DOES ABORM / FABORM CERTIFICATION MATTER FOR FERTILITY ACUPUNCTURE?

May 1

What does ABORM certification mean — and should you even care?

I want to talk about that fancy abbreviation you sometimes see fertility acupuncturists list after their names: ABORM. Many skilled, caring practitioners in this field have it — including those I genuinely respect. But I want to help you understand what it actually means, what it doesn't tell you, and what questions might serve you even better when you're choosing who to trust as a practitioner with something as important as fertility.

The difference between National Board Certification (NCBAHM) and ‘specialty’ boards.

A board-certified acupuncturist in the U.S. (such as myself) has earned what is essentially a mini-medical degree. I’m talking 3,000+ hours of training, a Master's or Doctorate degree, hundreds of practical internship hours, grueling National board exams, clean needle certification, and ongoing CPR training — plus a minimum of 60 hours of continuing education every renewal cycle of 3 years.

The credentials that signify a licensed medical professional in this field are:

L.Ac. — Licensed Acupuncturist
Dipl. Ac. — Diplomate of Acupuncture
NCBAHM Certification — The National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (formerly known as the NCCAOM)

I have been NCBAHM board-certified and licensed since 2006.

So, what is ABORM certififcation?

ABORM was created to establish a "minimum competency" standard for acupuncturists working with fertility patients and interacting with Western clinics and Reproductive endocrinologists (REs). It was designed to ensure that acupuncturists could "speak the language" of reproductive anatomy, hormones, and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) protocols like IUI and IVF.

And that is a great goal! It provides a baseline for practitioners who are new to the field.

Why I chose the ‘ceiling’ over the ‘floor’.

To start, the facts.

I’ve been specializing in fertility for nearly two decades. I did hundreds of additional hours of training in fertility and trauma while concurrently earning my Master’s degree. Since 2006, I have exclusively offered trauma-informed, evidence-based care for fertility and women’s health. I have more hands-on experience in these areas than several of the founders of these credentialing bodies, and considerably more than the vast majority of people who pursue the certification.

I’ve been present for over 1,000 embryo transfers — making me likely the most experienced embryo transfer acupuncture Minneapolis. I don’t just know IVF protocols and how to support people navigating them, I’ve created an entire course on everything IVF. I’ve seen the evolution of this medicine from the inside. ABORM shows that a person has baseline knowledge; I’m much more interested in the ceiling.

I debated going through the ABORM paces for good measure. I started taking the prerequisite courses, but what I discovered made my "Minnesota Nice" facade start to crack.

“This "closed-loop" system which is considered unethical and not accepted in other medical professions gave me pause, but it was the content that ultimately made me walk away.

I found a certification system where the same small group of people helped create the credential, designed the required courses, teach those courses, grade the exams, and collect the fees at every step. This "closed-loop" system which is considered unethical and not accepted in other medical professions gave me pause, but it was the content that ultimately made me walk away.

In one course, I heard a teacher suggest that when a pregnancy ends in loss, or a baby has genetic anomalies, it may be because the embryo is “mirroring” dysfunction in the mother.

I was horrified.

This kind of teaching is not only scientifically unsupported — it’s deeply harmful. It risks blaming people for heartbreaking losses they did not cause. It reinforces a culture of shame around infertility, miscarriage, and disability that I actively work to dismantle.

And so it was a hard pass for me. Like, "Hulk-Mad!" table flipping, hard pass.

The 4 quadrants of the True-Holism model.

Rather than pursue a credential that doesn’t align with my ethics or science, I’ve chosen a different path. I’ve continued to invest in rigorous, independent education in reproductive medicine, holistic psychology, grief, and trauma-informed practice techniques that are always patient-centered and always evidence-based.

Instead of an alphabet soup of letters after my name, I lead my practice with my True-Holism Model of Care. This is a four-quadrant framework that balances:

The Foundation — Felt-safety and nervous system balance
The Nursery — Working seamlessly with your fertility, IVF, medical needs
The House — Protecting your mind/body health and overall quality of life
The Neighborhood — Prioritizing community, connection, and relationships

How to identify ethical, evidence-based fertility care in the Twin Cities?

I want to encourage you to stop looking for letters and start looking for truly-holistic trust. The real questions you should be asking yourself are beyond, "Did this person pass a specific test?" Instead, ask yourself:

Does this person ever, even subtly, imply that your stress, mindset, or emotional state caused your fertility struggles?
Do they work with your existing medical team, or do they position themselves as an alternative to it?
Do they tell you the truth about what the evidence does and doesn't support — even when it's not what you want to hear?
Does this person make space for grief and loss without rushing to reframe it or find meaning in it?
Do they take your budget, preferences, joy, and opinion into account when making recommendations and giving treatments?
Do they treat you as someone who is capable of handling real information about your own body?

Credentials are a starting point, not a destination. They tell you someone cleared a bar — they don't tell you how far above it they live. Whatever letters appear after your provider's name, these are the questions worth sitting with. And whether you’re in the early stages of trying, working with CCRM, RMIA, CRM, Kindbody or a non-IVF clinic like OGI (a personal favorite for IUIs), I want you to have straight-up fabulous support. You deserve nothing less!

My commitment is to the ceiling, not the floor — to truth, to your wholeness, and to care that meets you exactly where you are.

XO,

Nicole, L.Ac. (wink)

Nicole Lange

LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST
HOLISTIC FERTILITY EDUCATOR