MY HEALING STORY

I was born in Connecticut, the oldest of three children, and spent many hours in the enjoying the woods and loving nature.  Careful observation of nature is the core of classical Chinese medical philosophy and  the base of Classical Five Element Acupuncture which I practice today.  As a teen I was diagnosed with bone cancer and became an amputee in April of my Sophomore year.  My healing journey included multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  At the age of eighteen, I experienced an alternative college semester in Freedom, Maine—it  opened my mind and heart to a whole new world of paths towards growth and healing.

With an understanding of allopathic western medicine, from the point of view of a young patient, I chose to embark on a journey to understand alternative and complementary forms of medicine.  Over the years I have experienced healing opportunities with Tibetan medicine, qigong, healing touch, shamanic healing work, integrative breathwork, visualization techniques, emotional freedom 'tapping' techniques, Reiki, many types of body work, and other forms of deep healing.

I studied with Dr. Lorraine Da’Luz Vieira-Jones in the healing art of Classical Five Element Acupuncture. This included lecture, research, observation and clinicals for a period of almost five years, from September 2006 until Dr. Jones death in March, 2011. My training was a 3,500 hour apprenticeship with Dr. Jones—a clinician who studied directly under J.R Worsley in Leamington Spa and received a Doctorate in medical-cultural anthropology from Oxford University.  About a year after training with Dr. Jones, I finished my clinicals with Kali Day—a certified acupuncturist who is the owner of "One Love Wellness" in Eugene, Oregon and currently teaches courses in the philosophies and practice of acupuncture. I currently practice Classical Five-Element Acupuncture at Peaceful Body Wellness Retreat here in Salina.