I founded Healthy Chi Chinese & Integrative Medicine in West Berkeley to serve Bay Area patients and beyond dealing with acute and chronic illness and give them a path to restore vitality, lower incidence of disease and build lasting, thriving health. I am Board certified by the California Acupuncture Board and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
My expertise in integrative cancer care is based on following that inner calling to work with one of the most challenging disease complexes – cancer. I received advanced training with world renown collaborative oncology pioneer Donald Yance, author of Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer. My private practice specializes in working with individuals with cancer, endocrine imbalances including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (which I manage as well) + adrenal fatigue, immunity + auto-immune disease, women’s health from PMS to menopause + wellness for all.
I come from a long line of health professionals. My interest in wellness began at an early age with the introduction of stress management + mind/body tools. While earning my BA in Art History I applied body/mind focus via Hatha Yoga practice, and found my way to a life-changing course, The Microbiology of Cancer, which opened my eyes to the biology of disease and the power of the mind + spirit in illness and healing. After several years working in the Arts back East, I changed my course, relocated to California, and joined the Preventive Medicine Research Institute’s Prostate Cancer Resource Study (Dean Ornish/UCSF/Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) in 1998 as an intern to deepen my understanding of the roles stress-reduction and nutrition play in cancer and healing.
What followed include formal training and a Masters of Science through the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco along with 2000 clinical hours; a 9-month externship a the Zen Hospice of San Francisco working with end-stage hospice patients, their families and staff; and a visiting internship at the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan Province.
Inspiring patients towards optimal health has been an honor. Along the way, I have shared my knowledge in my clinic and out in the world, offering over a dozen years of experience in integrative nutrition, herbs and supplementation, including training staff in integrative protocols and provided consultation to thousands of clients seeking support with herbs and nutraceuticals to feel their best – from cold sores to cancer.
It is a pleasure to guest lecture throughout the SF Bay Area on a wide variety of topics including adrenal fatigue, botanical medicine, cancer, stress, food as medicine, inflammation, metabolic issues, menopause and more. You can probably tell by now, I am passionate about my field of study and vocation / calling. I truly enjoy staying current with medical research and regularly attend continuing education courses in endocrinology, immunity and oncology.
In 2009 I birthed my seasonal Longevity Living Program where I guide patients to embody Longevity Medicine with more culinary creativity, joy, wisdom, a zest for quality of life + a deeper connection to their health and well-being.
When not treating patients or continually honing my medicinal craft, I take pleasure in creating colorful gluten-free cuisine, hiking, Hawaiian summer breezes + ocean time, Tai Chi/Qi Gong, music, snow sports in the Sierras with my beloved husband, and co-producing our annual gift back to our community, worldOne festival. I will forever remain a student of the meaning of life and making a difference in the lives of others.