Needle and Leaf has been at its current location, Main Street Seal Beach, CA, since 2017, remaining open serving patients through the COVID-19 pandemic up until current day 2025.
Dr C has a long history of working with health and the body.
While playing semi-pro soccer growing up in New Jersey, she destroyed a knee (ACL and the meniscus actually folded over on itself in the joint, if you can imagine that), going out in a blaze of glory. This led to a long recovery including housing instability, food instability, and more, culminating in joining the US Army right before 9/11 happened.
While serving in the US Army during the initial Iraq War invasion, she became disillusioned and got pretty deep into meditation, astral projection, and Buddhism.
After the Army, Dr C drove across the country with her giant orange cat, Bart. Settling in San Diego, she began working as a NASM personal trainer, started massage therapy school (focusing on chronic pain, injury recovery, and Structural Integration) and college concomitantly. Focusing on neuroscience and languages added to the base of knowledge she was continuing to build.
This was also the time Dr C began her journey into Reiki, eventually becoming an Usui Reiki Master and Kundalini Reiki Master in the years to follow.
Moving to Orange County in 2006 allowed Dr C to continue self-employment, working with chronic pain and injuries using Structural Integration Massage while attending California State University Long Beach, graduating with a BA and MA in Anthroplogy, focusing on Medical Anthropology. Her thesis was an exploration into how fertility patients in Southern California incorporated acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and how the doctors talked about the medicine with patients and the wider public world.
By the time Dr C's time at CSULB was coming to a close, the problems from her time in service were becoming noticeable. She realized that being a clinician was a better path for her life goals rather than academia, and enrolled In Traditional Chinese Medical school, starting at Yo San University. Dr C later graduated from Emperor's College, then received a Doctorate specializing in Integrative Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine from Pacific College, San Diego.
Dr C has been licensed to practice acupuncture in private practice since 2017, and a fellow of ABORM, the Acupuncture and TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine, since 2025. She became a subject matter expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine and anxiety treatment pre pandemic, studying Worsley Classical Five-Element Acupuncture, studying monthly in Oregon.
Dr C's health went from "eh, this sucks," into a screaming downward spiral near the end of 2019, and she started to reduce her hours. She was diagnosed with a couple things that are related to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her health has stabilized in the past 2 months.
Requiring care the Veterans Administration (VA) could not and would not provide in a helpful, organized, timely manner, Dr C and colleagues Tamara Smith, Erin Callanan, and Izzy Henry founded Urban Salt Community Acupuncture Clinic in Long Beach, Ca. This facility provides health education and community TCM care at a very affordable price while providing jobs to newer acupuncturists in a nonprofit setting- see us here www.urbansalt.og
Dr C remains the Executive Director of Urban Salt, helping to coach and guide new practitioners.
If you have trouble with affording medical care, please contact info@urbansalt.org
Back to taking new patients-
While in recovery from some serious health issues stemming from her time in service and in Iraq, Dr C is now focused on treating her passions:
-Fertility for both men and women
-Gynecology in TCM including PMDD, PMS, cramping, PCOS, endometriosis, and fibroids
-Orthopedics, her first interest, working with chronic pain including fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic injury, surgical recovery, and acute injuries like sprains, strains, and bruising.
-Metabolic health including weight management and glucose control
-Medication side effects
-Varied concerns: Skin changes spanning eczema to cosmetic interests, allergies, vertigo, neuropathy, going through your supplement stash, dietary coaching, lifestyle change, and more
Dr C is looking at hiring an associate to work the hours that would fill the week, applicants may apply through email.
LIkes:
Pets! Like her ancient chihuahua, Fulgencio, and massive white rabbit named Rabbit
Books
Gardens
Swimming
Acupuncture and herbs
Being in ketosis
...for training and to take their own patients. Please be less than 1 year in practice.
Must be willing to chart
Must be willing to learn super bill formats
Must be eligible to work in the US, licensed, and have malpractice insurance
Must be available Fridays-Sundays
We will work closely, so personalities have to mesh well- willing to work on the same patients as a team and discuss patient care easily. There are no islands in medical care.
Please send resume to hello@theneedleandleaf.com
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