As I continued practicing and later began teaching, I noticed a pattern.

Many veterinarians invested tremendous time, energy, and resources earning their acupuncture certification because they dreamed of practicing integrative medicine. Yet after returning to busy practices, many struggled to make acupuncture part of everyday clinical work.

Busy schedules. Limited mentorship. Questions that arose after certification. Uncertainty about pattern diagnosis. Difficulty integrating acupuncture into conventional appointments. Before long, acupuncture often became something they wanted to practice instead of something they practiced every day.

I understood those challenges because I experienced many of them myself.

Even as a motivated and confident veterinarian, I found that successfully integrating acupuncture required much more than completing a certification program. It required confidence, practical systems, continued learning, and a supportive community.
 
I also saw how easily a valuable modality could become unsustainable when veterinarians, often motivated by empathy, undercharged for their time and expertise. If acupuncture did not make practical and financial sense within the hospital, it was difficult to maintain support from practice owners and veterinary leadership. For integrative medicine to remain available to patients, it had to work clinically, operationally, and professionally.

I realized that if I had experienced those challenges, many other veterinarians probably had too.

That realization became the foundation of Every Day Acupuncture.

Outside of veterinary medicine, I'm happiest exploring the world with my husband, who is also a veterinarian, and our blind Pekingese, Vera.

My husband and I have built much of our professional journey together....

We began working as relief veterinarians in 2006, later revitalized an underperforming veterinary hospital into a thriving multi-doctor integrative practice, and now collaborate daily through Every Day Acupuncture. While I focus on educational content, clinical mentorship, and the quality of the learning experience, he helps make sure the technology and systems behind the programs support veterinarians just as thoughtfully.

Travel has taught me many of the same lessons that have shaped my approach to teaching. I don't believe there is one best country, one best culture, or one best way of doing things. Every place has something to teach us if we're curious enough to pay attention.

I love experiencing everyday life in different parts of the world...

sharing meals in neighborhood cafes, talking with local people, learning new traditions, and bringing small pieces of those experiences home with me. Whether it's my morning stovetop espresso inspired by Italy, the Danish concept of hygge, or a new way of preparing food, I enjoy discovering ideas that enrich everyday life.

Vera reminds me every day that there is more than one way to experience the world. 

Although she's been blind since she was young, she approaches every new adventure with curiosity and enthusiasm, relying on her nose, ears, and confidence to explore. My husband and I simply make sure she doesn't wander off the edge of a cliff.

At home, our African Grey parrot - who has been with us since my first year in veterinary practice - prefers a much quieter lifestyle. 

While he's perfectly content staying home, he continually reminds us of the remarkable intelligence, personality, and individuality that make animals such extraordinary companions.

Growing up on a farm in rural Illinois surrounded by animals instilled in me a lifelong respect for nature, agriculture, and the people who care for animals every day. Although I now call Portland, Oregon home and love the mountains and diverse landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, those rural roots continue to shape how I see both animals and the people who care for them.