Acupuncture Clinic Seeks to Relieve Stress, Other Ailments

When Toni Durino Groelly first opened , on River Road, she knew she wanted to help people while being her own boss.

Groelly has owned the clinic business, which offers acupuncture therapy and Chinese herbology services, since 2001, beginning with a Towaco location and now operating out of the Montville Office Park since August of 2004.

"I just wanted to be able to do things the way I wanted to," Groelly said.

Groelly has a master's degree in Oriental medicine and is a graduate of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. She is a resident, but started her career working in acupuncture clinics in Brooklyn.

The benefits of acupuncture, Groelly said, span from healing every day issues, such as stress and anxiety, to pain relief from injuries. Groelly has had patients who range in age from children (with their own consent, in addition to their parents') to senior citizens. She has also worked with many students suffering from sports related injuries.

Groelly has treated women dealing with infertility or who want to speed up labor when they were pregnant. She has some clients who come for the recommended three to six hour-long treatment sessions and others who have been coming to her clinic weekly since it opened.

"[Acupuncture] really helps just overall balance," she said.

While some patients swear by acupuncture, Groelly noted that the outcome the patients hope for is "never a guarantee."

For the herbology portion of her business, Groelly offers pre-formulated herbal supplements based on the patients' needs.

"It's like a medicine without it being medication," she said.

Each visit at Acupuncture Healing begins with a relaxation period, Groelly said. She tells her patients, "Let's balance everything overall," because Groelly said pain is exacerbated when both the mind and body are not in tune. She also tries to tell patients that healing takes time.

"Things didn't break overnight so you can't fix them overnight," she said.

Groelly is passionate about her business and the field she works in and said she is pleased to be able to help others as often as she can.

"I wish I could say I'm in it for the money, but I really love what I do. I'm in it to really help people. I like to treat my patients like I like to be treated," she said.

The atmosphere of Acupuncture Healing and Herbology is soothing and serene. Calming music plays in the waiting area and a small fountain trickles water. A sign marking the business a "quiet zone" is the first thing a person sees when they walk through the door.

Groelly's business has not been immune to the challenges the economy has brought the past few years.

"The economy slowed things down a bit," she said.

But Groelly said she has been able to keep the business open and is still working to attract new patients. She said she mostly gets business through word-of-mouth referrals. Many of her patients are covered by their insurance companies as well, having to pay no fee for Groelly's services directly, unless their insurance requires a co-pay.

Acupuncture Healing is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays but sessions are only available by appointment.