CJ, I have some information for you from my acupuncturist. Yes, they are licensed and well regulated and governed. You can ask to see a license. Some work in a Dr's office, some, like mine, are in private practice. Out here in CA. the largest HMO has acupuncturists on staff, so it has become a legitimate entity in the US. It's the oldest medical model dating back 5000 years. I've learned to trust my acupuncturist as much as I trust my Dr., sometimes more.
Mine told me that it can help with weight loss, it works energetically to strengthen the physical body and the emotional body so it is not a quick fix. Acupuncture in general, with a couple of exceptions like sciatica, is a longer term healing model. The Chinese believe that it takes the body quite a long time to get out of balance and/or 'sick' so it will take awhile for it to gain health back. It's a very different perspective then the western cultural quick fix, but once the body is in balance, with no blockages in the Chi (energy), it becomes peaceful and can utilize it's own remarkable healing capabilities to stay healthy.
I posed your question to her about acupuncture "hurting." She said that Chinese acupuncture, can in fact, hurt. She said they use larger needles and the basic thought process is that if it gets the Chi to move, that is the focus, not on it being painless. The Japanese and Korean methods use thinner needles and are therefore easier on the patient, however, as I mentioned before, it can be a tad uncomfortable at times. Your daughter should be prepared for that. I went to a Chinese acupuncturist in Florida about 20 years ago and the procedures with him sometimes hurt. It's a quick sting like feeling as the energy moves and then it's instantly gone. He also used an electric current that pulsed through the needles and that was sometimes uncomfortable. You may want to find a practitioner who practices the Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese models.
My acupuncturist is Korean and uses the Japanese model of acupuncture, which apparently is less likely to hurt then the Chinese. I told her you were in the Northeast and she knew of an excellent acupuncturist in Boston, she gave me her name so if you are in that area, PM me and I will pass along her name to you. (I don't think we're supposed to do recommendations on the board) She told me this woman is a "premier expert."
I hope that helps you. Good luck in your search.