My acupuncture and herbal prescribing are grounded in traditional knowledge that was written down around 2,000 years ago in the classical Chinese medical texts, the study of which was a major focus for me during my four-year medical program, and remains an endless source of inspiration and effective treatment strategies. Though I avidly follow the latest research and techniques, I regularly return to the source, to drink deeply of the pure wisdom of the time-tested traditions.
I graduated with highest honors from a four-year medical program at the National College of Natural Medicine (now, University), in Portland, Oregon. In addition to being licensed by the state of Louisiana to practice acupuncture, I am board-certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental [sic] Medicine (NCCAOM) in Chinese Herbology and Oriental Medicine, granting me the title of Diplomat of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM).**
While in school, I enrolled in a year-long extracurricular program to study advanced classical acupuncture techniques, theory, and diagnostics with Dr. Edward Neal, MD, LAc. This course gave me clinical skills to apply Chinese medical theory – the notion that acupuncture is rooted in seasonal cycles and natural phenomena – directly with my patients. Additionally, I’ve completed a two-and-a-half year intensive apprenticeship in medical qigong therapies; and I’ve studied ancient and modern sound healing techniques from around the world. Although I don’t currently offer treatments with massage-only, I’ve been a licensed massage therapist for 20 years, and I incorporate bodywork – as well as my deep passion for anatomy and alignment – into most acupuncture sessions.
I received extensive training as an herbalist in Western and classical Chinese traditions, and I offer safe and effective remedies that will enhance and prolong the effects of my other therapies. My herbs are all ethically sourced, organic whenever available, and subject to rigorous testing to ensure identity, safety, and quality. I offer herbal consults with or without acupuncture.
Additionally, I bring 20 years as an anatomy-obsessed massage therapist to the treatment table. I incorporate some form of bodywork into most private treatments in order that I may help alleviate your structural, as well as energetic, imbalances.
Having worked in an allopathic public health clinic for almost five years in post-Katrina New Orleans, and in an integrative public health clinic while away in school, I am comfortable collaborating with your doctor and other healthcare providers (with your consent, of course) so that we can help you safely and effectively meet and surpass your goals.
I look forward to using my diverse talents to help you achieve the state of vitality that is your birthright! Please email me if you have any questions or would like more information about my work or qualifications.
**I am involved in an effort to eliminate the colonial, Euro-centric, and racist term “Oriental” from the names of my profession’s governing and certification bodies, colleges and universities, and professional degrees and licenses. Because I am trained in Chinese lineages, I refer to what I practice as “Chinese medicine”; the other preferred term is “East Asian medicine.”