About Beth

I began my private practice in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in 1997, and I have been in the same Gainesville office on NW 6th Street ever since.  Previous to that I was enrolled in a four year, full time Master’s degree program in Oriental Medicine (Southwest Acupuncture College, Santa Fe, NM), which offered extensive training in the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as adjunctive studies in Naturopathic Medicine and Western Herbs. 

This was a big career change for me, after almost twenty years in mental health counseling and social work, both with children and adults.  But I have found over the years that one crucial element of both types of work is the ability to deeply listen and carefully observe.  In listening to what patients tell me about their health, as well as what their bodies are saying in the way of symptoms and sensations, a diagnosis is made, and a treatment protocol is designed to address and resolve the root cause of disease.  Healing begins when acupuncture treatment “encourages” the body into harmony and balance, therefore engaging it’s miraculous ability to heal itself. 

In my nearly 19 years of practice, I have continued to deepen my knowledge base, and therefore my ability as a practitioner, by studying with some of the most respected teachers and authors, world wide.  I completed 180 hours of study on Western Herbal Medicine taught by the brilliant Kerry Bone, author of “Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy” and “Clinical Applications of Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbs”.  In addition, I continue to attend regular seminars with Master Herbalist Donald Yance (author of “Herbal Medicine, Healing & Cancer” and “Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism”), Dr. Tori Hudson (“Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine”), environmental medicine specialist Dr. Walter Crinnion, Master Herbalist David Winston, and others.  I am very fortunate to have benefitted from the knowledge and experience of these revered teachers, as I am constantly seeking new knowledge to expand what I’m able to bring to my patients.