Mona Chopra, L.Ac

Past Work & Context

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, 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, and in her private practice in NYC.

Mona has 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.Central to all of Mona’s therapeutic work is her grounding in the philosophy and practice of yoga, emphasizing the role of the breath and the cultivation of a meditative state.  Mona was introduced to the practice of yoga when she was 7 years old, and she has had a lifelong 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 at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India.  Prior to that time and in the years since, Mona has continued her study of yoga as meditation and therapeutic applications of yoga.

In addition, Mona is a graduate of the year-long Immersion and Instructor Training program at the Interdependence Project and is an ongoing student and practitioner of Buddhist meditation.

In line with her studies of yoga and meditation, Mona also completed training in Integrative Hypnosis with Melissa Tiers, DCH, and is certified through the National Guild of Hypnotists.  She integrates this knowledge 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 inspired her to complete a childbirth doula training through DONA with the acclaimed childbirth educator, filmmaker, and leader in the field, Debra Pascali-Bonaro (www.motherlovedoulas.com).  She has attended several births (home, hospital, and birthing centers) as a doula and acupuncturist and continues to be awed and wonderstruck by the magic of witnessing a new life entering the world outside the womb.  She is currently not taking on any doula clients, but continues to work closely with women in all stages of pregnancy, including up to, through, and after childbirth to support women in the postpartum process.

Prior to delving fully into the world of natural medicine, 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.