Meet Us

I grew up in the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States as a teen, living in New York and Chicago before moving to the Bay Area in 1998. I have been involved with various healing and meditation traditions for over 30 years and have been practicing acupuncture and Chinese herbal Medicine since 2003. I started out providing acupuncture in public health settings, including Quan Yin Healing Arts Center in San Francisco and the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic in Oakland, and quickly realized that working with under-served populations was a passion of mine.

Being introduced to the Community Acupuncture practice model in 2006 transformed me deeply. It made sense to me from the point of view of sustainability, healthcare access, social justice, ethical livelihood, and as an antidote to isolation so rampant in our society. I have taught Community Acupuncture practice development at AIMC, an acupuncture college in Berkeley. I also served on the Board of Directors of Community Acupuncture Network and volunteered for POCA co-op, helping develop online continuing education courses for fellow community acupuncturists.

If you hike at Point Pinole, Miller Knox, or Alvarado Regional Parks, or swim at the Richmond Plunge, you have probably run into me. I am a step-parent (and grandparent!) and a visual artist. I share my home life with my spouse and two cats.

I was born and raised in Southern California, but it was while I was earning my M.A. in Eastern Classics in the high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico where I had my first acupuncture treatment at a community clinic. It was a profound experience for my physical and mental health, and helped me imagine the next step on my path — a progression from my intellectual and philosophical interests into an embodied practice I could use in my daily life to help myself and others.

I strongly feel that the community-acupuncture model of inclusive, affordable health care creates a much-needed and accessible space for healing in our otherwise inequitable and profit-driven world. With the intention of becoming a community acupuncturist, I moved to the Bay Area in 2014 and began my Shiatsu and Chinese Medicine studies at ACTCM in San Francisco, and graduated from AIMC in Berkeley in 2019. I made sure to sign up for as many externships as I could, namely: Ashby Lifelong Clinic, Charlotte Maxwell Clinic (learn more about the Charolette Maxwell Clinic by clicking here), UC Berkeley Athletics, and SF Homeless Prenatal.

I’ve been a part of Sarana community since 2016, volunteering at the front desk and receiving weekly acupuncture treatments. I still love and depend on my weekly acu-nap here!

I am currently enrolled in a medical qigong certification course and enjoy weaving in elements of qigong and shiatsu into my acupuncture treatments. I also enjoy meditation, consulting Yi Jing, playing video games, reading, karaoke, dancing, and spending time with friends and family.

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I grew up in Massachusetts, daughter of a Chinese immigrant biologist father and a Chinese-American librarian mother.  After 20 years of practicing architecture/civil engineering, and a bout with early-stage ovarian cancer, I received a Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences in Oakland, California and am licensed to practice acupuncture in California.

Having a deep-seated desire for a world with ample resources for people to create their own solutions to everyday problems, I am delighted to have worked at Sarana Community Acupuncture since 2008. I am a member of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) co-op.

For many years I volunteered at the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic—a clinic that offers free alternative-therapy care for low-income women with cancer. Outside of work, I am a mostly-mediocre violinist, swimmer, and tai-chi practitioner. I have an aquaponic garden in my Berkeley backyard. I am also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School and a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Micronesia).

This is your Team Member description. Use this space to write a brief description of this person’s role and responsibilities, or add a short bio.

This is your Team Member description. Use this space to write a brief description of this person’s role and responsibilities, or add a short bio.

This is your Team Member description. Use this space to write a brief description of this person’s role and responsibilities, or add a short bio.