Balboa Park Holistic Wellness Center

Balboa Park Holistic Wellness Center Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, functional nutrition, craniosacral therapy dedicated to helping people get back to doing what they love!

When you're both a provider and a patient, a retreat for breast cancer patients is both a project and a chance to unwind...
09/18/2026

When you're both a provider and a patient, a retreat for breast cancer patients is both a project and a chance to unwind.

I'm at Camp Sacramento through the weekend with the California Breast Cancer Support Group. That's not the one I run, though we do a lot of cross-promotion and work together in the San Diego area.

While I'm here, I'm giving talks on managing lymphedema and on the role of complementary medicine in breast cancer treatment. I'm also enjoying morning yoga classes, relaxing with my feet in the creek, hiking to Lover's Leap, singing songs around the campfire, putting on my pink and dancing my heart out, sipping some wine, tie dying all the things, letting a few arrows fly (and hopefully hitting the target!), and bonding with breast cancer sisters from all over California.

I'll be back in the clinic on Monday!!

I’ve said yes to a lot of things over the years.This book felt different.The Integrated Bodies is a collaborative explor...
09/16/2026

I’ve said yes to a lot of things over the years.

This book felt different.

The Integrated Bodies is a collaborative exploration of what happens when we stop separating the mind, body, and energetic experience of being human.

I said yes because this is a subject I'm super passionate about. I've always believed that we CAN'T separate mind, body, and spirit. They are intimately intertwined, and any true healing needs to address all three.

My chapter explores how integrative medicine can support patients going through cancer treatment. Not as a substitute for conventional care, but as a way to support normal physiology, and to support the whole patient, body, mind, and spirit while conventional care addresses the cancer.

What I love about a collaborative book like this is that there isn’t one right way to experience the body.

There are stories.
There are perspectives.
There are questions.
There are lived experiences.

Together, they create something much bigger than any one chapter.
I can’t wait to share it with you.

Spoiler alert...e-book version is scheduled to go live on 10/1/26!

The paperback version dropped yesterday, and I couldn't be more excited!! I know some of you love to have an actual book...
09/15/2026

The paperback version dropped yesterday, and I couldn't be more excited!! I know some of you love to have an actual book in your hands rather than reading on a screen, and now you can.

Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Grit-Compassionate-Treatment-Supportive/dp/B0H4DBSN86

If you're inspired to purchase, it would mean the world to me. Amazon sales are very much driven by reviews, so if you do purchase and read it, I'd be so grateful if you would leave an honest review.

It's HERE!!!! 😍🤩🥳The e-book version of Grace in the Grit is now available for purchase!The more sales I get today, the m...
09/09/2026

It's HERE!!!! 😍🤩🥳

The e-book version of Grace in the Grit is now available for purchase!

The more sales I get today, the more likely it is to be a best seller in the breast cancer category, so if you're thinking about purchasing, I'd be so grateful if you jump in and go for it today.

Here's the link...just copy/paste it into your browser:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HGGZW18X?spcref=PRE_ORDER_RELEASED_WITH_SELECT

I'm so excited to finally have it available for you!

Because ONE big writing project wasn't enough...I've been talking for over a month about publishing my first book, and I...
09/05/2026

Because ONE big writing project wasn't enough...

I've been talking for over a month about publishing my first book, and I'm thrilled to have Grace in the Grit finally out in the world (e-book releases 9/9/26!) But it's not the only writing project I've been working on.

About 2 months ago, I was invited to contribute a chapter in a book project called The Integrated Bodies - a collaborative collection exploring the relationship between mind, body, and energy.

I've talked so much about how our bodies aren't separate from our stories, and how our emotions influence our physical wellbeing. It's actually one of the reasons I went to acupuncture school - East Asian medicine was the only system I could find which both was recognized enough to carry a license AND looked at mind and body is inseparably integrated.

This book brings together different voices, experiences, and perspectives around that intersection.

My chapter is one piece of a much larger conversation, and I can't wait to share it with you.

The Integrated Bodies launches October 1st as an e-book!

Stay tuned...I’ll be sharing more about my chapter and the book as we get closer. ✨

What did I do before acupuncture? Healthcare is the only industry I've worked in. I started a receptionist in my Dad's d...
08/28/2026

What did I do before acupuncture?

Healthcare is the only industry I've worked in. I started a receptionist in my Dad's dental office when I was 16, and by the time I finished high school I was running his front and back office doing everything from chairside assisting to insurance billing. I went to college, and finished a bachelor's degree in psychology with a pre-med focus, and then a master's in rehabilitation counseling. I couldn't quite bring myself to apply to medical school, so I worked for a few years before deciding on my next step.

My first few years of post-college life were spent working as a substance abuse counselor, and then helping people transitioning out of rehab programs to figure out their next steps towards supporting themselves while sober. I spent a few years as a case manager in the worker's compensation system before heading back to school to study acupuncture.

If you've been my patient and wonder why it sometimes feels like you're going for therapy, it's because I did individual and group counseling in my pre-acupuncture life. I'm not a licensed therapist in California, but the skills I learned from doing that type of work get used every day in my current practice. Chinese medicine is one of the few medical fields which consider physical and emotional issues to be inseparable, which is why I chose it, and one of the reasons why I love it so much.


It's FINALLY HERE!!Official release of the Kindle version is on September 9, 2026, with the paperback version to follow ...
08/26/2026

It's FINALLY HERE!!

Official release of the Kindle version is on September 9, 2026, with the paperback version to follow on September 14. I can't wait for you to read it!

The Kindle version has a special pre-release price, which will be going up when the book is live, so if you're inspired, now is a great time to reserve your copy. Hit the send message button below if you'd like me to drop the link into your messages box.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HGGZW18X

08/20/2026

Besides needles, acupuncturists may use modalities like moxibustion (burning specially prepared mugwort over acupuncture points or meridians), cupping, gua sha (scraping with a blunt tool, sometimes called Graston technique in PT or chiropractic practices), and tui na (traditional Chinese massage).

Today's August Meet the Acupuncturist question is which do I prefer and why. I love them all, but I'm so allergic to moxa that I rarely use it. It helps if I wear a mask, but some of that smoke still gets through and while I love the scent, my lungs aren't a fan.

Cupping and gua sha can both be effective for relieving pain and stretching out tight connective tissue, and I use them occasionally, particularly when my hands are tired from too much bodywork or there's large area of the body that needs attention like the whole back.

Tui na (or really any type of bodywork) is truly my favorite. Why? I like to have my hands on the patient when I'm doing this type of work. I'm better at getting feedback from the tissue I'm working on when my hands are in direct contact, and it's easier for me to notice when I'm getting close to being therapeutically ambitious. Besides, it feels great and touch is incredibly important to human wellbeing. Too many of us rarely experience touch outside of intimacy, and it truly is therapeutic to receive touch in other ways.

08/18/2026

Here's a quick tour of my clinic. From the reception area to the treatment rooms, I do my best to create a peaceful, calming space for my patients to unwind and heal in.

How could I possibly resist a post for National Relaxation Day, an observation day which was created by a 9 year old boy...
08/15/2026

How could I possibly resist a post for National Relaxation Day, an observation day which was created by a 9 year old boy in 1989??

The whole point is to bring awareness to the very deep need for relaxation and self-care. American culture is so frenetic all the time, and we have so many things we "have to" do, that taking time out to relax feels indulgent if not downright sinful. Yet, it's critical to our ability to recharge, fill our cups back up, and keep going.

Relaxation means different things to different people. It could be unplugging from devices or the work calendar. Maybe its taking a walk or a bath or a nap. It could be watching a movie with a loved one, or a quiet dinner at home.

Whatever relaxation means for you, I hope you'll take some time today to enjoy some special personal time.

Address

2310 6th Avenue
San Diego, CA
92101

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 7pm

Telephone

+16197724002

Website

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