A Modern Approach to Holistic Healthcare

My Story…

I am passionate about holistic medicine that is a cooperative, patient-centered process.  I value your story and believe that no one knows more about your body than you.   My work in integrative medicine is as a steward and facilitator, not as an authority.  My mission is to work together to curate an empowered, sustainable, comprehensive plan that feels in-tune with your life and shifts you into balance, health and joy.  I draw on the ancient wisdom of the body in my practice and see our bodies as a fractal of the natural world.

I believe that we are tribal animals and need the love and support of others to heal. And that in order to heal on a foundational level, both the somatic and the psycho-social-spiritual layers of a person must be acknowledged and nurtured.  

Each one of us is a whole integrated being with a story. Finding ones way back to a path of integrity often requires the work of looking back to where you left your best self behind and acknowledging necessary changes.

I believe that self care is a form of social justice. 

In facilitating your healing journey, I draw on all of my experiences to help lead the way forward.  I am a health care practitioner and I am also a mother, a traveler, a dancer and yoga practitioner, a music fanatic, a lover of the Earth and wilderness, a member of a close community.  

I discovered the philosophies of Holistic medicine after a childhood spent beside the health struggles of a close family member.  I observed the impact of conventional medicine: a lack of cohesive plan and the failure to view her as a person rather than a collection of symptoms.  She became, after a decade of treatment for a chronic illness, deconstructed and lost, with multiple diagnoses and piles of medication.  In the end she found her healing by pushing back, advocating for herself and listening to her own intuition with the help of caring healers.

That experience catapulted me into two decades of rigorous study and practice of alternative therapies in the San Francisco Bay Area. I began studies of western herbal medicine in 1996 and went on to complete a one thousand hour program to become a Certified Massage Therapist at the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley. In 2004 I gained certification with DONA International and worked assisting in childbirth as a birth coach and Doula. During that time I also worked at the Berkeley Free Clinic where I trained and practiced as a volunteer medic, while deciding if I wanted to pursue a formal education in medicine. In the end I took a different route and attended The Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences where I received my Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine. After passing my state and national board exams I went on to practice at Octagon Community Acupuncture Clinic in Oakland and worked in private practice under Christine Friel at Double Happiness Health in San Francisco; a well reputed clinic known for winning the “Best of the Bay” award for many years. My work with Christine included in-hospital acupuncture at UCSF’s IVF and Fertility Clinic. There I used acupuncture protocols to support in egg retrieval and embryo transfer.

After several years in practice I cofounded PlumGold On-Site Wellness; a wellness business bringing yoga, meditation, acupuncture and massage into corporate offices across the financial district in San Francisco.

These years were full and exciting. But towards the end of my thirties, seeing my own burn out, the anxiety and fatigue that I was so used to seeing in my patients, I made the radical choice to uproot and move to a small island in Mexico.  There I spent several peaceful years running a holistic medicine practice and becoming a mother. 

I returned with my family to my hometown Davis, California when my daughter was two and spent years learning to re-integrate into the fast-paced flow of life here.  As most of us are aware, it is a challenge to balance the demands of work and the often sleepless nights of parenting with self care and joy and so I once again found myself out of balance and this time with the symptoms of autoimmunity that often arise after pregnancy and in middle age. My health concerns led me to seek schooling in Functional Medicine. This also enabled me to further my studies and to help my patients on a deeper level. I chose a mentorship program with Dr. Daniel Kalish of the Kalish Institute of Functional Medicine. As a lifelong student, I will continue indefinitely in advanced clinical rounds with a diverse group of medical practitioners, reviewing case studies and sharing knowledge. This ongoing learning feeds my passion for optimizing patient care.

It is essential for me to balance my life’s work with time spent with my family and enjoying the abundance of the world we live in.  I bring this experience into the collaborative work I do with patients in order to improve health and ultimately find better quality of life in a sustainable and joyful way.

Education

• Masters of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences Oakland, CA.

• Diplomat of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)

• Licensed Acupuncturist, (L.Ac.) – State of California Acupuncture Board.

• Certified Massage Therapist, (CMT) – California 

Additional Trainings and Certifications

• Functional Medicine Mentorship with Advanced Lab Interpretation Kalish Institute of Functional Medicine 2023-2024

• Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Whitfield Reaves L.Ac 2017-2018

• Chinese Herb Farming and Cultivation Apprenticeship Peg Schafer Petaluma, CA 2006

• Childbirth Doula Training and Certification DONA International 2004

• Massage Certificate The Acupressure Institute, Berkeley CA 2002