Meet our Teachers

CORE TEACHER - Ellen Goldsmith, MSOM, LAc, DipCH, is an educator, speaker, as well as a board certified and licensed acupuncturist and herbalist practicing Chinese medicine and nutritional therapy. She is author of "Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine: +175 Seasonal Recipes for Optimal Health," a book for practitioners, nutritionists and anyone interested in bringing the healing power of food into their everyday lives.

In practice, her integrative body centered and intuitive approach is grounded in decades of study and experience which are key to collaborating and working with people to help them restore health. She is known for her enduring confidence that each person has the power within to resolve challenges, grow and heal. She is a long time practitioner of meditation, Qi Gong and body centered therapies.

She speaks frequently on the value of understanding food as medicine from a Chinese medicine point of view and integrating a whole body approach to health and healing at conferences and schools in the USA and offers online classes through her website pearlnaturalhealth.com.

Ellen is a graduate of National University of Natural Medicine’s College of Classical Chinese Medicine and has a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine> She is on faculty in the Classical Chinese Medicine program at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon and with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine in San Diego teaching integrative medicine fellows. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

CORE TEACHER - Mindi K. Counts, MA, LAc., is a wilderness and rites of passage guide, Five-Element acupuncturist, Somatic practitioner, and East-West folk herbalist. Founder of the Inner Ocean Center for Healing, Mindi is a keynote speaker, retreat leader and teacher. She is the author of Everyday Chinese Medicine, Tending Your Roots, and a contributing author to The Trauma Toolkit and Singing Our Heart’s Song.

She is the founder of the international nonprofit Inner Ocean Empowerment Project, providing holistic healthcare and education to women and children through volunteer service missions to underserved populations around the world and in the U.S. She was featured in Dr. Oz’s The Good Life magazine for her work in Indian slum communities, Burmese refugee birth clinics and earthquake-ravaged areas of Nepal.

Mindi is a graduate of Naropa University’s Contemplative Psychology program and holds a Masters degree in Classical Five Element Acupuncture from the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture. She lives with her family and rescued pit bulls in the foothills of Colorado. To learn more about Mindi and ways of working directly with her, visit her site.

GUEST TEACHER - Naomi Jansson, is a Traditional Medicine Doctor providing treatment and  education utilising Chinese Medicine Philosophy, Traditional Herbal Foods, Acupuncture, Moxibustion and her experience as a Registered Nurse of 25 years experience. Naomi combines her lived experiences and knowledge of Eastern and Western Medicine through her services and education offering programs of care in her area of expertise; Women's Medicine, Conception, Pregnancy and Postpartum Care.  She also provides undergraduate and postgraduate education and coordinates professional learning and conferences. Providing apprenticeship and education opportunities is an important part of Naomi’s practice.  She offers workshops, Immersions and in clinic apprenticeship opportunities to acupuncturists, women health professionals, body workers, midwives and birth workers.  She is an active Health Advocate for Traditional Medicine and Cultural care in pregnancy, birth and Postpartum as a speaker on Podcasts and Conferences.

GUEST TEACHER - Zoey Xinyi Gong, was born in Shanghai, China, and lived for many years in New York. She is a registered dietitian (R.D.) and Traditional Chinese Medicine chef.

Zoey is dedicated to modernizing Traditional Chinese Medicine and making it a relevant and practical lifestyle for all, and serving as a bridge between Eastern and Western perspectives of wellness. She is the author of "The Five Elements Cookbook- a guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine with Recipes for Everyday Healing."

Zoey is the cofounder of the Red Pavilion, a creative venue in Brooklyn, New York, featuring medicinal cooking classes, chef's table, and more. She's been covered by the New York Times, NBC, Serious Eats, Bon Appetit and more. She lives in between Shanghai & New York.

GUEST TEACHER - Holly Davis is an inspiring wholefood chef and educator. Born in London, Holly cut her teeth as a chef at Food For Thought in Covent Garden. She moved to Sydney in 1982 where she founded Manna, a restaurant inspired by her interest in Macrobiotic & 5 Element philosophy. She then co-founded Sydney’s Iku Wholefoods in 1985. In her current business Food By Holly Davis she aims to seduce people to better ways of thinking about, sourcing, preparing, and eating balanced wholefood meals, by teaching them to make, or feeding them irresistibly delicious foods, that happen to be good for them.

Holly’s been a long time champion for the attainment of great health through the use of sustainable organic wholefoods; appropriate to the season, tailored to the needs of the consumer. Her cooking style uses traditional ingredients and embraces the dietary principles practiced by societies prior to industrialised food production. She has also been intentionally fermenting food and drinks to goodness for over four decades. Holly’s vision ‘to feed people love’ is expressed in her inspiring and informative cookery classes, her talks, through her articles and when she is catering or food coaching for private or commercial clients.

She is the author of 2 books, “Nourish” and “Ferment – A guide to the ancient art of culturing foods.”

GUEST TEACHER - Jost Sauer, founder of the Chi Cycle Health System, is an acupuncturist, lecturer, author and a popular presenter to corporate and community audiences. He was also an ex-addict, dealer and deserter who kickstarted a recovery revolution by creating a trailblazing lifestyle-based rehab program. Jost adapted this for everyone as the Chi Cycle lifestyle, a health-boosting, fat-burning feel-good day plan, that was inspired by the Chinese organ clock.

Jost’s background includes competitive skiing, plus over 35 years of daily training in martial arts (Chen Gongfu Tai-chi), weights and VCM meditation. He has studied under spiritual masters, and his internationally published books include Higher and Higher, and The Perfect Day Plan (Allen and Unwin); Chi Health Cycle (Welbeck, UK) and Wie neugeboren mit moderner TCM (Riva, Germany).

Jost has treated thousands of people from celebrities to CEOs to professional athletes, with his Chi Cycle Health System, and he offers Chi Cycle training, workshops and health retreats. Jost is passionate about Chinese medicine and showing everyone how to use the power of chi to make every day medicinal and magical.

GUEST TEACHER - Jun Negoro is a registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner - acupuncturist and herbalist in Singapore, with a primary focus on women’s health, specifically menstrual wellness and fertility.

Her mission is to guide women through the complexities of menstruation and fertility using transformative TCM solutions. Jun is dedicated to simplifying intricate TCM concepts, presenting them in easily understandable terms, and firmly believes in TCM's potential to empower individuals and foster confidence on their journey to holistic health.

Jun holds a double degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine in TCM from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Nanyang Technological University.

GUEST TEACHER - Evan Pinto, as a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist, Dr. Evan has been practicing in Shanghai, China since 2012. Along with his private practice clients, he also taught at Shanghai University of TCM and interned at Shu Guang Famous Doctor Hospital in Shanghai. He received his Doctoral degree in integrative TCM at Pacific College of Health and Science in New York City and San Diego. He also studied at Beijing Traditional Medicine Training Center of the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies (WFAS). And he completed a rotation at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in NYC. These diverse cities and cultures taught him the value of being openminded and to just observe people. The clues of the cause of illness may not come from obvious places like measurable physical symptoms. Many patients have unknown emotional and spirit level disharmonies that manifest as muscle and joint aches and pains. The integration of western biomedical symptom differentiation with TCM diagnosis and treatment techniques like acupuncture, herbal remedies, and food therapy is, in his opinion, a more nuanced approach for treating long standing chronic conditions.

Dr. Evan is also the co-author of the Qi Food Therapy TCM e-book collection.

GUEST TEACHER - Allison Locke, is an accomplished acupuncturist and integrative health practitioner based in Vancouver, British Columbia and will be teaching a Hormone Balancing class in our Women's Health module.

Allison is a licensed Acupuncturist and a registered member of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Colombia. She began her studies at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City and went on to complete the four-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine program at the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Vancouver. Allison is also a health coach, integrative health practitioner, a fellow of the American Acupuncture and TCM Board or Reproductive Medicine (ABORM), a member of the Obsterical Acupuncture Association (OBAA), a Certified Laser Technician (CLT), and a registered Yoga Teacher (RYT- 200).

GUEST TEACHER - Dr. Kim Peirano, DACM, Dipl.OM, LAc, CHT, CPHPCA is a transformative healer dedicated to guiding her patients on their personal growth, healing and transformation journeys through the depth and power of East Asian Medicine, Acupuncture treatments, Jungian Life Coaching, medical hypnotherapy and more. With a multifaceted approach that encompasses ancient wisdom, multiple modalities, trauma-informed care, and Taoist theory, Dr. Kim harmoniously integrates the body, mind, and spirit to unlock the full potential of healing.

A practicing Acupuncturist since 2010, Dr. Kim graduated from The Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley and further received her Doctorate in Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine from the Pacific College of Health Sciences in 2018. Her expertise spans a wide range of issues and illnesses, with a particular focus on stress management, well-being, and the impact of illness or pain on overall health. She has successfully supported clients through major life transitions, chronic pain and illness, fertility concerns, pediatric patients, eating disorder recovery, spiritual growth, sports medicine, orthopedics, end-of-life support, and hospice care.

She is a member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), serves as a board member of the California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA) and is the Founder and Director of The Integrative Healing Institute, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing spirit-mind-body education to health practitioners and the general public. Dr. Kim is a Certified Provider of Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncture and a volunteer for the Living / Dying Project as a spiritual counselor for end of life patients. Dr. Kim is also a columnist for the industry publication Acupuncture Today and has been a peer-reviewed journal author in the Journal of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine.

GUEST TEACHER - Michelle Oravitz, L.Ac, FABORM is an acupuncturist, specializing in Fertility Health. She found her love in Chinese medicine after it helped her through her own menstrual cycle challenges and this inspired her to change her career from architecture to acupuncture. 

Michelle is the host of a top rated podcast called ‘The Wholesome Fertility Podcast’ . She has been endorsed by best-selling authors such as Aimee Raupp, Jessica Ortner, and Dr. Lisa Miller. 

Michelle has been on a mission to help women get pregnant (naturally and IVF preparation) through her one on one work at her acupuncture clinic as well as online. She recently authored a new book, The Way of Fertility, which dives deep into the energetics of fertility through the lens of ancient wisdom. Michelle believes that our bodies are hardwired to procreate and by connecting to our inherent wisdom, we can awaken our natural reproductive vitality.

GUEST TEACHER - Dr. Catherine Clinton ND is a licensed Naturopathic Physician and Quantum Biology Health Educator with a focus on gut health, autoimmunity and psychoneuroimmunology. A respected author, speaker, pediatric health advocate, Dr. Catherine practices in Eugene, Oregon.

Dr. Catherine is passionate about the connections we have with the world around us and how these connections can regenerate our health and the health of the planet. She sees an urgent need for healing our internal terrain as well as healing the terrain of the world we live in. 

Dr. Catherine is at the forefront of energetic wellness and is passionate about the Elements. She has a number of online courses and masterclasses on circadian rhythms, frequency, light & sound therapy and structured water. All “invisible forces that shape our wellness.” She is the founder of new online courses: Quantum Biology of Trauma and a Quantum Biology Health Practitioner Training.

COURSE DIRECTOR & GUEST TEACHER - Kimberly Ashton is a 5 Elements wellness coach, chef, energy healer, author & educator focusing on intuitive eating, food therapy and food energetics. With an entrepreneurial spirit she spent over 16 years in Greater China, 8 of which she co-owned China’s first health food store, cafe & teaching kitchen, inspiring clients to restore their well-being through 5 element nutrition. 

Kimberly believes in the power of reconnecting with the elements and natural world, and realigning our individual & collective relationship to food, emotional & energetic health. 

In 2019 she published her second book “Chinese Superfoods” which encourages new generations of nutrition enthusiasts to explore Asian traditional foods, everyday ingredients & get back in the kitchen. It has sold over 7000 copies and is in its 2nd reprint in Mandarin Chinese. She is also the co-author of a TCM cookbook series which focuses on theory & recipes for each of the 5 elements and health imbalances.