In practice Shawn offers his clients a unique fusion of Traditional Chinese Medicine – including Jin Shou Tuina ™ (a form of Chinese medical massage), Acupuncture, and Herbal medicine – with CranioSacral Therapy (CST), a unique light-touch manual therapy that helps optimize the function of the central nervous system.

This blend of tuina, acupuncture and CST is an excellent combination for health concerns as diverse as:

• Pain syndromes due to trauma, arthritis or other chronic disease
• Digestive dysfunction
• Insomnia/Anxiety
• Stroke rehabilitation CST does this by enhancing the amount and flow of the cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal chord; and freeing any restrictions in the soft transverse tissues running across the major diaphragms of the body.  Increased blood flow is the result, and for this reason combined with the refreshing of the central nervous system, there is often improvement in many conditions  - including pain syndromes, nervous system disorders, difficult emotions and low immunity - with CranioSacral work. 

In addition, Shawn often prescribes qigong or other exercises coming from his own clinical and martial arts experience. Based on observation of gross body mechanics and your body’s own energetic state, these exercises help realign and strengthen the body, as well as bring about the subtle shifts our bodies sometimes need to move toward inner balance.  

Originally from Northern Michigan, Shawn finished undergraduate studies at The Evergreen State College in 1996, focusing on Ecological Studies with an emphasis on Human Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture.   He began attending Five Branches Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2004 and graduated with a Masters in TCM in 2008. He has been practicing in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties since that time.

While studying at Five Branches, Shawn met Jennifer Minor, who introduced him to the Tang Shou Tao system of Chinese internal martial arts and medicine. In 2006, Shawn joined North American Tang Shou Tao Association (NATSTA) and began training Chinese internal martial arts.  Shawn found this training an indispensible asset and complement to practicing TCM, and has continued to advance both his martial and medicinal arts.

Most recently, he trained for 16 months in a nationally recognized clinical apprenticeship in Jin Shou Tuina™  - a unique and comprehensive style of tuina associated with the martial arts lineage held by NATSTA - with Jennifer Minor and Miranda Warburton, two of NATSTA's most senior instructors and the founders of Six Harmonies Traditional Medicine Center.

Shawn is greatly honored to join the team at Lokahi Acupuncture, and looks forward to working with you to achieve your highest potential for health!