Offerings
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in working with me. I offer Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments, which can include a combination of multiple modalities depending on the condition we are treating and what you would like to receive. Modalities include acupuncture, Tui Na medical massage, cupping, customized herbal formulas, moxabustion, and recommendations for supplements, nutrition, and lifestyle. I also offer menstrual cycle tracking education using the Fertility Awareness Method. Please read more below to learn more about each modality.
Treatments are offered at my practice located within Labrys Healthcare Center, an inclusive & ADA accessible healing space on the border of Oakland and Berkeley. Treatment rates are intended to balance affordability with my sustainability as a practice. I do not take insurance, but I can create a superbill for insurance reimbursement. I do have a number of sliding scale spots available. If you have financial need, please let me know and request a sliding scale discounted rate.
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This is an introductory phone call for us to assess your needs and goals for treatment, and for you to ask any questions you may have. If we feel that we are good fit for each other, the next step is to schedule an initial session. I can also help refer you to other practitioners or modalities.
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New Patient Intake sessions are 90-minutes to allow time for a detailed intake and accurate Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis, followed by an initial acupuncture and bodywork treatment. Prior to the appointment, you will be asked to complete an initial intake and health history form, which we will use to help guide our first session. After your first visit, you will be given a comprehensive treatment plan that is customized for you and your condition.
Cost: $150 -
Follow-up sessions include a brief check-in and intake, and treament that may use multiple modailities such as Tui Na massage and cupping followed by acupuncture. Additions or modifications may be made to your herbal formula and overall treatment plan.
Cost: $125 -
Virtual sessions are held for Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis, customized herbal formulas, recommendations for supplements, nutrition, or lifestyle suggestions, and menstrual cycle tracking using the Fertility Awareness Method. We meet over Zoom for a 1-hour intake and consultation session, followed by your personalized treatment plan.
Cost: $90
Modalities
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the use of fine needles inserted into the body to treat internal imbalances. The stimulation provided by the needle sends signals to the nervous system to enter into a “relax and repair” state, helping strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself. In TCM, we use points on the limbs, torso, and scalp that have been time-tested to be major thorough-fares for nerve signals and energetic flow, and which connect back to the nervous system and to the inner organs.
Orthopedic acupuncture is the use of acupuncture to heal pain and injuries to muscles, ligaments and tendons, and bones. We often start by locating areas of pain or previous injury, and identifying areas that need repair and strengthening. Specialized techniques for needling into certain muscle groups and joints are used. A low-level of electrical stimulation is often applied to the needles, similar to a tens-unit. This helps break up adhesions in muscle tissue, and stimulates the repair of tissues and fibers.
Herbal Medicine
Customized herbal formula prescriptions can be helpful for addressing a wide variety of conditions, from acute to chronic. A custom formula can include anywhere from three to 15 herbs or more, depending on the condition we are treating. Each formula is crafted after a thorough intake and diagnosis, taking into account your individual constitution and the diease condition.
Herbs can be given in several forms: a powder that is mixed with hot water to drink as a tea, raw herbs that are boiled into a tea, or pills. For chronic conditions, taking herbal medicine regularly (usually 2 times a day) for one to three months is recommended to make a significant impact.
Within each formula I offer, there is also an invitation to connect with the spirit of the plants. When we work with herbal medicine in this way, acknowledging our connection to these plants that have assisted people for centuries, our healing can deepen in profound ways. The formulas that I use are mostly based on classical Chinese herbal medicine, a system that has been in use for over 2,000 years, and which is still found to be clinically effective today. At times I also include herbs that are native to northern California, the Americas, and Europe. I also encourage exploration into your ancestral plant medicines, and am happy to incorporate those into your treatments.
Menstrual Cycle Tracking
Menstrual cycle tracking is used as a means of natural contraception, or to promote conception. It can also help with identifing hormonal imbalances, and developing a deeper understanding of one’s body and one’s health. We start by learning how to identify our key fertility biomarkers: cervical fluid, basal body temperature, and changes in our cervix. By taking note of them each day, we can know when we are fertile and when we are not. Using the tracking techniques to inform our decisions about our reproductive health is called the Fertility Awareness Method. This is a fundamental life skill for people who have wombs. For many, it is a means of bodily autonomy. Through this practice, we tune into the inner wisdom of the menstrual cycle as a vital sign of our health, a source of empowered embodiment, and a primary way in which we are connected to the rhythms of nature.
Nutrition & Lifestyle Support
Depending on the conditions we are treating, nutritional and lifestyle recommendations can be offered. Recommendations are based on the Chinese Medicine diagnosis, which takes into account your constitution and current condition. For example, certain foods may have a tendency to aggravate certain disease conditions, or may not be compatible with certain constitutions. Supplements may be recommended for some conditions. Lifestyle recommendations may include suggestions for regular self-care practices and routines, movement and exercise, and referrals for working with other practitioners as a care team.
Tui Na Medical Massage
Tui Na is a form of Chinese medical massage and bodywork. It can be done over clothing, or directly on the skin. It can involve a range of light to hard pressure, and gentle to strong techniques, depending on the condition being treated. Tui Na can be done on the whole body, including the abdomen to benefit the abdominal organs. I usually begin each session with a brief Tui Na session to help the body relax and open up to the treatment, and also to help me better diagnose the condition and understand where in the body to focus the treatment. This hands-on approach to diagnosis and treatment was taught to me by Dr. Zhang Tong over the course of two years.
Cupping
Cupping involves the use of suction applied directly to the skin. By suctioning a part of the skin into the cup, layers of fascia and muscle tissue are lifted apart. This breaks up knots and adhesions in the tissues, and allows for new blood circulation to enter the area. After a cupping session, muscles may feel more loose and relaxed, or even a little sore. There is also often a red or purple mark at the site of the cup, which can last for several days. Cupping can be done with plastic suction cups, or glass cups with the traditional fire cupping technique. In fire cupping, a small cotton ball soaked in alcohol is lit on fire, and the flame is inserted in the glass cup, creating a vacuum of air pressure. The flame is removed from the cup, and the cup is then quickly placed on the skin, which produces the vacuum or suction effect.
Moxabustion
Moxabustion can help increase energy and vitality, strengthen the immune system, alleviate pain, and warm the body. It is the use of the dried plant mugwort, and specifically the variety Artemisia Argyi (Ai Ye), as an incense to warm certain areas of the body. This variety of mugwort was historically found by Chinese doctors to powerfully invigorate blood circulation, and it is often used as a tea for the same purpose. When doing moxabustion, we light the dried herb over the skin, either over areas of pain or numbness, or on certain specifically chosen points to address specific conditions. Moxabustion pre-dates acupuncture, and traditionally in some cases is considered even more important than acupuncture to an effective treatment.
Infrafred Light Therapy
Infrared heat lamps are used over the therapy table while you are laying with needles or cups. Infrared light has been shown to help reduce inflammation, invigorate circulation, promote tissue healing and collagen production, and reduce pain.
Conditions Treated
Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture & herbal medicine, can help with treating:
Digestive system diseases, menstural and hormonal imbalances, sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression, psychoemotional stress, headaches and migraines, autoimmune disorders, skin conditions, muscle and joint pain and injuries, after-effects of surgery, and more.
The goal of treatment is to identify and address the root cause of the condition, taking into account how various symptoms are related and your unique constitution.