I received my first acupuncture treatment in 1989.  I didn't notice a dramatic change at first, though some people do.  After six weeks of treatment I felt much better.  The changes were in the symptoms that led me to acupuncture and in many other ways as well.  I felt calmer, happier, and more aware.  I was so fascinated by these changes that I began to learn everything I could about the underlying philosophy of Chinese Medicine.  I discovered that the Chinese view of health and healing matched my own experience.

I began acupuncture school in 1992 at The Traditional Acupuncture Institute, now Tai Sophia.  In 1995 I became the 4th Licensed Acupuncturist in Virginia.  Other than 8 weeks off after the birth of my daughter I've been in private practice here in Northern Virginia ever since.  I love what I do.  I've seen incredible things -- people experiencing relief after years of intractable pain, women conceiving after years of infertility, people finding new strength when facing chronic illness, and people find peace when life is difficult.

Many styles of acupuncture have developed in the thousands of years since it became a medical tradition.  My original teachers all taught from the Five Element Tradition, brought to the west via J.R. Worsley.  This tradition uses elements in nature as metaphors for particular movements of qi that affect our body, mind, and spirit and treats on a deep constitutional level.

In order to pass the NCCAOM I also studied the Eight Principle Tradition.  This type of acupuncture is also part of TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine.  This is a somewhat more symptom focused diagnostic method.  However, both traditions often lead to use of the same points and both focus on treating the imbalance underlying the symptoms.  I am very pleased to use both traditions, as appropriate, in my clinic.