Earning a Masters of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine in 2003, and a Doctorate of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2022 (both from Pacific College of Health & Science), Lisa has been in practice for over 20 years. She has worked as an acupuncturist and herbalist in a variety of settings throughout her career (hospice, hospitals, homeless clinics, rural clinics, college sports-medicine clinics). Having founded and run two large community-style practices in Denver, she knows the rewards and challenges of running a business. Seeing patients in high-volume clinics for 10 years, she treated thousands of people each year, honing her diagnostic and treatment skills.
Having served on the founding board and volunteered for a non-profit called the Chanda Center for Health since 2006, she has extensive experience treating patients who have suffered from stroke, SCI’s and TBI’s. In 2007 she opened an out-patient acupuncture clinic in Craig Hospital, focused on treating outpatients with SCI, TBI and stroke. In 2016 she sold her private practice and in 2017 she contracted with the Chanda Center for Health and Craig Hospital to provide acupuncture and herbal treatments to both in-patients and out-patients. Since 2016, Lisa has served on the Medicaid advisory committee for the CIH waiver (originally SCI waiver), she provided mentorship and oversight throughout their qualitative study for the Medicaid pilot program and celebrated the adoption of the waiver and ultimate state-wide expansion in 2023.
Lisa’s relationship with plants spans generations. Her maternal grandmother grew up farming and was a self-taught Western herbalist. She passed down practice and knowledge throughout Lisa’s childhood. Continued practice and study in both Eastern, Western & sacred plant herbal medicine has deepened Lisa’s clinical reach. She has been in an apprenticeship with Joan Zinn since 2015, studying Western herbs and sacred plant medicine. She eagerly attends any herbal conference she can, deepening her intellectual and spiritual understanding of psychedelic medicines, medicine making, plant identification and more. Frequently found meditating with plants, Lisa has a unique approach to herbal formulation and often combines Eastern herbal philosophies with her homegrown Western herbs.
In 2021, Lisa’s studies found her exploring vibrational medicine, studying Acutonics and bringing gong baths and tuning fork sessions to friends, neighbors and patients.
Anyone who has seen Lisa clinically, knows that she has always been a teacher at heart. Since 2023, she has been expanding her offerings to include leading both women’s and couples retreats. These retreats frequently include the use of sacred plant medicines to expand awareness of universal connection and encourage release.
In 2024 Lisa combined her love of travel with her passion for service and traveled to rural Nepal for 3 weeks, providing acupuncture, herbal medicine and first aid to communities who do not have regular access to healthcare. The experience of seeing Chinese Medicine used in the rural setting it was developed for was transformative.
When not working, Lisa can be found in her garden, hiking in the mountains or checking on her bees. She enjoys reading historical fiction almost as much as neuroanatomy textbooks. Her meditation, yoga and qi gong practices help to keep her grounded (most of the time) while adventuring with her partner of 20+ years and their three children.