Moonrise

Hi, i’m Cat (she/her), the needle-wielding cryptid at Moonrise Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. My mission as a board-certified Doctor of Oriental Medicine is to provide a warm and welcoming space for you to feel safe, supported, and nurtured in your journey towards realizing your health and wellness goals. My goal is to work respectfully with you, and any other trusted healthcare providers or regiments you may have, to contribute that extra something to your healthcare and wellness rituals. 

I obtained my Master of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization from Southwest Acupuncture College Santa Fe and also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology from Northern Arizona University. I am an active member of the High Desert Hari Society which hosts monthly practices and regular workshops, and once a week i apprentice privately with its executive director and founder, Dr. Ehrland Truitt. As someone who is sensitive to human suffering, i’ve completed courses in trauma-informed care through the organization Acupuncturists Without Borders. If you have ever been to Pinon Community Acupuncture, you may recognize me as the Saturday acupunk.

My journey with acupuncture is kind of my life story, but really took off in 2017 when i began receiving regular acupuncture treatments to successfully manage some anxiety and depression i was experiencing after a particularly difficult year. The effectiveness of the medicine surprised me and i felt called to pay it forward, creating a moonrise moment in the very dark and cobwebby “life purpose” corner of my mind, where a few of my greatest passions all suddenly seemed to fit: Taoism, using myself in a beneficial way to create positive transformation, and listening to and understanding people’s deeply personal experiences of health and healing.

Since meeting a Taoist master and lineage holder of the Four Ascendant Taoist lineage in 2013, and continuing to maintain a mentoring relationship with him, Taoism has become an integral part of my way of being and enhances my practice of acupuncture by connecting me to the spirit of the medicine, as well as by strengthening my capacity for empathy, kindness, and compassion.

My relationship to nature is one of my most valued treasures as well as my greatest teacher, and when i’m not doing acupuncture things, i am often out roaming and sleeping in the desert, woods, and mountains all over New Mexico.

I hope to connect with you soon!

1 hour session: $40

Acupuncture is a form of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years and includes herbs, acupuncture, and bodywork. Originally, the medicine was rooted in the shamanic practices and beliefs of the early Taoists of ancient China: the principles of the medicine are based in ages-old observations of the cycles and patterns of nature, which the natural rhythms of our own lives and bodies reflect. The ancient Taoists saw the mind, body, and spirit as distinct yet inseparable aspects of the living being, and developed a complete medical system around this philosophy.

In the modern age, many of us live our lives struggling to care for one, two, or even all three of these aspects. Since the three work together to support overall health and wellbeing, illness arises when one or more of them is undernourished and struggles to support the whole. Every body has the resources it needs to initiate healing. Oriental medicine maximizes this healing potential by training the body to use its resources in ways that are more efficient, harmonious, and beneficial to the unique individual. 

The style of acupuncture that i mainly use in my private practice comes from a Japanese lineage. Hari-style Japanese acupuncture is known for its gentle yet powerful treatments using primarily non-insertive techniques; the majority of a Hari-style treatment is conducted with special tools that never puncture the skin, as well as some bodywork and gentle moxibustion (using heat and refined herbs to stimulate points). While i’m committed to a continued study of Hari, i am also flexible enough to adapt my techniques depending on the specific needs of my patients. Additional modalities that i may use include trigger points, cupping, guasha, and ear points. I hope to ultimately see you balanced, thriving, and loving the body that houses you.

1 hour session: $40

phone: 817-505-3830