Ear Acupuncture Group Sessions for Mental Health

Ear acupuncture is a simple, widely-used approach for supporting mental health, stress, and emotional regulation. Our group sessions follow the NADA protocol — offered in a quiet shared environment at the clinic, with a parallel online format for those who prefer to participate from home.

What these sessions are for

Many people attend to support anxiety, sleep difficulty, low mood, or a general sense of overwhelm. Sessions are simple and unstructured: you arrive, get settled, and either receive a set of small acupuncture needles in the ear (in-person) or follow a guided online awareness practice (the subtle sensation awareness format). Most people then sit quietly, rest, or simply notice what is happening.

There is no pressure to talk, perform, or achieve anything. No prior experience is needed. You’re welcome to begin in whatever way feels natural.

These sessions are offered at Ajax Harwood Clinic in Ajax, Ontario, and online to participants across Durham Region, the Greater Toronto Area, and beyond.

Session schedule

Additional weekday sessions are sometimes available — ask when you request a spot.

Online session via Zoom

The online format is based on subtle sensation awareness (sometimes called Anapana). It explores the same underlying process as the in-person sessions — noticing experience as it unfolds — through direct attention rather than acupuncture. Often attended by people who have experienced the in-person sessions, though not required.

If you’d like to explore the format first, see our Subtle Sensation Awareness page for more context.

Coming to your first session

No referral. No appointment. No cost. You can simply come.

These sessions are open to everyone — you do not need to be a patient of Ajax Harwood Clinic. If you have an OHIP card, bring it and the visit is covered. If you don’t have OHIP, you are still welcome, and there is no charge.

If you already have a family doctor, this changes nothing for them. Group session billing sits outside your doctor’s basket of services, so coming here does not affect your relationship with your own physician or your enrolment.

Some people come as patients. Some come simply curious. Some come because they’d like to learn to do this work themselves. All three begin the same way — by sitting in a session. It isn’t something we can usefully explain to you; it’s something you try.

Best sessions to start with

Any session on the schedule is open to you. If you’re coming for the first time, these two are the easiest to arrive at:

• Wednesday · 4:00 PM — in person
• Saturday · 11:30 AM — in person

We run ear acupuncture groups ten times a week — see the full schedule once you know what suits you. There is also a weekly online session, Subtle Sensation Awareness, on Thursdays at noon.

What happens

• Arrive about ten minutes early so you’re not rushed.
• Plan for about 75 minutes altogether.
• We sit down together first and explain what we’re going to do.
• You stay fully clothed, seated in a chair, in a quiet room with other people.
• Five small, single-use needles are placed in each ear.
• You rest for a while — most people find it settling; some feel very little, and that’s normal too.
• We finish with time to integrate: a chance to notice and settle whatever came up before you go back out into your day.
• You can leave whenever you’re ready.

Where: 88 Harwood Avenue South, Ajax, Ontario
Questions: 905-683-0690

You can start at any session

Our groups run on rolling enrolment — there’s no course to join and no cohort to wait for, which is why you can simply turn up.

This is a little different from how the NADA protocol is often delivered. It’s usually run as a set course of about fifteen sessions, with only three of them setting aside time to integrate the experience. We make time to integrate at the end of every session, so you’re never waiting for a particular week to make sense of what you noticed.

Would you rather begin with a conversation?

Some people would rather talk first, and that’s a good way in too. Ask your family doctor for a referral to Dr. Carlos Yu at Ajax Harwood Clinic for group ear acupuncture, and we’ll meet one-to-one before you join a group. It’s a chance to talk about what brought you here, and for Dr. Yu to walk you through what the sessions are actually like — some people find it easier to enter a room they’ve already heard described.

📄 Download Referral Form (PDF)

Fax: 905-683-1431

The referral is a way in, never a requirement. If it’s simpler to just come on Wednesday, come on Wednesday.

What to expect at your first session

• Arrive a few minutes early to get settled
• You’ll be welcomed quietly and shown to a seat
• Small sterile acupuncture needles are placed in the outer ear (in-person sessions)
• You rest quietly for the session — eyes closed or open, whichever you prefer
• Afterward there’s an optional brief opportunity to share observations
• No pressure to talk, perform, or achieve anything

About the NADA protocol

NADA stands for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association — the standardized 5-point ear acupuncture protocol developed in the 1970s and now used in mental health, addiction recovery, and trauma support programs internationally. It’s safe, widely studied, and intentionally simple. It works best as part of a broader care approach rather than as a standalone treatment.

The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Group sessions are a complementary support, not a substitute for ongoing medical or mental health care. If you are in crisis or have thoughts of harming yourself, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. For non-urgent concerns, our Patient Access portal reviews submissions within 1 business day.