Hello & thanks for stopping by-
My goal is to help you achieve optimal health and wellness. Through working with my patients I have seen the impressive results that acupuncture and Chinese medicine can have. I am grateful to be able to share the benefit of my extensive education with you. My background includes training not only in acupuncture, but in a wide array of Chinese medicine modalities. I am licensed by the state and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Your unique health care situation is of the utmost importance to me. I am happy to answer any questions you may have regarding how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can benefit you. Together we can work towards achieving your health and wellness goals. I would love for you to experience feeling as whole & healthy as possible.
My journey in the health & wellness field began 20 years ago as a massage therapist in Florida. Within my first years working with clients, I learned there was more I wanted to help them with than what I was able to do with massage & bodywork.
When I sought treatment for migraines at 17 years old I was given prescription medications to help prevent them and also help manage them when prevention wasn’t achieved. My physician also “consoled” me with the assurance that migraines commonly subside during menopause. At that age I had no concept of when menopause happened, I only knew that it must be equivalent to “forever from now”…
For the next 12 years I lost a few days every month to migraines. The preventative medicine didn’t seem to make much difference. The other medication was effective at making me pass out until the pain went away. The doctors I saw all told me that my migraines were worse with my menstrual cycle (even though I tracked headaches, menstrual symptoms and cycles and found no link at all) and that my migraines were triggered by caffeine, hard cheeses, and chocolate (again, consistent tracking and assessment of relatedness didn’t confirm any causative connection). I did not feel seen or heard or hopeful of much relief.
My migraines and I lived our life for those 12 years during which I worked in the restaurant business as cook, chef, caterer, butcher, and baker. I worked A LOT! I hiked and ran ½ and full marathons and moved across the country to learn from amazing chefs wherever I traveled.
I began seeing a massage therapist to help with muscular pain related to high mileage running and the physicality of restaurant work. Massage worked wonders on my body and mind. Realizing that I could change careers and help others find relief as I was experiencing started this path that I still follow 20 years later…
I went to massage therapy school in Florida in 2000. Within a few years of practicing massage therapy, I knew that I wanted to offer more treatment options to my clients. During this time, I had begun treatments with acupuncture & chiropractic care for migraines, stress, insomnia, and knee pain.
The combination of massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic care provided the relief from migraines I had chased for a dozen years. Intrigued & encouraged by how acupuncture worked for me, I knew that I wanted to learn that and expand my ability to help clients regain their health.
Over the past 20 years I have incorporated acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, yoga, and mindfulness into my treatment sessions. Depending on the person’s condition and goals, I also consider using cupping, micro-current, or kinesiotaping.
A lifelong curious person and learner, I bring a wide breadth of experience and compassion into my work with patients.
