Education, Training, and Qualifications

 

Education & Work:

  • Current Staff Acupuncturist at Salisbury VA Medical Center

  • Former Staff Acupuncturist at Audie Murphy VA Medical Center

  • Private acupuncture practice since 2015

  • B.A. in English from Louisiana State University.

  • Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in Austin.  This curriculum lasts 4 years (2,898 hours), incorporates courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmacology, Biomedical Treatment of Disease, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Qigong, Taiji (Tai Chi), Asian Bodywork, and Foundations of Chinese Medicine, as well as includes 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice. 

  • Clinical internships at Seton Topfer Clinic in Austin, TX, Seton McCarthy Community Health Center, People's Community Clinic, and Austin Pain Associates.

  • Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture Training:

    • Mei Zen Acupuncture protocol training by Martha Lucas, PhD  for face, neck and abdominal protocol.  

    • Facial Rejuvenation with Virginia Doran

    • Facial Rejuvenation with Dr. Ping Zhang, including White Jade Gua Sha protocol

    • Facial Acupuncture, Cupping and DermaRoller training with Dr. Michelle Gellis

    • Facial Rejuvenation [AcuFacial (TM)] with Shellie Goldstein of Hamptons Acupuncture

  • Scalp Acupuncture training with Xiaotian Shen.

  • Pulse Diagnostics and herbal prescriptions with Michael Peluso (Bob Doane Method)

  • Treatment of Fibromyalgia Training with Drs. Andrew Miles, Xuelan Xiu, and Thomas Whalen, M.D.

  • Motor Point Acupuncture training seminar with Richard Hazel and Dan Dominguez

  • ExStore Method with Anthony Lombardi, D.C.

  • ElectroAcupuncture with Dr. Jeremy Steiner

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Qualifications:

  • North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board: Licensed Acupuncturist LAC-2303

  • Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners: Licensed Acupuncturist LA 303612

  • Texas Medical Board: Licensed Acupuncturist (2015-2025, retired)

  • Board Certified Diplomate of Oriental Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)® - now NCBAHM.  This includes 4 separate Board Certifications, to include:

    • Acupuncture

    • Chinese Herbology

    • Biomedicine

    • Foundations of Chinese Medicine ​

  • Certified in Clean Needle Technique by the Council of Colleges of  Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

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For more information about the value of seeing an NCCAOM®/NCBAHM® Board-Certified acupuncturist, please click here.