BACKGROUND AND TRAINING
Mary has been practicing acupuncture since 2008, after a nine year college journey. She started in a pre-med program and then switched gears to earn a B.S. in Biology/Physiology. She earned her Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine at Dongguk University Los Angeles, including internship in Seoul (Ilsan), South Korea. She went on to teach at her alma mater while maintaining a private acupuncture and herbology practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for five years, then studied Classical Five Element Acupuncture (CFEA) at the Institute of Classical Five Element Acupuncture in Santa Monica, CA with Neil Gumenick , Brian Bender and Eliot Ivanhoe. Her love of the medicine and dedication to maintaining the purity of J.R. Worsley's teachings lead her to begin teaching at the Institute, where she taught for seven years, the tail end of it as Senior Faculty, until the 2020 pandemic arrived. She utilized the pandemic's quarantines, slowed business and break in teaching by enrolling in and completing the Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM) program at Pacific College of Health and Science in San Diego. She looks forward to teaching many more students of CFEA, also known as Worsley Acupuncture, in the future. Mary has also published video courses on Ethics in the Field of Acupuncture, which can be taken with or without continuing education credit, available on Net of Knowledge , and is developing more courses ongoing.
Before practicing acupuncture full-time, Mary worked in sleep disorders medicine for over 20 years, holding positions as technologist, manager and clinical specialist at prestigious hospitals and medical centers in Michigan, Oregon and California, including UCLA. While working with patients, co-workers, managers, staff and physicians, she learned how important it is to consider the unique perspective of each individual, and that we never know someone's true story until we take the time to listen; not just with our ears, but with our hearts. While working in the hospital arena, she received many 'crash courses' in how to deal with difficult situations in real time. Through this, she learned about attaining a balance of discernment and neutrality, and how to foster resilient growth in others. She took a three year hiatus from sleep medicine and taught in Los Angeles public schools' special education system, teaching learning disabled, emotionally challenged, at risk and autistic children, which gave her a unique perspective of how we, as dynamic humans, learn, struggle, triumph and grow, on all levels. This work taught her immense patience and perspective, an ability to see and track progress, no matter how small, and the capability to maintain an optimistic outlook no matter how dire the appearance of the circumstances. Her return to the sleep medicine field found her in a consulting position, which propelled immense growth in terms of how to manage both technical issues and professional relationships via distanced work. During her undergrad years, she worked as a technician and phlebotomist in medical laboratories, regional trauma centers and burn units. She's worked in medical and wildlife research facilities, large animal vet clinics and even morgues.
Mary is also certified (500 hours) in teaching yoga and meditation. She applies this knowledge mostly for self care to be at her best to help you, but if you need help finding yoga or meditation techniques that work for you, please inquire.
Credentials:
Licensed Acupuncturist, California Acupuncture Board, # 13078
Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)® #844960
Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, 2021
Classical Five Element Acupuncturist, Certificate, 2014
Master of Science in Oriental Medicine, 2008
Bachelor of Science, 1992
Affiliations / Memberships:
American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA)
California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA)
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)®
Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR)
Worsley Institute (WI)
Notable Trainings:
CFEA Teacher Training: Refinement of CFEA Content with Hilary Skellon at the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture, Inc., 2021 and 2022
Personally and continuously (weekly) mentored in both clinical and teaching skills by Neil Gumenick from 2014-2020, and ongoing, periodically, to date.
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