Meet Phoenix

Training

Acupuncture Education (2015-2018)

Pacific Rim College - Victoria B.C. Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approx. 2900 hrs)
Graduated 2018, Magna Cum Laude (Honours)

Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA (2013–2014) Immersive month-long study programs:

  • August 2013: Full Body Presence for Leadership and Coaching – Suzanne Scurlock Focus: Grounding, boundary work, somatic listening, nervous system regulation.

  • September 2013: Spirit Dance and Esalen Massage – Ellen Watson
    Focus: Conscious movement (5Rhythms, yoga, qigong), Esalen long-stroke massage.

  • October 2013: Shiatsu Massage – Jim Gallas
    Focus: Meridian-based bodywork, acupuncture meridian theory, Reiki I, Chi Kung.

  • November 2013: Seeing Eye to I: Art of Wellness – Sam Berne, OD
    Focus: Vision therapy, movement awareness, Continuum, essential oils, creativity.

  • January 2014: Spinal Awareness – Patrick Douce
    Focus: Feldenkrais Method, Taoist energetics, Silat, injury rehab through movement.

Intensives and Weekend Workshops:

  • Byron Katie 5-day Intensive on “The Work”

  • Rupert Sheldrake

  • HeartMath: Hear Your Heart, Live Your Purpose

  • Somatic mentoring (The work of Lansing Gresham)

Feldenkrais Training
Hundreds of hours of training and self-study under numerous teachers including - Ruthy Alon - Bruce Holmes - Josh Schreiber - Bonnie Kissam - Russell Delman - Jane Burdick

Pre-Acupuncture Modalities Studied - Esalen Massage - Qi Gong and Tai Chi - Craniosacral Therapy (Suzanne Scurlock lineage) - Reiki (Level I, Esalen)

Formal Acupuncture Education
Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approx. 2900 hrs)
Graduated 2018, Magna Cum Laude (Honours)

Krüger Omni Healing (KOH) – (I am not a certified practitioner, but hundreds or hours of training and practice in this method informs my practice.)

Postgraduate & Continuing Education in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

  • Neoclassical Acupuncture – Dr. Slate Burris
    Foundations and Advanced levels certification.

  • Applied Channel Theory – Dr. Jason Robertson
    Foundations and Advanced channel palpation and diagnostic methods.

  • YNSA Scalp Acupuncture – Yamamoto method.

  • Pulse Diagnosis Training – Reuven Freesman.

  • Tung Style Acupuncture – Susan Johnson (clinical workshops).

  • Electroacupuncture Foundations and Auricular Intensive – Dr. Jeremy Steiner.

  • Treating Neuropathic Pain – Jimmy Chang.

  • Neuro-Meridian Acupuncture – Dr. Poney Chiang.

  • Cranial Balancing – John Beaulieu.

  • Compassionate Inquiry – Dr. Gabor Maté (training in somatic dialogue and trauma-informed care).

My Path to Practice

I come from a family of engineers and began my own university education in the field. I graduated with a degree in mathematics and the mindset of a problem-solver. Engineering, at its core, is about identifying what isn’t working and finding the best possible solution — whether the issue is mechanical, electrical, or structural. That same systems-based approach deeply informs how I practice acupuncture Chinese Medicine today.

Unlike a machine, the human body can’t be disassembled and reassembled in isolation. It is dynamic, responsive, and interconnected — within itself and with the world around it: food, rest, emotion, environment, relationships, and meaning. This is why Chinese Medicine resonated with me. It treats the whole person, not just the symptoms. It sees patterns where others see parts.

The fork in the road came in my 20s, when a yoga injury left me in chronic pain for several years. Nothing I tried resolved the pain long term — eventually, with the support of some skilled and generous practitioners, things shifted. I came to see my own wellness as something I took responsibility for, it became collaborative. Just as important as the external support was my inner shift.

Somewhere along that journey, I was handed a book on Chinese Medicine. I remember thinking: I don’t understand this yet… but someday I will. It felt like discovering a language I didn’t yet speak, but somehow knew would change everything. That moment lit a spark — the kind that grows quietly and never goes out.

Since then, I’ve approached healing the way I approached engineering: with curiosity, commitment, and a drive to understand the deeper systems. I’ve studied widely and deeply — from the muscular and skeletal to the energetic and emotional. And the more I’ve learned, the more I’ve realized how much there is to discover.

That fire still fuels me.

For me, practicing acupuncture is never about “fixing” someone. It’s about listening, partnering, and helping the body find its way back to balance. I bring the full scope of my experience to the treatment room — from Eastern medical theory to decades of embodied practice. I consider it a true honour to support the people who trust me with their care.

“When a good doctor treats disease, he does not treat the disease alone, but the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.”
— Sun Si Miao ( Tang Dynasty Chinese Physician)

I have the best job in the world.

First and foremost I want to convey my passion for what I do. There is no greater joy for me than to provide support for people who are on their wellness journey. I have had the privilege of working with thousands of people to recover from injuries, to reduce and relieve their pain, to improve their sleep and their digestion and watch them transform into their best self.

Acupuncture helps the body transition from a stressed (sympathetic - fight or flight) state to a relaxed - (parasympathetic - rest and heal) state. When your body is in this more relaxed state everything functions more optimally and creates better balance. I do not ‘heal’ people, I assist you to heal yourself. I have worked with 100’s of people who have experienced reductions in pain, increased energy, achieved better and more restful sleep.

Acupuncture is not magic, but its results can be magical.

Please get in touch for a free phone consultation to see if we would be a good fit working together to address your health concerns.