I first encountered acupuncture when I was almost 30 and quite ill. Conventional physicians were not helping and out of desperation, I asked friends for suggestions. Someone said “go see my acupuncturist.” It seemed strange but I went and started getting better right away. When I noticed that not only was I feeling better physically, but a subtle emotional or spiritual tide was shifting as well, I was hooked.

A few years later I went to a lecture by J.R. Worsley, a little English guy with bushy eyebrows, enormous charisma and a vision of acupuncture that spoke of nature and the body, mind and spirit in a way that made profound sense to me and is still the foundation for my work. I soon enrolled in the first class of The Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia, Maryland.

TAI was the brainchild of Bob Duggan and Diane Connelly who were two of JR’s earliest students. Two years later, in 1983, I graduated wearing a corduroy suit, a trim beard and a most gratified smile. I joined with two classmates and opened a practice in the wilds of Allston, MA.

A year later, wanting to get out of a city and back to the kind of country where I grew up, I moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts. I’ve been treating patients there since. From 1992 to 2002 I had a second practice in Pittsfield, MA. Then tired of the long commute, I passed that practice to a colleague and went to work at Sojourns Community Health Clinic in Westminster, VT. Then, again wanting less drive time, in 2005 I left Sojourns to open a private practice in Brattleboro.

In resume form, here’s the facts:

• Certification, Traditional Acupuncture Institute, Columbia MD, 1983
• Master of Acupuncture degree from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia, MD, 1986
• Licentiate of Acupuncture, College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture in Leamington Spa, England, 1984
• Bachelor degree in acupuncture, College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Leamington Spa, England, 1987
• Herbal Certification from TAI course with Ted Kaptchuk, 1988
• Studied pulse diagnosis with Leon Hammer, smoking cessation with Jonathan Klate
• Eight Extra Meridians with Claude Larre and Peter Eckman
• numerous patient rounds with Dr. J.R. Worsley
• Balance Method with Richard Tan
• addictions treatment at the New England School of Acupuncture
• several seminars with Nikki Bilton
• Jeffrey Yuen’s Light on Acupuncture course
• biomagnetic therapy, and other trainings

Teaching includes TAI, senior faculty at the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in Hallandale, FL, courses at Greenfield Community College, SUNY Albany, Springfield College. For several years, I also taught ongoing classes in Five Element work for non-acupuncturists. Formal apprentice training: In 2003, I began a 4,000 hour apprenticeship training for 2 apprentices based in my office in Vermont. This program is approved by the NCCAOM and the State of Vermont.

I am a Diplomate in Acupuncture of the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Chinese Herbalism I am licensed by the Medical Board to practice Chinese herbology Herbal certification, Traditional Acupuncture Institute. 1990 Teaching Currently, I am a senior member of the faculty of the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in Hallandale, FL. I have taught at AFEA and supervised interns in my office.

I also have two apprentices in an NCCAOM approved 4,000-hour program in Vermont. I also taught for the Traditional Acupuncture Institute, Columbia, MD Guest lecturer at Greenfield Community College, Springfield College, SUNY Albany, Springfield College. Numerous courses for non-acupuncturists from my Greenfield office including a Five Element seminar for Plant Spirit Medicine practitioners that ran for four years.