MY STORY
As a person with deep roots in actions sports and the outdoors, I understand the drive to function optimally on a physical and mental level. I believe that everyone deserves to live life to their fullest potential, in the best health they can maintain, as happily and actively as possible. In my free time, I enjoy snowboarding, downhill mountain biking, backpacking, rock climbing and enjoying nature. This active lifestyle immediately informs my understanding of sports injuries and rehabilitation.
As a holistic medical practitioner I recognize the importance of mind, body, spirit and emotions in the quest for achieving optimal health and wellness.
I grew up in the foothills of Mount St. Helens in Washington and got my Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science at WWU’s Huxley College. Later, I decided to go to Bastyr University for my Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This degree has allowed me to pursue what I am passionate about - helping people keep their body's active and healthy.
I take a multidisciplinary approach in building a personalized and effective treatment for each of my patients. I use a combination of TCM acupuncture, injection therapy, bodywork therapies such as massage and cupping, lifestyle and diet counseling, and Chinese herbal medicine to help optimize the health of my clients. I combine multiple techniques to create my own unique and effective modality. A great example of the evolution of acupuncture as a healing art.
EXPERIENCE
East Asian Medical Practitioner & Licensed Acupuncturist in Washington State
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
Washington East Asian Medicine Association (WEAMA)
Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at Western Washington University, Huxley College of the Environment in Bellingham, WA
SPECIALTIES
Sports Medicine
Pain Management
Injection Therapy
Regenerative Therapies
Stress Management
Cosmetic Services and Anti-Aging
Optimization of Health
PHILOSOPHY
When it comes to acute and chronic pain, a typical session with Khai involves acupuncture with electrical stimulation, cupping or other body work and injection therapy. She focuses on improving circulation, treating scar tissue, and kick starting your body’s natural healing process.
Acupuncture works with the body’s Qi, or bio-electric energy and vital force. Electrical stimulation of acupuncture points works on a cellular level to initiate healing and give your cells ATP (energy) in order to initiate regeneration. Injection therapy is used with Procaine, which has the unique ability to breakdown scar tissue and realign the cellular matrix and by doing so reestablish electrical impulses and cellular communication. Your body then metabolizes the Procaine and uses it as a regenerative nutrient (Para-aminobenzoic acid or PABA).
For treatment of stress or emotional imbalances, acupuncture can calm the nervous system and release negative energy from the body. One of the ways it can do this is by activating the parasympathetic nervous system response. Khai will also recommend lifestyle changes that will assist in normalizing your stress response. She puts an emphasis on letting negative emotions and stress pass through the body so we are not holding on to them. Stress is a normal part of our lives, it’s when we hold it in our bodies for more than 30 minutes that it starts to impact our health negatively.
It is common to somatamize our emotional trauma into physical symptoms. This is the very real mind-body connection. We actually now have evidence to show that we hold memories and emotions in the connective tissue of our bodies. Acupuncture has the ability to release these emotions so we can process them in a healthy way. Acupuncture, by nature, will always treat both the physical and emotional aspects of the person as a whole.
Khai’s approach to Anti-aging comes from a holistic view of the physical, emotional and environmental impacts on the body. As we age we lose our innate ability to regenerate, it is important to start your anti aging journey as soon as possible. It is much easier to prevent signs of aging than it is to reverse them. However, she is able to meet you wherever you are in your aging process and help set reasonable and achievable goals.
Khai offers a variety of cosmetic and dermatology treatments as well as diet and lifestyle counseling specific to your needs. All of these treatments are based on stimulating collagen and elastin production, increasing circulation and reducing inflammation. These are regenerative techniques that utilize your own body's healing system. As opposed to botox and fillers, Khai uses an all natural and holistic approach. This is a great natural alternative to invasive surgeries, face lifts or toxic injection techniques that can have long term negative effects.