The ITEA Program

The Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture’s (ITEA’s) program teaches the oral tradition of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture (CF-EA) in limited class sizes to ensure the highest quality of learning.

The ITEA educational experience is unique. It is based on the spiral approach of traditional Eastern learning. In traditional Eastern education, the teacher is the guide who helps each student uncover the wisdom inherent within. Practitioners of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture do not diagnose according to symptoms. Rather, they diagnose, as did the ancient Chinese, by discerning energetic disharmony through the subtle and highly refined observational and diagnostic cues of color, sound, odor and emotional content. Through education based on spiral learning, ITEA’s students are thoroughly trained and imbued with skill in the use of these forms of diagnosis. In addition, they also learn western sciences and practice management, and are prepared to sit for the national acupuncture exam given by the NCCAOM. Ninety-four percent of students graduated from the program are practicing acupuncturists.

Program Tracks

The program of the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture has two tracks. The first is the Traditional Track for students having no prior healthcare degree. The second is the Institute’s Practitioner Track for healthcare practitioners of other disciplines desiring a Master of Acupuncture in Classical Five-Element Acupuncture degree.

Traditional Track Format

This track of the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture is structured into Intensives. The four Intensives of the first and second years of training are 15 days in length, and it is not necessary for students to live near the school. Intensives are offered September, October–November, January–February and April–May. The third and fourth years contain two Intensives of 16 days, in August–September and January-February. Since students must live locally during these clinical years, short class sessions of one to four days are interspersed between Intensives, usually on Mondays and/or weekends.

YEAR ONE CONTAINS: fundamentals of CF-EA, principles and diagnostic skills, surface anatomy and point location, medical terminology, nutrition and pharmacology.

YEAR TWO CONTAINS: deeper understanding of point location, the diagnostic skills, and the ability to have rapport with all types of individuals, pharmacology and pathology. A seminar with Judy Worsley, Master of CF-EA lineage, is held if possible. Elisabeth Rochat speaks on the history and philosophy of Chinese medicine.

YEAR THREE CONTAINS: practice management, professionalism, interaction with other healthcare providers, specific treatment situations, pharmacology, western medical testing and clinical training in the ITEA Student Clinic. A seminar with Judy Worsley, Master of CF-EA lineage, is held if possible. Elisabeth Rochat speaks on the history and philosophy of Chinese medicine.

YEAR FOUR CONTAINS: clinical training, practice management, biomedical assignments and preparation for the national exam. Elisabeth Rochat speaks on the history and philosophy of Chinese medicine.

Practitioner Track Format

This track is held one 4-day weekend of each month for a year to gain technical knowledge in CF-EA. Clinical experience in CF-EA is gained at the ITEA clinic on continuing weekends after this classroom training is complete. The curriculum allows students credit for relevant training obtained in the education of their other healthcare profession, and focuses primarily on CF-EA and coursework not covered in prior education. Seminars with Judy Worsley are held if possible. For an additional fee, students may also partake of other ITEA offerings from the Traditional Track, such as yearly lectures on history and philosophy of Chinese medicine by Elisabeth Rochat.

For more information please contact us at (720) 890-8922 or info@itea.edu.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Master teacher — the late Professor J.R. Worsley (left), and to J.B. Worsley (right), his Master Elect, now the foremost authority on Classical Five-Element Acupuncture.

Without their teachings and inspiration, this school would not exist, and we are very grateful they have shared their knowledge with us.

Photo: Stephen Flores