I knew this was my course when I walked away from my first acupuncture treatment lightened, giddy, and completely resolved of the depression I’d been thwarted by for months. Finally, I thought, a medicine that supported my natural state of being, harmlessly. I was hooked. More than a decade later, my family is in part thanks to the acupuncture I gave to my wife during IVF. I have 18 years of patient experience in the miracles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and nutritional support, and I co-authored “What’s Your Season?”, a book that celebrates TCM principles in a body-type focused guide to health living. For more information, please visit www.whatsyourseason.com.

My graduate clinical research in immunology yielded significant evidence in support of acupuncture’s enhancement of immune response. My additional clinical experience includes participation with the support staff and medical records team at Dr. Dean Ornish’s Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. While there, I studied and observed the benefits of preventive medicine as applied to cardiac and cancer patients. I previously held a professorship at Mercy College and the Swedish Institute in New York City. While in NY, my work with the Center for Women’s Reproductive Care at Columbia University helped spur my passion for providing Chinese Medicine care for patients struggling with infertility.

I am a licensed acupuncturist in the states of California and New York, a Diplomate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and a Certified Applied Clinical Nutritionist. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Chemistry minor. I also earned an additional Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a Master’s degree in Professional Studies for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York. I am an esteemed member of the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM).

I knew this was my course when I walked away from my first acupuncture treatment lightened, giddy... Read More

When I was in junior high school, I had a kidney disease and was forced to live a life with many restrictions, such as no PE class and strict salt-reduced diet. Fortunately, the kidney issue went away in a few years, and I could return to a normal school life with no restrictions. Because of this experience, I was more aware of the importance of health.

After growing up, I had several unpleasant symptoms. It was not a disease, but the symptoms were very annoying. I saw a few doctors for these symptoms, but none of them gave me clear diagnosis nor treatments. One doctor prescribed medication to reduce the symptoms. When I took it, some of the symptoms disappeared, but they came back when I stopped it. Since I didn’t want to keep taking the medicine, I stopped it and had to live with the symptoms.

After I came to the United States and started studying Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) at University of East-West Medicine in Sunnyvale, I found those symptoms can be explained and treated in TCM. The TCM diagnosis made sense to me and I was very happy. I got acupuncture treatments from the teacher at the school’s clinic, treated myself with acupuncture and herbs, and made some tweaks in my diet and lifestyle. In a few months, symptoms were significantly reduced. When they come back, they are much lighter and more manageable.

I believe holistic medicine helps us to improve/maintain our health, and prevents us from developing disease. As a TCM practitioner, I am very interested in helping people around me with acupuncture, herbs, cupping, moxibustion, and other effective modalities depending on patients’ conditions. I wish all of us can enjoy a life full of energy and fun, and free from pain and disease.

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking and playing tennis. I love eating and I’m exploring recipes for simple, healthy and tasty dishes. Food is medicine for me.

When I was in junior high school, I had a kidney disease and was forced to live a life with many ... Read More

My interest in holistic medicine began when I was a teenager, when I taught myself about aromatherapy and the use of essential oils. I continue to employ the use of essential oils in my practice, both diffused into the air and also sometimes used topically for specific therapeutic effects. My interest in medicine continued into my college years at the University of California at Santa Barbara where I began the pre-medical program and earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and a Bachelor of Art in Environmental Studies. However I decided not to go directly into medical school following graduation and instead took a job offer up in San Francisco conducting oncology and metabolic drug discovery research. Having immersed myself in pharmaceutical research for five years, I realized I wanted to learn how to heal people in a more complete, gentle yet effective manner. This realization led me to begin studying Chinese Medicine at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) in San Francisco.

I am a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in California and hold a Master’s of Science in Tradition Chinese Medicine from ACTCM. I have extensive clinic experience from my internships at the ACTCM Community Clinic and at the ACTCM Auricular Clinic, as well as externships at the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic. I also completed an advanced program of study in Traditional Chinese Medicine, focusing on acupuncture and herbal medicine, at the Zhejiang Chinese Medical University in Hangzhou, China. I am currently completing my Doctoral degree from ACTCM, where I am pursuing advancing training in pain management, gynecology and mental health.

I am deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of my patients. I specialize in managing simple and complex pain problems, psycho-emotional issues such as stress, anxiety and depression, men’s health-specific issues, women’s health-specific issues and providing care to LGBTQ populations. I utilize modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine like acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, electrical-stimulation, gua sha, moxabustion, nutritional counseling and bodywork to bring my patients back to a place of harmony in their physical and mental states.

When I am not with my patients, you will most likely find me being outdoors. I love camping, hiking around, being at the beach on sunny days or staying at home and tending to my plants and cat Oscar.

My interest in holistic medicine began when I was a teenager, when I taught myself about aromathe... Read More

My path to holistic medicine has been a convoluted one that has taken me on deep dives into biology, chemistry and physics along the way. I graduated from Texas A & M University with a B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in French. During my studies I happened to read a book called The Dancing Wu Li Masters, which delved into the parallels between modern physics and various Eastern philosophical traditions. I was so interested in this dance of matter and energy that in addition to my usual premed classes I studied advanced math and physics. Although I was accepted to medical schools, I decided to go to graduate school instead. I attended U.C. Berkeley and completed an M.S. in Chemistry. My research project probed the interactions between pions and neutrons in ephemeral nuclei-like structures produced in heavy ion collisions at a particle accelerator.

Following grad school I was occupied in raising three children and pursuing interests in education and research. I taught high school biology and physics. I was an environmental education specialist at a nonprofit watershed association. I worked on neurobiology and molecular biology projects in labs at Princeton, Stanford and Case Western Reserve University. I went back to school and studied graduate level molecular biology. I co-authored five papers in peer-reviewed journals. Along the way I encountered some significant health problems that were recalcitrant to western biomedicine. I suffered from autoimmune neurological problems that I feared would leave me wheelchair-bound and found relief in modalities such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, moxibustion, reiki and craniosacral therapy. I also found to my great surprise that I could modulate my symptoms by changing my diet. I found I was able to help friends and family members improve their health by lowering their inflammatory load.

Over time my interests trended more toward holistic medicine, and along with studying taiji and Mandarin, I followed my heart to enroll in ACTCM to pursue my Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. In addition to training at the ACTCM clinic, I completed internships at community clinics focusing on auricular acupuncture and did an externship with a Five Elements-focused practitioner. I also completed an internship at CPMC Hospital, Davies Campus in San Francisco, using acupuncture to treat patients with neurological disorders including stroke sequelae and Guillain-Barre syndrome. I was fortunate to be awarded a scholarship to participate in an eight-week program in Zhengzhou, China at the Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. My interests today include treating autoimmune/inflammatory issues and promoting prenatal and postnatal health and hormonal balance. I am also interested in treating ADHD, anxiety and other mental health issues using the ancient wisdom of this medicine. I love to help people identify dietary choices that match their constitutions, and I am a skilled herbalist able to provide custom prescriptions and tailor them as conditions evolve. Our bodies are an amazing dance of matter and energy, form and function. With this holistic medicine we have a variety of tools available to empower patients to take charge of their health and find balance. In addition to practicing acupuncture and herbal medicine, I am a senior lecturer teaching physics at ACTCM. I also love to garden, cook, play the piano and enjoy hiking and kayaking in the beautiful Bay Area!

My path to holistic medicine has been a convoluted one that has taken me on deep dives into biolo... Read More