heart-centered, individualized medicine for a joyful, fulfilling life

milkweed’s offerings

  • Five Element Acupuncture

    Acupuncture restores balance to our inner systems, promotes the body’s natural healing responses, and brings us back home to ourselves. My treatments are gentle and tailored for each patient’s unique constitution, circumstances, and symptoms. I love that this system of medicine is both restorative and preventative; it addresses acute and chronic complaints, and also excels at maintaining wellness through the changes of the seasons and the ups and downs of life.

    As a Five Element Acupuncturist, I see one patient at a time, spending the entire session in the treatment room with you. During our 2-hour diagnostic intake, I gather in-depth information about all aspects of your wellbeing in order to create the best possible diagnosis and treatment plan. From then on, our 60- to 75-minute follow-up sessions become an ongoing conversation as we work together to alleviate symptoms, address the underlying causes of disease, and establish the foundation for enduring wellness in body, mind, and spirit.

    Acupuncture treatments consist of inquiry and dialogue, pulse diagnosis, gentle needling, traditional moxibustion (the burning of rubbed mugwort leaves on acupuncture points), and occasionally other East Asian healing modalities if I feel they would be helpful.

    My approach is thorough and is grounded in compassion and connection.

    I offer free 20-minute consultations to give us the chance to get to know each other and to help us both assess whether my approach would be a good fit for you.

  • Herbal Medicine formulas

    East Asian herbal medicine is a comprehensive discipline that naturally and powerfully treats acute and chronic conditions. It provides a potent complement to acupuncture, often accelerating the healing and recovery process, and can also serve as a powerful therapy on its own.

    Just as each person is unique, each formula I prescribe is one-of-a-kind. I love that a single herbal formula addresses more than a subset of symptoms. I design formulas to treat the constellation of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms each person experiences, while targeting the most urgent complaints.

    Customized herbal formulas come in the form of concentrated, powdered herbal extracts called granules that dissolve in hot water to create a tea. All herbs are high-quality and prepared according to rigorous Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

    I also prescribe pre-prepared herbal blends in the form of tablets, capsules, or tinctures to support the immune system or address common acute issues such as sore throats, colds, coughs, allergies, or urinary tract infections. I also sometimes prescribe topical herbal applications for pain or skin issues.

    East Asian herbal medicine utilizes an array of plants, some minerals, and occasionally animal products. If you are not comfortable ingesting animal products, I am always happy to omit them and make other modifications to the formula.

    I often recommend herbal formulas as an adjunctive to acupuncture. I also happily welcome new patients for herbal medicine treatment only, both in-person and remotely.

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What can acupuncture help with?

What people are saying

  • “I became Joanna’s patient during a period of very high stress and exhaustion; my work in a graduate program was culminating and I was making decisions that would affect the rest of my life. With Joanna, I found a safe space to be heard without judgment, in which my awareness of my own state of being could unfurl and transform. I always felt Joanna truly understanding the essence of the moment I was in, even though I was often out of sorts and speaking from pain. With each treatment, I experienced healing on all levels: aches soothed, energy bolstered, spirit calmed, mind cleared. Without that frequent reset, I don’t know how I would have gotten through that period of my life in one piece! I would definitely still be her patient if we lived in the same place today!” — MG

  • “I have been seeing Joanna for acupuncture for the past 6 months and have noticed major positive changes related to my intestinal issues, settling my nervous system, my self-confidence, and my ability to express feelings. Over the years, I’ve seen a number of different acupuncturists, and Joanna is clearly the most attentive, sensitive, and knowledgeable practitioner I have ever worked with. I especially appreciate how she communicates about her work and helps me understand the depth and significance of the actual physical points she chooses to touch or needle. In the process, she takes her time, is careful to thoroughly answer my questions, and helps me feel very safe and comfortable. She works beautifully and with sensitivity, helping me address issues related to my early trauma, anxiety, and history of chronic illness/cancer. I am very grateful.” — Anonymous

  • “Joanna is a clinically competent, compassionate and caring professional. She asks meaningful questions to assess one’s mental and physical states and is skillful at developing a treatment plan based on the answers. Joanna is open and responsive to feedback, fostering an easy communication between practitioner and client. I am fortunate to have been supported by such a gifted healer.” — NM

  • “Joanna is incredible; intuitive, kind, and compassionate. She is an expert in her practice and makes you feel comfortable throughout the entire process. She has been so helpful in easing my anxiety and physical symptoms!” — MM

  • “Acupuncture with Joanna helped ease my migraine symptoms significantly. I noticed major improvements in both the frequency and severity of my migraines. Joanna took the time to understand my migraine triggers and was very thoughtful in her approach. As a first time acupuncturee, this has been a very comfortable and informative experience!” — AA