She Healed Her Own Acne with Acupuncture and Built a TCM Sanctuary | Saher Hussaini, Founder of SYI Acupuncture

Saher Hussaini is the founder and acupuncturist of Set Your Intention Acupuncture (SYI Acupuncture), a New York-based wellness studio reshaping the modern acupuncture experience through intentional healing, considered design, and personalized care. A licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, Saher blends the ancient wisdoms of Traditional Chinese Medicine with an integrative approach to treatment, supporting patients through hormonal imbalances, emotional wellness, skin health, stress, and digestive support.

SYI is designed as an extension of her healing philosophy. Every detail of the space was created to evoke calm and restoration, with chic interior design and sensory experience that play an integral role in the healing process. As acupuncture and Chinese medicine continue to gain recognition in publications like Vogue and ELLE, Saher has become a trusted provider for those seeking a more refined approach to wellness.

Saher came to Chinese medicine the way many of her patients do: out of desperation. At 23, working as an EMT in DC, she developed adult-onset cystic acne so severe it covered her face and chest, then spiraled into a stomach ulcer after six months of escalating antibiotics. A friend referred her to a TCM doctor who cleared the ulcer and healed her skin, and pivoted her entire career. Born to a family of internal medicine and psychiatry physicians, Saher traded her Western medical path for a four-to-five-year masters and doctorate in TCM, eventually opening SYI in Nomad as a solo practice.

In this episode, Saher breaks down the five pillars of TCM (acupuncture, herbal therapy, dietary guidance, moxibustion, and movement practices like qigong and tai chi), and why TCM treats the whole body interconnectedly rather than isolating symptoms. She explains the Qi clock, the 24-hour cycle where each organ system functions optimally in three-hour increments, and why being asleep between 11 PM and 3 AM is non-negotiable for liver and gallbladder restoration. She walks through the biomedical theories behind acupuncture (opioid receptor mimicry, central nervous system signaling, fascial networks) and why a needle in your head can resolve tendinitis in your foot. She gets honest about building SYI: the sign-from-the-universe morning a Hulu executive emailed asking her to provide ear seeds for 200 tastemakers at the Reasonable Doubt premiere ("I literally thought it was Nigerian prince spam"), and why she chose "Set Your Intention" rather than her initials, to make the space about the patient, not the practitioner. Plus: the TCM dermatology fellowship she's pursuing in London under Dr. Mazin Al-Hafaji, and the beauty soup (Jujube, Tremella mushroom, Goji berry, pear, with Indian spices) she's developing into her inaugural product.

Whether you're a founder building a solo practice without a playbook, a woman who's exhausted every Western option, a wellness operator studying how design transforms a clinical space, or someone who wants to understand why you're waking up groggy and reaching for coffee, this one's for you.

🎁 A gift from us + SYI Acupuncture: Because acupuncture is a medical service, SYI is unable to offer broadly available discounts. The first ten Womansplain listeners to email hello@syiacupuncture.com with the Womansplain newsletter forwarded along and a request for an herb consultation will receive a complimentary herbal consultation ($150 value).

Find SYI Acupuncture: 🔗 syiacupuncture.com 📲 @syi.acu 📍 27th & Broadway, Nomad, NYC

Find Womansplain: 📲 @womansplainpod ✉️ hello@womansplainpod.com