Your body has been
right the whole time.
The pain is real. The exhaustion is real. The feeling that something is being missed — that’s real too.
This is where you and your body finally get heard.
Rated #1 for Acupuncture in San Diego by CityBeat — five times.
16k+
Visits
20
Years Clinical
Experience
5+
Treatment
Pathways
Your body is telling the truth. I can show you the proof.™
Most people find themselves
in one or more of these patterns.
01
Nervous system dysregulation, adrenal fatigue, hormonal disruption — and the physical cost of carrying more than your biology can sustain.
02
Depression, mood dysregulation, blood sugar instability — and the biological patterns underneath that most mental health treatment never reaches.
03
Digestive dysfunction, bloating, IBS — and the gut-brain relationship most practitioners split into two separate referrals.
04
Chronic pain, inflammation, recurring tension, new and post-injury patterns that haven’t resolved because the root cause was never the target.
Stress and burnout don't stay in their lane. They show up in all four.
Some patients come in knowing
something's wrong.
Others come in with a name for it.
Once you see the pattern, the next step is finding your specific entry point. Anxiety and stress, pain, sports injury, gut, hormones, sleep, longevity and immunity — each with its own clinical pathway, research and direct booking.
How does acupuncture work?
It turns off the alarm your body has been stuck in.
Because it talks directly to your nervous system — not your symptoms. When that system has been running on high alert long enough, it stops being an alarm and starts being your baseline. You forget what settled feels like.
Nothing in the body happens in isolation. The pain, the gut, the anxiety, the sleep — and underneath all of it, the hormones, blood sugar and inflammation quietly running the show. They aren’t separate problems. They’re the same story told in different places. Chinese Medicine has understood this relationship for thousands of years. I’ve seen it first-hand in my patients for the past 20. I’ve lived it myself. It’s why this is now my area of specialty — and why acupuncture, done this way, reaches things other treatments don’t.
What happens at an
acupuncture appointment?
Custom treatment plans. Unhurried sessions. Everything handled before you arrive.
- Intake forms sent electronically ahead of time — nothing to fill out at the door
- Complimentary on-site and street parking
- A comfortable waiting area to arrive and decompress before your session begins
- We start in a private consultation room before any treatment begins
Each session builds on the last. Your body didn’t get here overnight — and your recovery won’t either. Acute concerns typically resolve faster; chronic patterns take longer and eventually move to a maintenance schedule.
Every plan is built around your specific goals, your labs if you have them, and where you actually are — not where a protocol assumes you should be.
Common questions, answered directly.
Most patients feel a mild sensation or light pressure — not pain. You're encouraged to give feedback throughout, and every moment is adjusted to stay comfortable.
Points can be located anywhere on the body — arms, legs, back, abdomen. Every area is explained before we begin and draping is provided throughout.
Initial visits run 60–75 minutes. Follow-ups are 45–60 minutes. Nothing is rushed.
Yes. I'm contracted with a select few Blue Cross plans, and out-of-network benefits may apply through many other carriers. A quick verification tells us exactly what you qualify for. Fill out this brief form and my team will be in touch by the next business day.
Loose, comfortable clothing you can roll up to the elbows and knees.
Acute concerns often shift in 3–6 sessions. Chronic patterns take longer — and you'll get a realistic timeline at your first visit, not a vague answer.
Yes. Chinese Herbal Medicine is often used alongside acupuncture to extend the therapeutic effect between sessions. Where appropriate, a formula is recommended based on your specific presentation — not a generic supplement protocol.
Both use thin needles — but dry needling targets muscle trigger points, while acupuncture addresses the root pattern behind your symptoms. I'm one of the few San Diego acupuncturists trained in both, and I'll use whichever approach fits you best.
Seven ways to get more out
of your first visit.
- Complete your intake forms electronically before you arrive — your session time is for treatment, not paperwork.
- Arrive hydrated and fed. Skip caffeine the morning of if you can.
- Plan to arrive five minutes early. Settled beats rushed every time.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing you can roll up to the elbows and knees.
- Put your phone away for the hour. This time is yours.
- Keep the hour after your appointment clear — your body will want the space.
- This is a safe space. The more honest you can be, the more I can help.
Your privacy is protected. This practice is fully HIPAA compliant — everything you share stays here.
When the body gets heard, everything shifts.Here's proof.
This is what finally being seen feels like.
“I had seen four different specialists. Every test came back normal. Riley was the first person who looked at everything together, identified a pattern no one else had caught and gave me an actual diagnosis. Within eight weeks I had a protocol and my energy was finally shifting.”
“I kept thinking I just needed a vacation. What I actually needed was someone who understood what chronic burnout does to your nervous system. Three months into the program I was sleeping through the night and working without that constant underlying dread.”
“I’d been told my pain was stress-related for two years. Riley found the actual root. Six weeks in, I was sleeping through the night for the first time in three years.”
20 Years of Practice · 16k+ Patient Visits · Rated #1 for Acupuncture in San Diego by CityBeat — five times.
New patient appointments fill early in the week. Here's how to get started.
Care packages combining acupuncture, dry needling, Chinese fire cupping and Stress SOS Coaching are available for established patients — built around your patterns and adjusted as your body responds.
The clinical insights your doctor doesn't have time to give you.
Clinical insights on burnout, pain, gut health and the signals most practitioners overlook — written for the ones who take care of everyone else first. Practical tools. Cutting-edge research. Delivered to your inbox. Everyone who joins receives The 5 Signs Your Burnout Isn’t Just Stress — a clinical guide to what your body has been trying to tell you.