Holistic Healer: Connecting With Her Heritage Through Holistic Medicine with Kristina Gacesa
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of Rochester entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently chatted with Kristina Gacesa, who opened Seven Medicine TCM Healing Clinic to provide holistic medical care in Rochester.
Kristina Gacesa was raised in Rochester after her family immigrated from Bosnia as civil war refugees in the 90s. Due to the illness of a sibling, Kristina’s family chose Rochester as their home for its proximity to Mayo Clinic.
After graduating from high school, Kristina began pursuing a medical degree at the University of Minnesota Rochester, though she came to the quick realization that western medicine was not the direction she wanted to take with her education.
“I was pre-med and asked myself, ‘What am I doing?’ In my culture, we tend to treat illness in a more holistic way. If I ever had a fever as a child, my mom would put potatoes and vinegar in my socks to draw the fever out. I had never taken Tylenol or Advil, and I couldn't imagine prescribing a patient oxycontin or morphine. It just wasn’t me.” Kristina explained.
“In a way, growing up near the clinic, I felt a bit forced to go into western medicine. Not that I believe there is anything wrong with western medicine, I just didn’t feel that it was a study I was passionate about pursuing for myself. So I decided to take a step back and took six months off of school to decide what I really wanted to do.”
During her time off, Kristina was inspired by her grandfather, who frequently spent time foraging and gathering herbs and different botanicals as cures for family ailments.
“He would dry out these plants, store them in plastic bags, and write on them ‘this is for a stomach ache’ or ‘this is for cramps.’ He inspired me to pursue medicine that was more natural. So I found a school in the cities where I could pursue herbal medicine.”
Around this time, Kristina suffered a back injury and was urged to have surgery to resolve the issue. She felt wary of having a major surgery on her back in her early twenties and asked her physician if there were any other options. They suggested that acupuncture may help with her pain.
“The school I was looking at offered a degree in herbal medicine and acupuncture. At the time I knew that I wanted to pursue herbal medicine, but was unsure about acupuncture. When I gave it a try for my back injury, I had an epiphany during the appointment.” Kristina said with a laugh. “I suddenly knew that this is what I should be doing.”
Kristina went on to complete a double master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Northwestern Health Sciences University and intends to complete her doctorate in the future.
After graduating, she began job hunting in Rochester with hopes of getting a position at a private practice or local hospital. After being turned down for a position at Mayo Clinic due to a lack of experience, Kristina’s husband urged her to start her own clinic.
“I really did not want to open a clinic initially. In school, I had only taken one business class and had no idea how I would even get started. I wanted a job where I could clock in and clock out and not be responsible for the business side of things. But my husband kept encouraging me and pushing me to start my own clinic. I also noticed the small number of holistic clinics in the area and the opportunity there for me. Eventually I gave in and decided to give it a try.”
Kristina opened her clinic, Seven Medicine TCM Healing Clinic, with the help of her husband in December of 2019.
Photo by Corrie Strommen
“I felt like I was just thrown into the water and I didn’t know what to do. But once I was in the water I learned how to swim.”
Kristina found many business aspects of getting started challenging, from writing a business plan, starting an LLC, grappling with licensure, filing taxes for the business, and learning how to supervise staff.
“There was a lot to learn. But I’m really lucky to have several friends who have also started businesses. We have a little group and we always ask each other questions and figure out things we’re struggling with together.”
For Kristina’s patients, her process begins with a short consultation to evaluate their diagnosis and decide on a treatment plan. Depending on patients’ ailments and desired outcomes, Kristina provides many treatment services such as acupuncture, fire cupping, moxibustion, guasha, herbal medicine, food therapy, and recommended lifestyle modifications.
Photo by Corrie Strommen
Though Kristina was hesitant to start her own clinic, she now finds much joy in her work and in running her business. She has also grown from a home practice to having her own clinic near downtown Rochester.
“It’s so rewarding seeing the outcomes of my patients. Because I see my patients so frequently throughout the treatment process, I really can see the changes as they occur and watch them get better.” Kristina explained.
Photo by Corrie Strommen
Outside of running her clinic, Kristina enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children. She loves the changing of the seasons in Minnesota and the activities that accompany them such as swimming, going to the pumpkin patch, skiing, and ice skating. When she has the time, she enjoys playing piano and is also an avid baker.
To those considering starting a business Kristina said, “Open the business! There are obviously pros and cons, but I truly believe that everyone should try opening their own business. Or at least step back and really look at what makes you happy and what you want to do with your life, which isn’t always going to be the traditional direction and path we are often encouraged to take with our education and lives.”
She concluded, “Seeing how things turned out, I would never go and work for someone else. Here I have freedom and flexibility. I can do everything that I learned in school and I don’t feel limited in any way. I’m my own doctor and supervisor and I love being able to both choose and conduct the treatment plans for my patients. I also get to decorate my own space and bring an artistic aspect into my job. I love merging both the playful and creative side of my brain with the more logical and analytical side. I get the best of both worlds! It really was the best life decision I ever made. It’s not something I ever thought I would do, but I’m so happy that I took the leap.”
Thank you for taking the time to read Kristina’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about Seven Medicine TCM Healing Clinic by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
