Mona Chopra, L.Ac.
print by Dhira Rauch
Mona Chopra has been immersed in the fields of mind-body medicine and holistic healing for over two decades.
Mona Chopra is a New York state licensed and nationally board certified (NCCAOM) acupuncturist, a practitioner of therapeutic hypnosis, and an instructor of meditation and yoga.
Studies & Past Work
After studying classical Chinese medicine and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for 4 years at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences under the guidance of Professor Jeffrey Yuen, 88th century Daoist priest and Master of Chinese medicine, Mona received her Masters of Science (MS) in Acupuncture in 2007, and went on to complete a 1-year internship at Beth Israel Medical Center’s Continuum Center for Health and Healing, Department of Integrative Medicine, under the guidance of Arya Nielsen, PhD.
Mona has treated patients in Montefiore Medical Center’s Pain Clinic, Infectious Diseases Unit, the Beth Israel Medical Center’s Surgical floor, the Swedish Institute Su Wen Clinic, in international clinics in Guatemala and the Philippines, and in her home practice in New York City.
In addition to her studies of classical Chinese medicine and the secondary vessels (8 extraordinary vessels, divergent meridians, luo vessels) as taught by Professor Jeffrey Yuen, Mona’s continuing education has included studies with: Robert Peng (qi gong), Adele Reising (gynecology), Claudia Citkovitz (labor and childbirth delivery), Elaine Stern (nutrition), Jason Robertson (Applied Channel Theory), David Bomzon (Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture) Paul Wang and Eileen Yue-Ling Han (Balance Method), Giovanni Maciocia (mental-emotional health), Matt Callison (motor points), Dr. Stephen Cowan (pediatrics), Dr. Steve Sanet (cranial osteopathy), and several others.
In 2001, Mona completed training at Lincoln Hospital’s Recovery Center in the Bronx and is a NADA-certified acupuncture detoxification specialist, trained in the use of auricular (ear) acupuncture for helping in the process of addiction recovery and detoxification. Mona has undergone training with Acupuncturists without Borders, equipped with the skills to use acupuncture in the field, in emergency situations, and for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She has worked in community settings in Guatemala, the Philippines, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Mona’s earliest “formal training” began at the age of seven when she was introduced to the practice of yoga; she has had an evolving relationship with it ever since. In 2003, Mona spent several months immersed in the study of yoga and its therapeutic applications, based on the teachings of Sri Krishnamacharya as taught by his son, TKV Desikachar, and several other teachers at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India. Prior to that and in the years since, Mona has continued her study of yoga as meditation, and therapeutic applications of yoga.
Foundational to how Mona approaches her life and work is her study and practice of Buddhist meditation. In 2013 Mona graduated from a year-long Immersion and Instructor Training program at the Interdependence Project, where she now teaches in the Mindfulness Teacher Training program. Mona has benefited and continues to benefit immensely from the work of many Buddhist teachers, to whom she offers deep bows of gratitude and respect.
In her ongoing quest to more deeply understand the mind, Mona completed trainings in Integrative Hypnosis and Coaching the Unconscious Mind, with Melissa Tiers, DCH, in 2011. Her training has included the study of various techniques and processes, including EFT (emotional freedom technique/tapping technique), Tapas acupressure technique (TAT), neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), parts integration, ultra-height expanded awareness, timeline processes, Open Focus, Clean Language, Milton Erickson-inspired conversational hypnosis, and the transformative power of storytelling and metaphors. Mona integrates the knowledge and insights gained from her studies of the immense power of the mind and the role of the unconscious, into all her therapeutic work.
Mona’s work with women through all stages of life led her to complete a childbirth doula training through DONA, with the acclaimed childbirth educator, filmmaker, and leader in the field, Debra Pascali-Bonaro. Over the years, Mona attended several births as a doula and acupuncturist - always wonderstruck witnessing a new life entering into the world outside the womb. While she is no longer taking on doula clients, Mona continues to work closely with women in all stages of pregnancy, up to, through, and after childbirth, supporting women through the postpartum process as well.
A lifelong learner, Mona is currently engaged in a study of herbal medicine with David Winston, RH (AHG).
Prior to her deep dive into the world of natural medicine and the healing arts, Mona worked as a high school social studies teacher in the NYC public school system and was active in a variety of social justice and community-based organizations. She received an MA in Education from Teachers College at Columbia University and a BA in Liberal Arts from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.