I do this work because I want to support others to live healthy and meaningful lives. 

 

Lives that are connected to nature. I want people to feel vitality in their body, to move freely, and feel energetic enough to live their life well. As a result of my active lifestyle I began to focus on treating musculoskeletal pain and injuries early on in my studies. This was propelled by treating my own share of injuries and those of others in my community.  I wanted to get optimal results with my work, so I dove deep, and studied the best available methods from acupuncture, osteopathy, orthopedic medicine, to manual therapy and more.  This drive to be better and know more has resulted in the treatment system I use today.

 

People often become better Healthcare professionals through their own health issues.

I am thankful for how many valuable lessons my own healing journey has taught me. It is within these hard earned lessons I have found purpose and meaning.  All the healers, medicines and teachers that helped me heal, have given me a foundation to help others. At the tender age of four my body began to weaken, stopped growing, and I was unable to walk. My vitality was declining.  Western medical specialists misdiagnosed and told my parents I was going to not grow much and likely die by the age of twenty.I was taken to see an elderly Japanese acupuncturist in Santa Fe.  Using his training he was able to pinpoint the root cause as a kidney deficiency.  The western doctors then ran a series of tests on my kidneys that resulted in an accurate diagnosis and treatment. 

 

Eastern thought combined with western science helped save my life. 

 

The second step in my healing process occurred when my grandfather took me on outings into the woods to hunt for “hammerhead sticks”. Every step was a challenge for me as I could barely walk and kept falling over fatigue, yet with patience and persistence he told me “You can do it.”  Gradually I began to believe him. The search gave me a reason to get up, a quest. The encouragement pushed me to keep trying. Finding the sticks gave me the feeling that “I can do it”, I can grow and heal, and that it is worth the effort.   By the age of twelve I surprised my doctors who expected me to be struggling with this condition for life.  I now believe that this “you can do it” attitude helped me fully heal from this disorder and begin to grow.  This experience has made me a believer in the tremendous importance of the mind, body connection. 

 

I believe the greatest healing for a patient can occur when we work with the mind, the spirit, as well as the body. 

 

In a way, my journey through life is a continuation of the hammerhead stick searches. Finding a goal and pushing towards it one step at a time.  This process was honed in my passions for outdoor sports like mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and rock climbing. Through time in nature and outdoor sports I strengthened my body and mind. I felt peace and clarity as the confusion of the modern world would disappear, and I found that the more time I spent in nature the more I connected to who I really was.  

 

The gratitude I feel from my own healing journey compels me to assist others on theirs.