A linguist trained at the University of Michigan with a specialty in Japanese language, I apply my decoding skills to the field of TCM and approach different medical paradigms as languages with their own respective norms, worldviews and unspoken understandings. I trained in Shiatsu and neuromuscular therapies in Boulder, Colorado, and practiced Shiatsu for employees in the Google corporate office 2008-2019. Whilst a student at Southwest Acupuncture College (SWAC) Boulder, I had the opportunity to translate for Dr Katai when he came to speak at SWAC during a visit to see his son in college (and the scheduled translator fell through last minute). Since then, I have been blessed with numerous opportunities to translate his spoken and written work, and have studied with him intensively at his Acu-Moxa clinic in Tsukuba, Japan.
I obtained my doctorate at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM), and did further research into mental-emotional conditions, male reproductive disorders and tinnitus. Through this research, I developed novel formulas and acupuncture protocols for relieving discomfort and lowering PSA levels. The doctoral studies further informed nuanced approaches to treating patients with anxiety, depression and bipolar disorders, especially conditions not adequately addressed by medication and talk therapy.