. Only sterile, single-use needles are used. Treatments are gentle, relaxing, and supportive for highly sensitive people.
What Clients are Saying:
“Sonia’s acupuncture services have helped my husband, daughter and I very much. We are a neurodivergent family and experience high anxiety on a daily basis. After seeing Sonia, we’ve noticed significant noticeable improvements in overall mood and temperament, especially during instances of life transitions. We are very happy with the results! — Veronica K.”
“Sonia is an amazing healer, and after more than 30 years of receiving acupuncture care, I can confidently say she stands out. Relief is often immediate after each appointment. She is a terrific acupuncturist who also integrates other modalities to support deep healing and energy realignment. As a mature athlete, I’m incredibly grateful to have found her—she keeps me tuned up for all my activities. And she is a genuinely lovely person. I highly recommend her without hesitation. — Susanna J.”
“Sonia is an amazing healer with a remarkable ability to discern what a person most needs for optimal well-being. Her acupuncture sessions helped me release stored energy that was contributing to pain and brought a deep sense of clarity and realignment. Sonia is highly intuitive and works with you to uncover what may be holding you back or contributing to imbalance. I highly recommend working with Sonia for your holistic health and healing needs. — Katie A.”
Emotional Trauma Support
Release stored trauma, regulate the nervous system, and regain emotional balance.
