Creating space for healing
Acupuncture · Bodywork · MovementSan Diego, California
ScrollAcupuncture · Bodywork · MovementSan Diego, California
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01 — The idea
In East Asian medicine, qi (氣) is understood as the vital energy that animates and supports the body, mind, and spirit. At the heart of this tradition is a simple yet powerful idea: well-being is supported when qi can move freely and naturally.
Life can create moments when we feel stuck — physically, mentally, or emotionally. Stress, tension, exhaustion, and the demands of everyday life can affect our sense of balance and vitality. From an East Asian medicine perspective, these experiences may reflect a disruption in the natural flow of qi.
Healing begins by creating space for that flow to return.
Through acupuncture, breathwork, mindful movement, bodywork, herbal medicine, and intentional self-care, we can support the body's natural rhythms and reconnect with a deeper sense of balance. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, East Asian medicine invites us to listen to the whole person and cultivate harmony between body, mind, and spirit.
When we create space for qi to move, we create space for balance, vitality, and healing to unfold.
Fine needles. Precise points.
A body invited to let go.
02 — The practitioner
Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Pacific College of Health and Science, San Diego
Julie is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, specializing in orthopedic acupuncture with a strong focus on mental and emotional well-being.
Her path here ran through cultural anthropology and yoga. Anthropology gave her a lifelong curiosity about people, culture, and the many ways we experience health. Her training at the Kripalu School of Yoga in Massachusetts gave her a deep appreciation for the relationship between body, breath, mind, and spirit — a perspective that still shapes how she practices Chinese medicine. An avid cyclist, she also brings a personal understanding of movement, performance, and what it takes to keep a body resilient, which informs her orthopedic work directly.
Her approach is warm, thoughtful, and individual. Her orthopedic practice addresses pain, injury, mobility, and musculoskeletal concerns; her broader work honors the connection between physical health and emotional well-being. She believes healing is collaborative, and meets each patient where they are — with the aim that they leave not only feeling better physically, but with greater balance, resilience, and connection in everyday life.
03 — The work
Focused treatment for pain, injury, mobility limits and musculoskeletal concerns — shoulders, backs, hips, knees, and the accumulated wear of an active life.
Hands-on work with muscle, fascia and restriction. Often paired with needling to release what holds a pattern in place.
Cupping, gua sha and moxibustion used alongside treatment to move stagnation, warm cold, and encourage circulation through tight tissue.
Treatment for stress, sleep, anxiety and the exhaustion of everyday demands — care that listens to the whole person, not only the symptom.
One-to-one movement and breath, built around your body and what it needs — Kripalu-trained, and shaped by years of clinical practice.
Chinese herbal formulas prescribed on their own — a consultation, a pattern diagnosis, and a formula built for you rather than pulled off a shelf.
04 — Your first visit
Intake conversation — length TK. What's happening now, what's helped before, and what you want to change.
Orthopedic and movement assessment where relevant — range, restriction, and the pattern underneath the pain.
Needling, bodywork or adjunct therapy as indicated. Wear something loose and comfortable.
What to do between visits, and how often to return. Confirm cadence guidance with Julie.
Acupuncture needles are hair-fine — many times thinner than the needles used for injections or blood draws. Most people feel very little on insertion, sometimes nothing at all. Once a needle is in place you may notice a dull, heavy, warm or tingling sensation around the point; that's normal and usually settles within a moment.
Needles are sterile, single-use and disposed of after every treatment — they're never reused. Do let Julie know before your session if you are pregnant, taking blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, a pacemaker, or a compromised immune system, so treatment can be adapted.
Most people feel relaxed and a little slowed down; some feel energised instead. Mild soreness at a needle site, or occasionally a small bruise, can happen and fades within a day or two. It's worth drinking water afterwards and keeping the rest of the day gentle where you can.
It depends on what's going on and how long it's been going on. Recent complaints often respond within a handful of visits; longer-standing patterns usually ask for a consistent run of weekly sessions before spacing out. Julie will talk through a realistic plan with you after the first visit rather than asking you to commit up front.
Something loose and comfortable that can move above the elbows and knees. Many treatment points sit on the forearms and lower legs. Draping is used throughout, and for bodywork you'll be covered apart from the area being worked on.
Formulas are prescribed individually rather than off a shelf, and some herbs can interact with prescription medication. Bring a list of everything you take — medications and supplements — and tell your prescribing physician that you're taking herbs. If anything isn't a good fit, Julie will say so.
No. Sessions are one-to-one and built around your body, your range and what you're working with on the day — whether that's a first introduction to breath and movement or refining a practice you've had for years.
Cancellation window and any fee TK — Julie sets this.
05 — Begin
New patients are welcome. Book directly through Jane and Julie will follow up before your first visit.
06 — Visit
Street address TK
San Diego, CA
Parking and entry notes TK
Days & hours TK
By appointment
