holistic natural medicine

Facing a cancer diagnosis can be stressful, overwhelming, and traumatic. Standard biomedical treatment, while essential, often brings a cascade of physical, emotional, and relational challenges: from fatigue, nausea, and neuropathy to anxiety, isolation, and shifts in identity. I do not offer alternatives to oncology treatment, nor claim to cure cancer. Instead, I provide integrative, evidence-informed support that honors the complexity of the cancer experience.

Acupuncture is well researched for its ability to reduce treatment side effects, including nausea, pain, hot flashes, night sweats, and peripheral neuropathy. In fact, for chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, studies suggest it may be one of the only interventions shown to promote nerve regeneration, with longer-lasting benefits than medication alone. But acupuncture is just one piece of the puzzle: I also incorporate stress-relief techniques, nutrition, botanical medicine, and other supportive therapies tailored to what’s safe and appropriate for your phase of care.

As both a clinician and a cancer survivor, I understand firsthand the invisible layers of this journey, and how meaningful it is to feel seen, supported, and resourced along the way. The care I offer is designed to reduce suffering, improve quality of life, and help you feel more resilient through each phase of care.

cancer support

I support women through the layered transitions that begin in mid-life and onward: from perimenopause and menopause to shifts in sleep, mood, energy, and identity. These phases of life are rarely given the depth of support they deserve.

For some, this second chapter follows a history of cancer treatment or long-term recovery, where the body’s rhythm has already been disrupted. Together, we work to restore equilibrium after periods of physical depletion, emotional upheaval, or medical intervention.

It is my goal to offer steady, whole-person care to help ease hormonal shifts, support emotional balance, and proactively navigate the physiological changes of midlife and beyond, while honoring the resilience, clarity, and renewed connection to self that this stage can offer.

women's health and aging

I believe that emotional health is at the heart of whole-person wellbeing. I offer support for anxiety, depression, grief, and chronic stress using a personalized blend of acupuncture, botanical medicine, nutrition, and more to regulate the nervous system.

Research shows that acupuncture can lower stress-related hormones like cortisol and modulate neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, offering a grounded, non-pharmaceutical option for emotional balance.

Whether you're facing a life transition, living with ongoing stress, or simply feeling off balance, this work offers a path toward greater emotional clarity and steadier ground without bypassing what’s real.

emotional wellbeing

Chronic pain affects far more than the body: It influences mood, sleep, energy, and the ability to stay engaged in life. At Zelena Medicine, I offer care that helps regulate the nervous system, reduce pain and inflammation, and restore mobility all without the side effects of long-term medications.

Whether your pain is rooted in injury, tension, inflammation, or trauma, this work is tailored to address the underlying patterns, not just the symptoms, so you can regain a sense of agency in your healing.

chronic pain

Surgery is a major physiological event. How you prepare for it, and care for your body afterward, can significantly affect outcomes. I offer evidence-informed, pre- and post-surgical care designed to support recovery, reduce pain, and restore function without interfering with anesthesia or prescription medications. Zelena Medicine’s surgical support protocol addresses both physical and emotional stressors: it helps regulate the nervous system, modulate inflammation, and reduce anxiety before and after a procedure.

This approach draws on multiple modalities tailored to your needs; among them, acupuncture has been particularly well studied. It has been shown to modulate inflammation, improve immune function, and reduce the need for medications such as opioids or benzodiazepines during recovery. Research also indicates that patients receiving acupuncture after surgery exhibit lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines; compounds linked to pain, swelling, and delayed healing. This anti-inflammatory effect may help reduce postoperative complications and promote more efficient tissue repair and recovery; outcomes are further enhanced when combined with laser therapy and manual techniques.

pre-post surgery support