Dr. Phonexay Simon Interview on “The Day with Trae”

Transcript from Video Interview Below, (my contain transcription errors)

So up next we got Dr. Phonexay Simon. We’re gonna be talking about her practice in East Asian Medicine, and specifically we’re gonna learn some things about acupuncture. I’m really excited to dive into this. Hi Phonexay

Dr. Phonexay: Hi Trae. Thanks for having me on.

Trae: Absolutely. Thanks for coming on today. Well, this is exciting because you are part of a collective of Mm-Hmm. Professionals in wellness. And before we dive into your specific practice, Mm-Hmm. , I would love to hear about this collection, of folks. Tell us more.

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah. The Seattle Wellness Collective, was kind of, started between, physical therapist, Stephanie Irwin, Dion, and then Justin of Rival Fitness,

Dr. Phonexay: Rise, I can’t think of the name right now. I’m so sorry. That’s all right. and so they wanted to basically start a collective of, of local professionals. And so I was in better contact with Stephanie. So as an acupuncturist, I network with, a lot of PTs, chiropractors, you know, body work, as well as gyms. But I’m in Ballard. some of them are like in Capitol Hill. And so it’s been really fun to get all of, these entrepreneurs together, because we’re all local. We’re all grassroots. And so, you know, we’re trying to create like a bigger space and a bigger voice for us because it’s kind of hard being a grassroots business right now in the Seattle area. You know, there’s like a lot of, there’s just a lot out there. Yeah. and then as an entrepreneur, as a small business owner, as a grassroots small business owner, it’s also kind of, lonely. And so it’s been really fun to connect with other, like hustlers and, they’re doing such a great job. They’re teaching me so much about media and social media. so yeah, Seattle Wellness Collective.

Trae: Seattle Wellness Collective. Well, this is a really great, concept. And I know Dion was really excited. You know, our resident fitness coach, Dion, vitamin McKenna, AB doula, he couldn’t be with us today, but he was so excited to open up this opportunity for others from the collective to be here and to come and share their practice. And it’s exciting for me because I think it also opens our audience up to all of the amazing resources we have in our community that sometimes we don’t know about. So it brings me to your specific practice here. Mm-Hmm. , tell us more about East Asian Medicine, how you’re bringing it to the forefront.

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah. So East Asian medicine is actually a pretty wide field in like this, country right now. And so everyone kind of, you know, like with, with this type of medicine, part of what you get is like the, the practitioner that’s in front of you, right Like it’s filtered through the practitioner that’s in front of you. So that’s something special about this type of medicine. for me specifically, I work with, with pain, body work, mental health, and just like, kind of the somatic experience. acupuncture is good for so many things because it has a systemic effect on the body. You’re basically triggering micro injuries in different areas and that promotes blood circulation. It promotes healing because you’re tricking the body into thinking there’s this injury, but the injury is so small that you, there’s really nothing there to fix. And so what ends up happening is it can, go through and fix, old chronic injuries that’s been there for a long time.

Trae: Wow. I mean, nobody’s explained it to me like that before. Yeah. You know, these minor inj inducing minor injury Mm-Hmm. to trick the body to then respond accordingly, which is then having these other effects. What are some of the things that you’re hearing from your patients, you know, especially maybe first time patients or those who are, have never known that this is what they needed Mm-Hmm. What kind of relief are they getting through your

Dr. Phonexay: Practice Yeah, I mean, one word that I hear a lot of is magic because it’s like, wow, it’s so simple. Like, how is it just so powerful and effective Right so that’s like probably the first thing I hear. But you know, everyone’s gonna have a different effect, right Because acupuncture also works on the nervous system. So in my work, when I’m working with someone, you know, their underlying nervous system, their underlying mental health will kind of predispose them to certain reactions. And so for the general population, what you’re gonna get is kind of a systemic, relaxing effect. You’re gonna get your body to release, its own natural opioids in response to like the injury. And then you’re gonna have the body calm the nervous system down because it doesn’t want you to freak out . But, you know, if somebody already has maybe like, underlying mental health or trauma, then they might actually not feel completely at ease at first. You have to be really present for them because that opening, of energy can bring up things that, we maybe weren’t ready to start looking at in the moment. and then you just have like your classic case of like, people who’ve been so patterned to being in a go, go, go state that it might take several treatments for them to learn how to flip that switch and get into a relaxation state.

Trae: This is so inspiring for me. ’cause you know, I, I I’m on the go, but I also Mm-Hmm. do study and practice meditation. Yeah. And that alone has been really helpful for me. And I’ve had some needleless acupuncture. Mm-Hmm. , right. And I, I’ve never had like, the traditional acupuncture

Dr. Phonexay: Services. Yeah. I wish I brought my needles.

Trae: I know. So, so now I’m like, oh, when am I gonna come and see you

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah. When are you gonna come see me

Trae: ’cause, this is, this for me is something that I think more people need to explore. Mm-Hmm. . But I also think there’s a growth of interest. Mm-Hmm. in traditional Chinese medicine, right Yeah. Absolutely. And this is kind of, of a part of that. Mm-Hmm. . how have you been seeing that ’cause I, I feel like people are now realizing that the way that we kind of practice medicine Mm-Hmm. in western societies really, doesn’t promote wellness necessarily. Right. It, it promotes a reactive response. Mm-Hmm. Like, oh, now, you know, we, we wait until you have diabetes Yeah. To really diagnose you and do something about we wait until you have heart disease. how are you experiencing kind of the, the growth of interest in traditional Chinese medicine

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah, definitely. I mean, first of all, to what you’re saying, you know, the, the typical system that we’re working under, like the underlying motivations of it are created by the people that own that system. Yeah. Right And so, you know, your, your health is then in the hands of like, the motivations of those people. When you go to an acupuncturist, when you go to like a local clinic like ours, the motivation is from the people that own those businesses. And so the motivation of our clinic from myself and my husband is to treat the community. The community is the thing that feeds us. You know And so we’re feeding the community back through our health and wellness. And that’s why I love, grassroots, health businesses. And that’s why the Seattle Collective is something that I am so proud to be a part of. And that’s why coming on your show right now is something I’m so proud to be a part of. and so I would just say that, that if you are someone who is trying to invest in your health, you know, where are you taking your, your money and your time, and what are the motivations of that place that you’re taking it to ,

Trae: That’s a whole word on thing. Yeah. I mean, that just gave me chills, honestly. , I’m over here like, whoa, you that, yeah. That’s a whole word right there. Yeah. Thank

Dr. Phonexay: You for that. Oh, you’re welcome. Thank you. And then on the second level, I would say, actually, so I am very shy when it comes to social media and media in general. and so I’ve just been starting now to kind of get into that realm. And one thing that’s really neat is like, there’s an explosion of information, good or bad, , you know, right or wrong, of, of social media and Chinese medicine and acupuncture and health and wellness. And I feel like that’s been, a really neat thing because now, you know, something like, like Guha is something that as a student, I’m like, how am I gonna explain to people that they need to do this And now I don’t have to explain to people why they need to do this. People are already doing this. Now I can work on like a deeper education.

Dr. Phonexay: Like, oh, you can do this for this and you can do this for this, and you can do this for this. And so, you know, Chinese medicine started 2000 years ago when we didn’t have these advanced technologies. I love advanced technologies in medicine. I’m not against that realm at all, but like, you know, as the general person, like, why not try this kind of populous medicine first See how far it can get you do the foundations of health. You know, clear out all that stuff. And then what you’re left with, you know, if you need those, advanced additional therapies, then it’s gonna be much easier to tackle, much more effective to track, to tackle when, when you’ve done like this other work, you’re already getting yourself there, by doing, you know, the, the work for yourself and, and healing yourself from, from within.

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah. So I see a lot of people who maybe they started with the other system and, you know, they keep getting told over and over again, there’s nothing wrong. We can’t help you. You know, you’re fine. That’s what people always hear. Oh, you’re fine. But it’s like, well, I don’t feel like I’m fine. You know, if that’s the case, go find someone who has a different way of thinking about it. Right Like, the system isn’t bad, but it’s been trained to think about it one way. And so if you have something going on and that system’s not trained to look at your thing the way that you want it to go, find somebody else who will.

Trae: Yeah. This is really special and important fte. ’cause honestly, I think a lot of people don’t feel that they have the

Dr. Phonexay: Choice.

Trae: Yeah, true. And especially it’s true the way that our insurance system is set up here. Yeah. But a lot of things, it’s like, oh man, can I afford the out of pocket Mm-Hmm. , oh man, that’s the, you know, my insurance is not gonna cover that. There’s all of these kind of things that I think shift people’s, choices or shift their perception Mm-Hmm. of what is going to be beneficial for them. And so I, I really appreciate you sharing this kind of, train of thought. Mm-Hmm. to open us up to the understanding that we have the ability to now seek out Mm-Hmm. additional services to get our own second opinions with some of these more grassroots clinics that Mm-Hmm. are really patient forward. Mm-Hmm. , which is what I heard you say there, right Yeah. The alignment in terms of, you know, for, for someone like yourself, it matters how patients are experiencing you.

Trae: Mm-Hmm. . So they can tell other people Yeah. If they are coming to you and they’re not getting well. Mm-Hmm. , it’s very different than a major hospital. Yeah. Who’s like, we do the simple procedure. That’s what we do, you know Mm-Hmm. , we have these different levels. That’s what we follow. It’s very, robotic, less customizable. Mm-Hmm. . And so I love hearing you say that. And I think too that, you know, for me, for instance, you know, I was like, oh, what’s going on with my, my stomach just gas, bloating, whatever. Like, I don’t know, you know, when I eat, is it what I eat I don’t know. So I went and got my palm red. I went to like, elder Chinese man. Mm-Hmm. who, my friend was like, Hey, yo, he’s reading palms and he, he’ll give you the herbs.

Trae: And like, I’m like, what And I went and, got my palm red Mm-Hmm. And he gave me a 10 day regimen. Mm-Hmm. Like, Hey, this is what you need. And he picked it up right away. I never shared anything. Yeah. ’cause there was a language barrier, so there was an interpreter there. Mm-Hmm. . It was really great to see this intergenerational Yeah. family that’s like, this is what we do. Mm-Hmm. know. Right. He’s done this for years. There’s really no, no way to explain, the science behind what he’s doing, but there’s a full science behind this. Mm-Hmm. . And I was so moved and then his place shut down. So then I’ve got another, you know, but now I have a purview. Mm-Hmm. because of my experience, which I think is what you’re really saying. Once we have those experiences, it opens us up. Right Mm-Hmm.

Dr. Phonexay: . Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. The experience is definitely important. It’s, yeah. If we just look at the scientific aspect, it’s like, well, you know, science and research is meant to look at large populations to find like trend lines, but you’re an individual. And so, like, the way that that information is gonna apply to you is actually a subjective experience, and you need to like, follow that subjective experience of yours. That’s what intuition is about.

Trae: Mm. Yeah. And you know, now in, in community, we just recently, at the end of the year last year, we, you know, really celebrate winter solstice and we opened up some opportunities for community to come in and get some different kinds of, wellness stations that we had set up. Oh, right. And so, I last, over the course of last year, I was able to be on a chi machine Oh wow. And a jade pad , and, you know, I got some sound bath. Mm-Hmm. . I got some, you know, different types of therapies. Mm-Hmm. , you know, the, the one that’s in your ear, the, it’s like ear acupuncture, uhhuh, , and I forget what it’s called, but like, these kinds of things have really opened me up to some of the opportunities we’ve been, we’re seeing people do reiki Mm-Hmm. . And there’s just so much more that I think folks are looking to explore. Mm-Hmm. . So I love that you have a passion for this, and I wanna talk a bit about that. Okay. ’cause I can hear it in your answers. Right. , there’s something that drives you. Mm-Hmm. and I, I, you know, because you’re right. It’s not easy to have a grassroots clinic or a small

Dr. Phonexay: Business. No,

Trae: It’s not. tell us about some of those anchors that really got you to say, this is what I need to do and this is how I’m gonna serve community.

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah. You know, I’m not really sure. I think these are just the things where we’re, we’re born with like a certain set of genetics and those genetics define, you know, what we do, but also maybe to an extent what we believe in. And I’ve just always believed in taking care of people. I think it comes to that community. I think I feel if I can take care of my community and make it healthier and safer, then that keeps me healthier and safer. And so it just becomes like my mission. And then I also believe in, doing things well. And so if you’re gonna do health, like do health, well, you know, have like, as much of the information in front of you as you can. Like, I don’t, you know, pick and choose like, only this is good or only this is good.

Dr. Phonexay: It’s about like making all the possibilities available to you and then like, doing what’s right for you so that you can be the healthiest that you can be. you know, for me it’s also an expression of like my spirituality because in interfacing with people, I work with spiritual medicine as well, and I love working with people on that deep level. I find that there is a lot of, pain and suffering out there right now due to just, simple misunderstandings, misunderstanding about how, life works because of what we’ve been taught, and then misunderstandings about who we are as a person because of the expectations that’s always been placed on us, that we never get a chance to explore who we really are. And so, you know, a lot of the, the power of the medicine that I do is, in Chinese medicine, mental health and physical health has always been one is that be yin yang symbol. And so, I use that knowledge and use that wisdom to help people unlock their mind and their body. and it’s an incredible spiritual experience for me as well, because then I get to learn and I get to heal with my patients.

Trae: You know, there’s definitely not enough of that happening in western medicine. Right. Yeah. the idea of actually seeing a patient as a whole person Yeah. Too, right. They come with, this wide, variety of elements to themselves that you’re able to, as a practitioner and as someone who’s coming from a, a, a, a lens of wellness, you’re able to kind of see that holistically. Mm-Hmm. . and I agree with you a hundred percent, the, the understanding of how interconnected our spiritual and our mental and physical, all of the interconnectedness of those Mm-Hmm. , is not explored enough in medicine at all. Mm-Hmm. . And the ideas that, it goes back to what you said earlier. Someone comes into your practice and they have, you know, some mental trauma or things like that. It does cause a certain reaction that then is physical.

Trae: Mm-Hmm. . Absolutely. I think about folks that are in my life that, have high anxiety. Mm-Hmm. , you know, and I realize, like I can try to talk to them about the science behind it. Mm-Hmm. how much cortisol is being released in your blood because, you know Mm-Hmm. . And so then your oxidation is off. Like there’s the scientific Yeah, absolutely. Right Mm-Hmm. like, and, and, and learning that Yeah. Was like through spirituality, I learned that Oh, interesting. Understanding of like controlling my emotion. Mm-Hmm. in a way that allows me to always remember I get to choose peace Yeah. In every interaction. And I’m telling you, I think before I had some high blood pressure issues. Mm-Hmm. , which then got released. Mm-Hmm. , you know Right. I thought about my father before he passed. Mm-Hmm. . And it was very similar where it’s like, dad just, just, you know, breathe. Mm-Hmm. . And then being able to share with him the importance of how I was experiencing it. Like Yeah. Now through a personal approach. Mm-Hmm. , I get to say, I’m not just telling you this because it’s scientific, I’m telling you it because it works for me. Right, right. Mm-Hmm. . And, and, and lastly I’ll say the effects of smiling. Yes.

Dr. Phonexay: Mm-Hmm.

Trae: . Oh, right. Yeah. how laughter and smiling has been used for centuries. Mm-Hmm. regarding, connections to health and wellness. Yeah. These kind of things just aren’t explored. So you, you got me on one right now. I say, of course, if folks wanna connect with you, they wanna find your practice. Yeah. Support you become a patient. Mm-Hmm. , please look right there and let ’em know how they do

Dr. Phonexay: Yeah. So you can go ahead and go to rebelmednw.com, that’s RebelMedNW.com or you can email us at [email protected] or you can call 206 297 6013. And our incredible team will help you get set up.

Trae: Oh, this has been really a pleasure that you’ve kicked us off in the greatest way for the Seattle Wellness Collective

Dr. Phonexay:  I’m so glad,

Trae: fte, thanks so much for being here with me, and I can’t wait to come down to Ballard and get my own experience with you.

Dr. Phonexay: Oh, that would be amazing, . Thank you. I would love to have that. Oh,

Trae: Y’all, this is, you know, for me, I told you fantastic Friday, but who knew that I was gonna be able to dive into so much with fte Y’all know I’m gonna be wrapping all of this up right after this short break. Stay tuned. You’re watching the day with Trae

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Trae: Welcome back everyone to the Day with Trae. I am your host, Trae Holiday. I’m gonna tell you right now, I’ve had a full experience with F today. it’s always so refreshing for me to learn and that’s what I get to do on this platform Monday through Friday. Bringing you inspiring stories, but also education and information that you can use. But it’s also things I get to use, you know, so it’s like a double duty for me where I’m so excited to, to be able to explore newer concepts or to explore things that I’ve learned about a little bit, but to explore them deeper. And so I’m really grateful for Phonexay Simon for being here. Dr. Simon, it just gave us so much great information, but also really exploring the ideas of community, practices of health and wellness and how we get to choose y’all.

Trae: So, you know, there’s opportunities to get plugged in. There are different ways that these kind of services are being funded. So if you’re like, man, I just don’t know if I can afford it, look into it before you decide that you can’t do it. You know, if you know someone who could really use some services, and, and go through like a real holistic experience, you know, let them know about Dr. Phonexay Simon and, and, and let them know that, hey, there’s an amazing clinic out there in Ballard that’s doing some great work. Let’s be the ones to support our grassroots clinics, y’all. And that’s what the, this entire connection to the Seattle Wellness Collective is all about is bringing y’all different practitioners that you get to experience in your community. So, you know, I was inspired by what she shared here today. I want all of you to be inspired. ’cause no matter what you’re doing, there’s a way for you to see yourself as a part of the solution as Dr. Phonexay Simon has. And for me, y’all, until Monday at 11:00 AM Peace

East Asian Medicine Practitioner, Licensed Acupuncturist, Energy Worker
Seattle Met Top Doctor 2022, 2023