Biography

Background
I have an intimate relationship with injury and chronic pain due to a genetic collagen disorder called Hypermobile Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). I came to my studies in massage therapy, acupuncture, and medical qigong because the standard offerings of NSAIDs, narcotics, and cortisone injections frequently caused more problems for me than they resolved. However, I’ve become the kind of practitioner that I am due to a robust and varied trauma history that started at eleven months of age, much of which was medical trauma.

I’ve operated my intimate, one-room practice since 2010. My background as a massage therapist greatly informs my knowledge of the body and how I approach it through acupuncture, and my extensive and ongoing experiences as a patient within the medical establishment continue to shape the ways in which I relate to my patients and inspire me to simply be better in every aspect of the care that I provide. Increasingly I find that this means helping people to address their experiences of trauma, old and new, as well as working through my own with the help of ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP), talk therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), acupuncture, qigong, meditation, nurturing deep connections with human and non-human animals, gardening, art, and finding humor and awe whenever possible.

I identify as nonbinary and will appreciate your use of they/them pronouns.

Education
Licensed Acupuncturist, California (2010)
Doctorate of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine (DAIM): AIMC, Berkeley CA (2019)
Certified Medical Qigong (CMQ) Practitioner: Friedman & Stason (2019)
Master of Science, Oriental Medicine (MSOM): AIMC, Berkeley CA (2009)
Massage Therapist & Health Educator: NHI, Emeryville CA (2003-2013)
Bachelor of Science, Plant Biology: UC Davis (1998)

Authorship
It’s Raining Zebras: An Acupuncturist’s Guide for the Better Recognition and Treatment of Individuals with Hypermobile Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (2019)