I initially visited Sallie to work on a long-term running injury and after just a few visits, the results were noticeable. The circulation to my Achilles improved, the swelling reduced, and running became joyful again. The most surprising benefit is the holistic approach Sallie takes. Her concern lies not just with the injury but causes that may lie beneath the surface of the injury. With Sallie’s help – and her well directed needles – my stress level has become more manageable and headaches are far less frequent. Where I was once a skeptic (and one not too fond of needles), I’ve become a true believer in the healing power of acupuncture. Sallie’s approach is gentle, thoughtful, and thoroughly professional.

~ 52 year old runner, mother of three teenagers, and business manager

When I was looking for an acupuncturist to help with my low back pain, I chose Sallie because of her nursing background. I knew she would be methodical, professional, and compassionate. I found her to be all of that and more.
Not only did I benefit from Sallie’s skill as an acupuncturist, I also learned about the process of inquiry. The acupuncture treatments did more than help my back, it helped my stress level, and my spirit. The process of inquiry was a wonderful new tool for me to use when dealing with difficult situations. Since Sallie introduced me to this method, I have found myself using it whenever I become frustrated or aggravated. It’s a great way to gather my wits when I am exasperated, and it has made a huge difference in my attitude.
My back is fine now but I still will go to see Sallie on occasion just to get myself “balanced”. I find her treatments relax me and put me in a wonderful frame of mind. She is very intuitive and seems to know where the points are that help me. I also know that acupuncture helps the immune system so I feel as though I am keeping myself healthy by having these sessions.
I have recommended Sallie to several of my friends. They were also happy with her technique and therapy. She is an excellent therapist.

~ Anne Pontuso, R.N.

Sallie Smithwick worked with us at the Center For Radiant Health in Miami as an Acupuncture Physician, providing the very highest quality of patient care. She was a most valuable and cherished colleague and we were very sorry when she decided to relocate out of state (although happy for her!). Sallie was always professional, compassionate, highly skilled, dedicated and a pleasure to work with. We would gladly welcome her to return as a member of our team in a heartbeat. We have not found anyone of her caliber as an acupuncture physician since.
Sallie’s approach to patients is truly holistic, taking into consideration all aspects of her patients. She has the attributes and qualities to address the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual in a caring, professional, and responsible manner. Her background in conventional Western medicine lends valuable experience to her practice as an acupuncture physician. If she were not so far away, I would gladly be her patient myself for any of my healthcare needs.

~ Karen L. Gordon, A.P., P.T.; Owner and Founder of “The Center for Radiant Health”, Florida

Sessions with Sallie and the practices she used brought balance, awareness and a new way of looking at issues in my life. As a result of our work together, I learned to be kinder and more gentle with myself. I appreciated her respect for me as a person, her professionalism and her knowledge of eastern medicine.
It was a joy to spend time with Sallie and I never felt she was rushed. I always left encouraged that I would be able to overcome the challenges I was dealing with.

~M.M., retired

A session with Sallie re-calibrates, soothes and “reboots” my entire outlook in a positive manner. Her holistic approach provides a level of insight and comfort not available through standard health practices, whose pushing, poking, prodding and injections have for me resulted in mediocre results. Sallies approach of inquiry, meditation, acupuncture, and her understanding of the mind-body relationship has provided both relief from pain and also insight into other causes of physical imbalance. I have benefited by a reduction in pain and anxiety, coupled with increased understanding of the importance of eating right, sleeping right and thinking right.
Sallie is exceptionally kind, she listens, she cares, she understands and remembers you as an individual and not a patient on the medical treadmill. She’s refreshing. Her professionalism yields confidence in her procedures.
My mental and physical state after visits leads to a state of enhanced mental alertness, calmness and reduced pain.
Early in our sessions together, Sallie asked me several times, “how do you feel about the pain?” I’d answer, “what do you mean, how do I feel about the pain?” Over time, her warm and patient questioning allowed me to realize, “I am angry about the pain”. That may seem a small step, but for me it was huge. I identified another aspect, the mental aspect and Sallie helped me calm and reduce that anger through teaching me meditation exercises. Breathing techniques, “living in the moment” — things that were previously foreign to me — actually work.

~ Ken Cranston, Retired

Sallie impacted my life from the moment that I met her. She is an altruist, and very loving and caring, which is important to me as a patient. She nurtured my whole being with her support when I was ill. She advised a good treatment with herbs, which I followed. I love Sallie’s treatments!!!
From my work with Sallie I benefited not only physically, but emotionally as well. The person that I am now is because of her support.

~ Gina M., yoga practitioner, works in theater and travel

My sessions with Sallie have benefited me in several ways: deep relaxation, deeper sleep, better mood, and help with emotional issues through the Byron Katie inquiry process.
One day I fell on concrete, cutting my hand and hitting my head. I called Sallie and she fit me in after hours. She gave me a Chinese herbal formula that helped heal the wound in my hand. After the session I felt more balanced and much better.
Sallie makes her office a very comfortable haven. She is very gentle with the needling and she keeps very good records about symptoms. In my experience Sallie goes way beyond expectations!

~ Deborah, horticulturist and herbalist

After taking ten years off from running because of knee pain that no doctor could cure, at age 50 I decided it was time to start running again. The knee pain reappeared so I visited Sallie. After a few visits I was able to start building up my daily mileage and dropping weight as a bonus. I see Sallie for tune-up acupuncture sessions every few months. With her help I have cut my running times down significantly and ran up to fourteen miles even on these rough Virginia hills.
Sallie takes the time to understand what’s wrong then she formulates a strategy to fix the problem. She has a great attitude, dedication, and professionalism along with her special skills at the art of acupuncture.

~V.H. Schiller

My health and well being have much improved since I started going to Sallie. My mind, body and spirit have benefited. I have asthma and whenever she treats my breathing issues, I feel much better. She also helped with my hot flashes and plantar fasciitis.
She’s very easy to talk to and always lifts my spirits. She’s very knowledgeable, also very gentle and makes me feel comfortable, always.

~ Martina, yoga and respiratory therapist

My initial reason for trying acupuncture was due to tennis elbow. I chose Sallie because she had an individual practice and was not a large company. The benefit was not only relief from my initial complaint but a whole body-soul healing experience.
I have recommended Sallie to a number of people not only for the benefit of acupuncture but of her approach as counselor and her sincere concern for overall health – she’s an educator of health.
She not only cured my tennis elbow but she taught me the ways of Byron Katie, which in turn has opened my mind and soul to view and accept life less as a victim, and more as a participant and viewer. She also taught me beneficial nutrition and breathing.
She is the most sincere practitioner I have ever had in alternative medicine and I’ve been to quite a few.

~ Gardener of Earth’s Blessings”

Whether you have illness, stress, or women’s health issues, go to Sallie – you will leave feeling centered, whole, and relaxed. You will feel more healthy at large and on the way to greater health.
Sallie listens and practices with an open heart, keen observations, gentleness, and questions about healthy (or unhealthy) habits and ways of thought. She offers tools and healthy suggestions. She also sometimes gives a little cranial sacral and massage to you while you are on the acupuncture table.
The relaxation is doubly great.
As a patient, I feel treated like a <em>whole</em> being. Not only is the acupuncture great, but she takes the time to listen and talk to you about your physical and emotional space. This increases the value of the treatment – worth every penny!

~ Sarah, 30 y.o. teacher

In the last three years I have acquired candida from mildew in my home and had knee surgery and shoulder surgery. Sallie’s work has been invaluable working with the stress, the debilitation, and the pain, and in promoting mind-body peace and cooperation within me. She has the ability to inspire me to change my life for the better. I am infinitely stronger than I was three years ago and am much better at attaining internal peace.

~ Grateful 69 year old young woman called Judy

When I first went to Sallie for treatments many, many years ago, several physical problems were beginning to show up, and emotionally I was overwhelmed…A couple of months into these treatments, once or twice per week, my energy was balanced and I felt much better. But it was with balancing my emotional states that she really excelled. A sense of calmness and of centering was immediately apparent after her treatments, and had a lasting effect.
Sallie focuses her complete attention on you.This feels very nurturing. She’s knowledgeable and very intuitive and holds a balance between the two. She’s conscientious and thorough in her questions, pulse taking and treatment plan. She’s passionate about her practice and transmits this enthusiasm freely.

~ Maria Pasqual, psychological astrologer

When I began my search for an acupuncturist in the Charlottesville area, I hoped to find a practitioner that would be able to deliver quality treatment and care and also listen to my needs and wants. Sallie not only met my expectations, she greatly surpassed them. She creates a warm environment for her patients to feel comfortable and at ease. Sallie takes her time to fully understand her patients concerns and does her best to address them in the treatments that she offers. I have already seen major improvements in my energy and concentration. If you are looking for an experienced acupuncturist who delivers the utmost quality of care, I suggest you look no further than Sallie Smithwick.

~ Uva, Grad Student

I am so happy to give a completely positive recommendation for the heartfelt devotion and rock steady dedication of Sallie Smithwick as a facilitator of “The Work of Byron Katie”. It is an honor to be present with her over the phone, and to experience the depth of her “listening” is truly a blessed healing. She will definitely keep you “on task” … and always in a Loving way.

~ Larry Lawhorn, OT

Through practicing the work of Byron Katie with Sallie Smithwick, my life has changed.
In our sessions, Sallie had a loving presence and stillness. She had amazing patience with my resistance to self inquiry. The exercises were very insightful and fun. Inquiring into my sad stories, somehow dissolved the pain in them. With her deep listening and gentle questioning, I have begun to enjoy people and myself as we are; instead of how I want us to be. Her uncompromising optimism about my ability to love myself and love others has been a new beginning. I don’t know how this transformation has happened; I am just grateful for it.

~ Sue Hovey, retired teacher and grandmother

I used to make up all kinds of stories about why things happened and what people were thinking. I still make up stories, but I no longer believe they are true! My pre-Sallie stories generally created anger and hurt. Now my stories create sympathy and compassion. Sallie is almost magically perceptive in finding the core issue. And she can find a word or two that changes my whole perception and understanding.

~A 69 year old grateful of Sallie

I am forever grateful to Sallie for introducing me to The Work of Byron Katie. I would never have believed that this simple process of inquiry could have such a profound impact on my life. It’s truly amazing! I decided to start doing The Work as my morning meditation practice and things really began to change. I felt more peaceful. I felt happier. And I began to know myself on a deeper and more loving level.
Doing The Work with Sallie is for me an experience that is so beautiful and holy that it is hard to describe. She holds a sacred space, a space that is both kind and safe, where I am free to let go and examine any painful, distressing or disharmonious area of my life. (Sometimes I had kept these areas hidden, even from myself.) There was no thought that was too petty, too mean, or too shameful to examine. I have worked with Sallie on issues that I thought I would never share with another person.
Sallie’s presence is loving, clear and supportive. I have absolute confidence in her integrity and confidentiality. She is an excellent facilitator. I really can’t say enough.
You just have to experience it for yourself. I hope you will.

~ Diana Kirby

Sallie Smithwick is an inspiring facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie. Using the inquiry process developed by Katie, Sallie effectively offered me clarity and resolve in problems I was facing. The process was empowering and was helpful in creating a shift in perception. Sallie has a gentle and effective way of using inquiry to heal thought processes that often hurt us.
Thank you, Sallie, for being such a loving, caring, effective healer and facilitator of Byron Katie’s work.

~ L Davis, Corporate Health and Productivity Facilitator

As a practitioner and facilitator Sallie is compassionate and trustworthy. She has excellent boundaries, practices what she preaches and she takes you as you are.
From my work with Sallie I am now more able to distinguish between my stressful thoughts about reality and the reality itself. The Work of Byron Katie dovetails with mindfulness meditation, allowing me to live more fully in the moment.

~ Annie

Sallie is a very skilled facilitator of the inquiry process. She asks the right questions and is skilled at helping to redirect my attention. Since doing inquiry with Sallie, my relationship with my mother has improved. Inquiry has helped me accept my emotions, take a wider view of the situation, and find peace within myself.

~ Deborah, horticulturist and herbalist from Charlottesville

Inquiry with Sallie has helped me improve many relationships and situations in my life. It has helped relieve stress, and offered me a more peaceful state of mind. After an inquiry, I am able to see my feelings about a situation in a whole different sense, which normally creates empathy, understanding and acceptance faster. Inquiry has opened my mind and soul to view and accept life less as a victim, and more as a participant and viewer. As a facilitator of inquiry, Sallie has been a teacher, mentor, and spiritual guide for my emotional and psychological health.

~ “Gardener of Earth’s Blessings”

Sallie is great in drawing you out in the inquiry process. She knows what to say to get you started and to relax you. We used the inquiry process several times on some stressful conflicts I was having and each time I went thru the process, I found relief. There was one particular situation involving members of my family in a dispute that was causing me tremendous stress. Sallie guided me through the inquiry process and it was a great help.

~ 65 year old retired microbiologist

Doing inquiry with Sallie has very much helped me release a lot of old issues from my past and also alleviate some fears in the present. Although the situations are the same, I am better able to handle them, and somehow I am more at peace.

~ Anonymous, Virginia