Today we’d like to introduce you to Clint McCallum.
Hi Clint, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I decided to become an Acupuncturist after I had a traumatic car accident and lost my left arm. In 2008 I transferred from halfway done with Chiropractic college to starting a Masters Program in Chinese Medicine. I graduated in 2012 as an acupuncturist in Austin, TX and I moved to Galveston to start my community acupuncture clinic, Hooked on Acupuncture, I moved in next to the Yoga Haven on Market St and I went 10 years in that location. In 2023, with the yoga business having had already closed for a couple years during Covid, I made the move to purchase the Healing House building at 1802 Market St. The building was shuttered and boarded up, and had been for many years, but the bones were solid as it was an old wooden church built in 1927. It required basically everything needing to be done to get it up to date, from foundation work to roof to electrical and plumbing as well as hvac and painting. Many hands came together to help allow this undertaking to happen, namely my Mom, and I am forever grateful to all. So, after only 6 weeks of shutting down my clinic to do manual labor and resurrect the building, I reopened the clinic in the downstairs of the building. The Healing House yoga didn’t get its doors open until summer of 2024, with a soft opening in June. We held a big grand opening ribbon-cutting celebration in October of 2024, and we’ve now been rolling along with the yoga studio housing multiple teachers and styles along with special events upstairs. All the while, Hooked on Acupuncture is helping to do its part in healing the coastal community of Galveston’s residents and visitors through acupuncture and cupping and herbal therapy. We have also recently added a Thai Massage Therapist that is working out of the private room at Healing House. The general idea for the place is to be an Energy Center and a place of healing for any who are drawn to be here. There are sure to be new additions to what we offer, but at its core Healing House is a yoga studio upstairs and a clinic downstairs, The simple vision revolves around holistic healing through a paradigm shift with a focus on intuitive revelations on an inner path of evolution to an infinitely better state of being, all this through giving back the power of nature to our mind, body and spirit.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Money. So many loans I’m still trying to get out from under, but all worth it. The reason I left the old location was that the new landlords gave me a 30day notice. It was to become a short-term rental, where my clinic had been for 10 years. So much better now in this building, and no more rent! Learning to live with just one arm, I suppose is a big one, but it’s made me who I am today. I recently completed the full Ironman in the Woodlands (in April, 2024). I don’t think I ever would have done that without having lost my arm and gone through the challenges that brought. I participate in about 3 triathlons a year now, since 2009.
As you know, we’re big fans of Healing House, LLC and Hooked on Acupuncture, PLLC . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Healing House, at healinghouse.live is a yoga studio and special event space. It is set up to be fair in pricing and to have excellent, experienced teachers and performers that each bring their own unique selves to their classes. The online approach makes it less complicated to manage, as each teacher is kind of their own program.
Hooked on Acupuncture is a community style clinic with a sliding scale for pricing. It’s meant to be affordable to everyone. It has a community room full of 6 recliners and zero gravity chairs, along with a community table room (still partitioned in half, so 2 private tables) for cupping and back acupuncture, as well as a private room for those seeking that option. Every 15 minutes there is an appointment slot throughout the week, so it’s meant to be efficient, but relaxing and comfortable all the while. This business model is also set up with the website, www.hookedonacupuncture.com, as the schedule manager so people can schedule themselves online while I get to stay focused on the therapy as much as is possible.
I’d say I am set apart by my having a hook on one arm that makes for the Hooked on part of the name, so I’m the one-armed acupuncturist on the island of Galveston that has a little bit of pirate history. I love what I do and I love that we have also created a traditional yoga studio on the island that I get to be a part of along with helping my patients.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Every challenge is a gift and every gift is an opportunity. This is a relatively short life, so I try to make the most of what time I’m given. Helping others always feels good, so it seems like it’s one of the secrets to a happy life.
Pricing:
- Yoga is offered at $10-12/class, special events are different, online healinghouse.live is the place to find out.
- Acupuncture and Cupping $20-50 sling scale, Herbal options dependent on brand and formula, $12 and up. Private Acupuncture is $120
- Thai massage is $100/hr, contact Melissa at 828-708-2092
Contact Info:
- Website: healinghouse.live & www.hookedonacupuncture.com
- Instagram: @healinghousegalveston
- Facebook: @healinghouse @hooked on acupuncture
Image Credits
samanthawileyphotagraphy
