Why See Me?
I have over 21 years of experience in the field of massage, along with over 4 years of experience in chiropractic. This amount of experience has shown me the value of each patient interaction. My passion for helping others through massage and chiropractic has never diminished, in fact only growing stronger over time. The ultimate feeling of satisfaction comes from not only providing each person with appropriate care but from an understanding that we are in this together, all active participants in your health and wellness.
While some chiropractors adjust very hard/deep, some very light/shallow – I like to consider myself in-between and adaptable. Dr. Clarence Gonstead, once said that many chiropractors adjust, “too hard, too often, and in too many places.” While not a practitioner of his method, I am a firm believer in less is more – respecting the power of each adjustment. The same concepts are the foundation of my massage techniques, which range from no-touch to bone level depth pressure. This is not to say the entire spine (and extremities, if needed) won’t be assessed and potentially manipulated, when appropriate.
A few questions to consider no matter what practitioners and therapies are sought:
- Am I getting better?
- With any form of therapy, whether by itself or combined, the purpose to achieve results. While these results can vary from person to person, improvement in quality of life should always be the goal.
- Do I feel my time and money are valued?
- Regardless of how you spend your time and money, it should be valued. Without a doubt, you should feel that both are being respected by whomever is providing you a service or product.
- Has my chiropractor discussed over-adjusting and/or hypermobility?
- There is actually such a concept as having the joints of the body adjusted/manipulated too much, which can create ligamentous laxity.
- In addition to adjustments, patients should be provided stability/postural advice and activities. Being an active participant in your healthcare is vital to achieving long-lasting results.
As my training as a massage therapist came first, I prefer to utilize some degree of massage alongside chiropractic adjustments. I find that this combination provides great results and since the bones can’t move without interaction with muscles, it makes sense to me. I’ve also noted that adjustments tend to ‘hold’ better when soft-tissues are addressed, along with postural/movement training. Chiropractors vary greatly in this aspect: some do zero soft-tissue treatment, some use instruments (such as Graston tools, which are derived from the Chinese method Gua Sha), some employ massage therapists, some use specific techniques like active release technique (A.R.T.), and so on. To be clear, this is not at attack on any of these approaches, instead this is meant to illustrate the variations within chiropractic. As long as treatment is patient-centered and geared toward primarily active care, all is well!
Credentials
Massage
- 1468 hours of Massage training
- International Professional School of Bodywork (1999-2008)
- Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (2005-2007)
- Reiki Master Certification (2007), Yue Yang Hospital (Shanghai, China – 2008), CEU courses (2019)
- Primary and Assistant Instructor at IPSB (2005-2008; 2010)
- Assistant Instructor at PCOM (2007-2008)
Chiropractic
- Summa Cum Laude / Valedictorian: Southern California University of Health Sciences, Los Angeles Chiropractic College (4/2017)
- Herbert Magee Jr. Technique Award (4/2017):
“This award is presented to a graduate who best embodies the following characteristics: displays excellence in her / his knowledge and performance of chiropractic technique procedures; renders service to the Principles and Practice Department, or to the College at large, in the area of chiropractic procedures, serves as a role model for other students through interactions within the classroom, laboratory and other clinic settings; and displays a marked aptitude for chiropractic technique procedures in the clinical setting.”
It was a great honor to be one of two students in my graduating class to receive this award. Improving and refining my techniques, learning from each encounter is how I best embody this award. - Teacher’s Assistant for all Chiropractic Procedures classes at SCUHS (2014-2017)
- Group Instructor for High School Program at SCUHS (2011; 2013-2017)
- Tutor for all subjects at SCUHS (2013-2017)
Resume
