more about Kathleen
An unusual path to acupuncture
In 1978, unhappy with the job opportunities in her chosen field, and unsure of what she wanted from life, Kathleen took a job as a deck hand on a tall ship. Here she met her husband and together they cruised in his 28’ junk rigged schooner, without an engine, down the Eastern Coast of the US, through the Bahamas, and on to Haiti. Upon returning to the United States, they settled on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Here Kathleen worked on the water as a crabber with her own business. She worked in boat building and repair both with her husband and on her own. One day they came upon the Virginia W, a 1904 skipjack in grave state of disrepair, scuttled in a marsh. They purchased her and restored her to her original state as a working oyster dredge boat. For several years Kathleen and her husband worked the Virginia W in the traditional manner, motoring on “push” days and dredging oysters under sail the rest of the week, as required by Maryland conservation laws.
Kathleen first encountered acupuncture when she sought treatment for herself shortly after the birth of her second child. After her first session, she knew that this was something she had to learn and practice. It wasn’t until her third child was a year old that she was able to begin her study of Chinese Medicine. In 1986 Kathleen enrolled in the acupuncture program at Tri-State College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (now Tri-State College of Acupuncture), located in Stamford CT and New York City.
While working as a commercial waterwoman, Kathleen was a member of the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Department. She volunteered here as an Emergency Medical Technician. She greatly enjoyed this work, and the experience has influenced her approach to medicine.
Education
In 1989 Kathleen graduated from Tri-State with a Diploma in Acupuncture. In addition to the Vietnamese-French meridian energetic perspective she learned at Tri-State, Kathleen continued her studies with Mark Seem to learn trigger point technique, studied Japanese acupuncture with Kiiko Matsumoto, and is familiar with five element and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) style acupuncture. She returned to Tri-State in 1994 to upgrade her Diploma to a Masters in Acupuncture. (Master’s degrees in acupuncture had been unavailable in the U.S until this time.)
In 1999 Kathleen began her formal study of Chinese Herbal Medicine. She completed a three-year program at White Pine Healing Arts Center in Amherst, MA, receiving her Certificate of Chinese Herbology in 2002. She sat for and passed the national board exam for Chinese Herbs to receive her National Certification. She returned to White Pine to for a two year post-graduate herbal mentorship program (2004-2006).
In 2007 Kathleen traveled to China to study with Dr. Huang Huang of Nanjing. She found his herbal perspective perfect to combine with her understanding of acupuncture. Since then she regularly attends his seminars and in August of 2008 hosted him at Mystic River Acupuncture.
Teaching
Kathleen served on the faculty of Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City from 1989-2005. Here she was a senior supervisor of the student clinic and taught weekend seminars, including skills reviews.
From 1990-1995 she served on the faculty in the Shiatsu Department of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Newington, CT. She developed and taught the Oriental medical theory portion of their Shiatsu program and wrote three of the course manuals.
She has been a regular guest instructor at Connecticut College, New London CT, presenting an Oriental Medicine class for the Medical Anthropology course under Dr. June Macklin (1994-1997). During the mid to late 1990s, Kathleen gave presentations of Chinese Medicine at the Pfizer Global Headquarters in Groton, CT.
In 1998 Kathleen returned to the Westport campus of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy to teach East-West patho-physiolgy. She currently sits on the CCMT program advisory board.
Kathleen has participated in ICAM Home Week sessions at the University of Connecticut School of Medical. In these classes third year medical students experience Integrative and Complimentary Medicine (ICAM). As a guest acupuncturist Kathleen demonstrated acupuncture for the students in this program.
Experience
From 1991-1998 Kathleen she served as an Examiner for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture point location exam and as a proctor for the written board examination. During this time she also helped to administer the Massachusetts board examination.
Kathleen is a past president (1995-2002) of the Connecticut Society of Acupuncture (now the Connecticut Society of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) and was instrumental in getting the first acupuncture legislation passed in Connecticut in the 1990s.
Kathleen traveled to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in July of 1999, where she was welcomed at Mission Mikocheni Hospital as a guest acupuncture professor. She gave a series of lectures and demonstrated acupuncture technique to the hospital’s medical staff.
Most recently, Kathleen traveled across the country touring community clinics before opening Southeastern Connecticut’s first community acupuncture clinic at Mystic River Acupuncture.
Kathleen has frequently appeared on radio and television programs where she shares her expertise. Her ability to explain complicated theories in a clear, understandable manner and her practical approach to alternative medicine make her a popular guest on these shows.
Kathleen holds licenses to practice acupuncture in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New York and is licensed as a Doctor of Acupuncture in Rhode Island. She has current national certification in both acupuncture and Chinese herbs from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She is a member of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the Connecticut Society of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
On a more local level, Kathleen volunteered at the Sunshine Soup Kitchen in Groton, CT until it closed its doors. She sits on the Mystic Area Ecumenical Council. She is a member of the Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Groton Business Association, and sits on the steering committee of the latter.
