Ana Fletes, CMT

"You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human... And although you don't have complete control over the narrative - no author does, I can tell you - you could nevertheless create it." ~ Toni Morrison

I have always been captivated by the marvels of the human body, starting as a child finding inspiration in the graceful movements of my grandmother's hands as they performed everyday tasks, weaving a tapestry of connection and understanding.

Driven by a deep curiosity for the intricate workings of the body, I embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of human anatomy, eventually finding myself drawn to the art of massage therapy. For me, each individual's body tells a unique story, a narrative of aches, strains, and pains that I’m passionate about deciphering and addressing with care and intention.

As a seasoned dancer, yoga practitioner, and avid cyclist, I intimately understand the importance of nurturing an awareness of one's inner self and embracing the subtle nuances of bodily sensations. This profound intersection of awareness and intention serves as the guiding force behind my therapeutic approach, allowing me to tailor each session to meet the specific needs and goals of my clients.

Drawing from my personal journey with recurring foot injuries and my exploration of Myofascial massage techniques, I bring a wealth of firsthand experience and expertise to my practice. My tenure at the Charlotte Maxwell Integrative Cancer Center has further deepened my understanding of the therapeutic power of massage, particularly in the realm of post-operative tissue rehabilitation and scar tissue bodywork, where I find immense fulfillment in helping patients regain mobility and vitality.

Proficient in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, and Myofascial techniques, I possess a versatile skill set that I integrate to offer a holistic and tailored massage experience. Whether it's reducing inflammation, managing pain, or supporting clients on their health journey, I approach each session with a commitment to facilitating healing and well-being.

Angela Coon, L.Ac.

“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”
~Oscar Wilde

I am a primary care practitioner with a focus on Digestive harmony, and the lead practitioner for our 21 Days to Better Health Program. Over the last decade I have immersed myself in current approaches to diet, nutrition, western herbalism and whole food supplementation to help my patients with modern digestive health challenges and autoimmune disease, while maintaining a keen eye on Chinese Medicine’s root cause philosophy.

As a mother to two teenage boys I am extremely versed in family systems and teenage health challenges and bring an integrated approach to whole family health.

My curiosity for a healthier life and deep self investigation began in my 20’s after suffering from a serious bout of Chronic Fatigue. I was led to Chinese medicine and the Naropa Institute, both holding mind-body-spirit balance at the core: one with needles and herbs, one with meditation.

This changed my life forever. I studied with several international clinicians at the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences, learning the arts of NADA protocol for anxiety and chemical dependence, Balance Method, various aspects of the Master Tung methodology, cupping and electro-stim for pain relief and stroke patients, all of which earned me a Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I hold a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Colorado with a minor in music; both of these art forms remain an active part of my world.

I believe health is a nuanced process and I understand how key it is to meet people where they are, that each person has their own starting point, and that the complexities of our lives matters. Health is a constantly moving state and to approach balance we must work together to weave a plan that makes sense. There are many roads that lead to wellness. Together we can remove the roadblocks and take workable steps to make lifelong change.

Prajna Choudhury, L.Ac.

“You can’t heal what you can’t feel.”
~Ralfee Finn

I specialize in acupuncture for beauty, dermatology, and gynecology. I love helping people look and feel their best, to help them radiate health, happiness, and comfort in their own skin. I love working with women throughout their lifespan for natural and effective ways of addressing issues with difficult or irregular cycles, PMS, fertility, pregnancy and postpartum, and menopause. I love helping people with very few medical options to experience relief for their skin ailments (which are usually much more than skin-deep).

I love being able to harness the power of Chinese Herbal Medicine, which has thousands of years of clinical use and study. I am grateful to have so many modalities of treatment available to choose the most appropriate ones for each patient – acupuncture, cupping, guasha, meditation, qigong, dietary therapy, nutritional supplementation, and lifestyle counseling.

Philosophy: When people come in for treatment, of course they want their symptoms to go away. Alleviating pain and discomfort – whether physical or emotional – acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are great at. But in the process of treatment, I’m also curious about: What is your pain or discomfort telling you? What lessons are there to learn from your experience of ill-being? Our bodies are wise messengers. When we ignore their messages, our bodies speak up louder and louder in protest. Maybe ‘I need rest,’ ‘I need to sit with this feeling that’s coming up,’ or ‘ I need more nourishing food.’

In the modern world, we can become so disconnected from our bodies. We can treat them like machines, with doctors being the ‘experts’ on ‘fixing’ them. I want my patients to be empowered in their bodies. I want them to re-learn what helps and what harms their bodies, and to realize their agency over their own health and well-being.

For my facial rejuvenation patients, I want them to love their face – this is the best feedback I hear. Aging is a natural process. To deny or dislike it is to say ‘no’ to reality, which is the primary cause of suffering. How can we age gracefully, and cultivate the most radiant health and peaceful well-being available to us at any given moment?

Health, like anything else, is a path of spiritual learning – to both be at peace with what is, and at the same time cultivate vitality, ease, and joy.

My Path: When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. As I grew older, I wanted to understand human behavior and pursued a doctorate in research psychology immediately after college – but soon realized that I really wanted to work with people to alleviate suffering. I went on to work with survivors of violence, run a crisis hotline, and work on violence prevention in communities. While this work was fulfilling, I knew there was still something more for me.

When I discovered Chinese Medicine, all the pieces fit together. I finally found a way to use my head, hands, heart, and spirit together. It gives me a way to create real change by helping people in very tangible (as well as intangible) ways. Most people get relief of what’s ailing them that brought them into treatment. But even for the very few who don’t – they still leave feeling more relaxed and at ease, heard and witnessed, and better than when they came in that day – and I feel grateful to be able to offer that.

I do feel like I have achieved the essence of what underlay my desire to become an astronaut – to discover and explore the vast mysteries of the universe, through the microcosm of our wondrous bodies and spirits.

Kirstin Lindquist, L.Ac.

“What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
~Antoine Saint de Exupery, The Little Prince

I assist people in shedding obstructions and old patterns so that they may bring more of who they are, their true nature, into the world. I do this through the time-tested tools of Chinese Medicine with my acupuncture patients and qigong students, and by creating a healthy, supportive work environment for Energy Matters staff.

I practice relational medicine. Within the context of the clinical setting, I feel the greatest gift I give to my patients is that of presence. It is an honor to be a witness and guide through their healing process.

I was fortunate that I found my path relatively early in life. I am now 30 years into my journey with Chinese Medicine and patient care. I am also fortunate to have chosen a profession that will keep me engaged and challenged for at least another 30 years. With thousands of years of history to the medicine, and the uniqueness of each patient, I will never be without more to learn.

Currently, I accept new patients whose primary struggles are with metabolic risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDLs, and high waist to hip ratio. If you would like to explore effective, natural options for these issues, I would love to work with you.

Kari Napoli, L.Ac.

“We too are part of Nature, therefore constantly changing, so we are always looking at Nature from a different viewpoint. We are a little piece of continual change looking at an infinite quantity of continual change. Small wonder that it gets quite exciting.”
~B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life

I love orthopedics because I love puzzles. Chinese Medicine has always recognized that pain, especially chronic pain, is something far more complex than the pain or injury itself. When one is having no luck reducing back pain by treating the back, time to look elsewhere. Modern medicine is finally subscribing to this way of thinking and integrative medicine is the future of medicine: the wisdom of the past is meeting the power of today’s technology.

I would describe myself as an integrative acupuncturist who practices Orthopedic Acupuncture in combination with Dry Needling, Neuro (or scalp) acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Korean SA AM. I am highly supportive and encouraging of concurrent therapies. My responsibility is to you, the patient. Sometimes that means connecting you with a different (specifically, the right) intervention; I recognize this as part of my job, too. 

Change is necessary to transform pain and though change is inevitable, we are able to resist it. I do believe we must step away from our comfort zones to change. I will not rush you, I will tell you that it is okay to feel frustrated and when things "stink", I will commiserate that they do, in fact, "stink".  But I have watched so many lives and pain patterns change, including my own, I do not lose hope and I do not quit. 

You can feel better. “Better” is different for everyone. Better happens when you are ready. Take your time.

Amanda Rosenberg, L.Ac.

Schedule: Tuesday PM (starting 2/13/24), Thursday AM, Friday PM & Saturday - All day

“To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”
-Terry Tempest Williams

Throughout my life I have worked with people in many capacities and have always felt the call to be of service to my community. My extensive background working in the education field, the nonprofit sector, and many other care oriented jobs created the perfect groundwork to flow into my journey as a healer and an acupuncturist. Chinese medicine came to me when I needed deep, transformational healing and has shifted my life in so many amazing ways.

My early studies included working in the student clinic in Berkeley, as well as externships at the San Francisco Homeless Prenatal Program and the Jewish Community Free Clinic in Santa Rosa. Working in high volume community acupuncture clinics for ten years after that, I have treated a diverse group of patients with a wide range of health conditions. In 2015, I worked as an acupuncturist on a UCSF Osher Center study "Group Acupuncture for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy", at Community Acupuncture Works in San Francisco. In 2019, I co-created a continuing education class focused on the role of acupuncture in regulating the nervous system as a way to help manage autoimmunity and chronic pain issues.

My clinical focus has been a combination of gentle Japanese inspired needling techniques, integrated western nutritional counseling along with the use of Chinese herbal medicine, gua sha massage, cupping treatments, and tuning fork sound healing therapy. I aim to hold space and be a helpful catalyst for my patients to find their body's innate connection to their own healing abilities.

When not treating patients, you can find me hiking in nature, spending time with my favorite furry animal friends, and enjoying all the beauty, music, arts, and liveliness of the Bay Area with friends and loved ones.

Being on this healing path has shown me time and again the power of the inner healer in us all and the positive effects this medicine has to offer for a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. I encourage us to heal together as a collaborative effort. I am excited to work to support each of you in this lifelong process of wellness.