Modalities
At Kokoro Clinic, treatments are personalized to support the whole personβnot just the symptom. Drawing from Chinese Medicine and integrative healing modalities, care is tailored to your body, nervous system, constitution, and lived experience.
Areas of focus include pain management, trigger point needling, digestive support, headaches and migraines, back and neck pain, anxiety, stress relief, womenβs health, fertility, insomnia, skin conditions, and emotional wellbeing.
Rather than the standard short 15-minute visit common with many healthcare providers, I offer a whole-person perspective and take a deeper dive into your health concerns. Your first appointment is two hours long so we can get to know each other and fully explore your health history, lifestyle, symptoms, and goals for treatment.
Chinese Medicine offers a range of natural healing modalities to support health and wellbeing, and I am a strong advocate for helping patients feel empowered in their own healing process. Often we are made to believe that a pharmaceutical is the only answer, but I want you to know that you are the team captain. I am here to support you as a guide, coach, cheerleader, and accountability partner along the way.
Treatments are personalized to your individual constitution based on an evaluation of your tongue, pulse, and a detailed discussion of your health concerns. Rather than treating symptoms alone, Chinese Medicine considers the whole person, which means that two people with similar symptoms may receive entirely different treatments depending on their constitution and lifestyle.
Acupuncture is cumulative, so generally it is not βone and done,β though some patients do experience dramatic improvement after a single treatment. More often, we look for steady progress with each visit β whether in the frequency, duration, or intensity of symptoms. Finding the right treatment frequency is an important part of the healing process, and conservatively, many patients begin noticing meaningful improvement within 6β8 treatments. Please give yourself extra time to recover and enjoy your treatment, so you donβt have to rush out.
Below is a brief guide to some of the modalities I use to support healing, regulation, and overall wellbeing.
Acupuncture
I insert hair-fine needles in specific points to move stagnation, increase blood and lymph flow and generally bring magic to an area. Insertion of the needle can be painless or feel like a slight pricking. The sensation we are seeking after inserting the needle is called βDe Qiβ pronounced βDa Qiβ which feels heavy, spreading, dull, or like a wave or relaxation. It should never feel electric or sharp. Most sensation lasts only a few seconds to a minute at most. Patients often report taking the βbest nap everβ during the treatment.
Cupping
Cupping uses gentle suction to move stagnation, increase blood and lymph flow, release muscle tension, and support the bodyβs natural healing process. The cups create a pulling sensation that many patients find deeply relieving and relaxing, almost like a reverse deep tissue massage. Marks may appear after treatment as circulation rises to the surface and usually fade within a few days. Cupping can be especially supportive for chronic tension, stress, pain, athletic recovery, headaches, fatigue, and areas where the body feels stuck or congested. Patients often report feeling lighter, calmer, more mobile, and deeply relaxed afterward.
Gua Sha
Gua sha is traditionally a treatment used by acupuncturists and only recently popularized for facial beauty treatments. The direct translation is to scrape for redness. Gua sha is simply scraping the body with a piece of jade, a porcelain soup spoon, or smooth piece of horn to release toxins, break up adhesions, move stagnation, stimulate blood and lymph flow to bring healing. Gua sha is commonly used to release toxins when coming down with a cold or flu, as well as being effective in treating injuries, to release scar tissue, mobilize fascia, and increase range of motion.
Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine uses customized herbal formulas tailored to your unique constitution, symptoms, lifestyle, and overall pattern of imbalance. Herbs may come in the form of teas, powders, capsules, tinctures, or topical applications, depending on your individual needs. Herbal medicine can be supportive for digestion, sleep, stress, hormonal balance, immune support, skin conditions, emotional well-being, and chronic health concerns. Patients often find herbal medicine to be deeply nourishing, grounding, and supportive for long-term healing and whole-body balance. These tests are integrated into their manufacturing process,β from their website.
Moxa
Moxabustion or moxa for short, is the burning of a herb called Ai Ye in Chinese, mugwort in English, and artemisia vulgaris in Latin. A major part of Chinese Medicine, the word for acupuncture in Chinese, ιηΈ, zhΔnjiΗ, actually means needle and moxa. This is because moxa is an equally important part of acupuncture. The needles are dispersing, whereas moxa nourishes or tonifies. There are two forms of moxa, direct and indirect. In direct moxa, a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. Indirect moxa is where moxa is burned above or near an area for several minutes until the area warms. Here at Kokoro Clinic we practice the Japanese style of moxa which is also called rice grain moxa, because we use the amount the size of a rice grain.
Dry Needling
So many names for the same thing! Dry needling, Motor point needling is a type of acupuncture that is also part of Chinese medicine. It has been called dry needling by PTβs, and trigger point needling uses the name based on trigger point therapy that more people are familiar with. We use an acupuncture needle to release a tight muscle for immediate relief. Needle insertion into the muscle's motor point will cause it to "jump," which resets the muscle to normal function. Sensations vary from traditional acupuncture but the sensation is not painful but rather βintenseβ but the immediate relief is marked. Similar to being sore after a big workout, when muscles have expended all their energy, patients have reported some soreness that goes away after a day after treatment, that can be soothed by a hot epsom salt bath or topical balms.
Health + Wellness Coaching
My philosophy is to help my patients feel empowered about their health. Together we address fitness, nutrition, stress management, and health-related issues, focusing on making long-lasting lifestyle changes, not just providing a quick fix by using goal setting, mindfulness, and habit building. By addressing the root cause of illness and providing natural and holistic options to build and maintain health, I strive to support patients live to their fullest potential!
βAcupuncture is a key ingredient in my recovery plan. My body carries the imprint of a significant trauma from a motorcycle accident a few years ago. The wonderful sessions at Kokoro Clinic strategically break up old patterns and support my body in achieving new levels of healing. I simply adore Wanda's sense of humor, enthusiasm, rapport, and thorough evaluations; the secret ingredient to amazing outcomes. This is the clinic I recommend if you are ready to have a brand new experience of your potential with your body. Don't put up with your existing state of health - go see Wanda and get propelled to a brand new you.β
β Ken G.
Craniosacral Therapy
Ben offers craniosacral therapy, a gentle, light touch healing modality. Through principles of presence, pacing and gentle touch, craniosacral therapy can help resolve conditions related to stress, overwhelm and injury. As a craniosacral practitioner, Ben holds space for your body to remember, orient to, and renew health. Book craniosacral therapy with Ben here.
Reiki ιζ°£ with optional limpia spiritual cleansing
Marie and Cynthia offer Japanese Reiki ιζ°£ with optional limpia spiritual cleansing. Reiki is a powerful form of spiritual and energetic healing that originated in Japan and promotes healing and transformation. Limpia spiritual cleansing can offer additional support to release and transmute heaviness or stuck energy. Book a Reiki session with Marie here or Cynthia here.
Chiropractic
Dr. Gloria, D.C. offers Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) chiropractic care. NSA care is all about upgrading and optimizing the spinal-neural integrity of your nervous system. Through gentle contacts along specific segments of the spine, the energy that flows through the spinal cord & nervous system becomes more resourced, resourceful, and aware of your deeper grace. Book a chiropractic appointment with Dr. Gloria here.
Massage
Kyra offers massage and is a pain coach and yoga instructor. Kyra combines myofascial and Craniosacral Therapies, sports massage, movement and pain neuroscience education to address the whole human, not just the muscles. She will use her expertise as well as your insights about your body and past treatments you have received to craft the best session for you. Book a massage with Kyra here.
Sound Healing
Sound Healing has been practiced for thousands of years to realign the body's vibrations while promoting relaxation, balance, and overall well-being. Sound healing works by activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). The main purpose of the PNS is to regulate bodily functions and conserve energy to be used later. The frequencies experienced in a Sound Healing activate the PNS which slows down your heart, deepens your breath, and slows down brainwaves to a restorative state. That then prompts the body to enter into its individual natural healing process. Book a Sound Healing session with Carla here.