My name is Nick
And I genuinely care about the well-being of others. I am an herbalist, acupuncturist, and end-of-life doula who loves helping people achieve their wellness goals with natural, non-pharmacological health care options. Through my mobile service, I fill a need for those who require or prefer to receive care in their own home.
To learn more about my story and why I became a traditional medicine doctor, please see my blog post: Why I walked away from becoming an MD – And what I learned when I did.
Wishing you wellness!
Notable Experience
Harborview Medical Center
Harborview is Washington’s only level 1 trauma care hospital. I worked primarily within the Anesthesiology and Pain Management department alongside the Acute Pain Service as well as Palliative Care. I treated perioperative inpatients with acupuncture as part of their pain management strategy to reduce the utilization of opioid medications. I also addressed other common concerns such as anxiety, insomnia, and nausea.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Fred Hutch is a world-renowned cancer research center. As part of the Integrative Medicine team, I administered acupuncture to patients with myeloma and lymphoma in order to reduce pain. These treatments were performed in both outpatient and inpatient settings in collaborative care environments.
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
SCCA is a partnership of three organizations: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and UW Medicine. As the top rated cancer care hospital in the pacific northwest, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is dedicated to helping people with cancer liver better quality lives. I participated in cancer care research assessing acupuncture’s role in minimizing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in people with GI cancers, directly delivering relief to SCCA’s existing patients.
Smokey Point Behavioral Hospital
As the the Military Unit’s first acupuncturist, I treated inpatient veterans struggling with physical pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD, and substance use challenges. I successfully integrated their standard treatments with acupuncture, cupping, and acupressure massage to hasten the recovery of our nation’s heroes.
Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
In the beautiful city of Hangzhou, China, I had the privilege to study under experienced doctors in the city’s traditional Chinese medicine hospital, where modern and ancient tools are used together in all aspects of patient care. They treat both inpatients and outpatients with acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, cupping, and medical massage.
Education
Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Bastyr University
Doctorate Capstone Thesis:
Treatment Outcomes of Acupuncture for Non-Traumatic Brain Injury Associated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Mixed-Method Literature Review
Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Bastyr University
Magna Cum Laude
Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Molecular Cell Biology and Chemistry
California State University Long Beach
Magna Cum Laude
End of Life Doula Training
International End of Life Doula Association
“Working so close with death often scared me; I was afraid I might get what the dying person had. When I recognized, however, that I already have what dying people have – mortality – I stopped being afraid of catching it.”
- Being With Dying, by Joan Halifax