Ever since I was a teenager, my quest in life was to find gentler, natural forms of medicine.  I began with the study and practice of yoga and macrobiotics, and in the mid-70’s attended a naturopathic school where I studied shiatsu, bodywork, nutrition and Western herbal methods, while concurrently running a macrobiotic teaching center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the late 70’s, I attended a college for acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and received my license in 1983.  From Santa Fe, I moved to open my practice, first in Denver/Boulder, Colorado, then eventually in San Diego, California 25 years ago.  From the beginning, I’ve focused on what I call ‘full strength Chinese medicine’, in other words, using herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxabustion, dietetics and lifestyle recommendations with my patients to treat a wide variety of health issues, including complex autoimmune disorders.  I also base what I practice on the classical medicine encoded in Han dynasty texts, relying on pulse diagnosis to discern patterns of disharmony.  For me, Chinese medicine is as much a way of life as a profession, and I consider my role with patients to be as much a teacher as a physician.