Donna L. Keefe, L.Ac. earned her Masters of Traditional Oriental Medicine after graduating in 1988 from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. She continued post-graduate studies while working in a hospital in Hainan, China in 1993, receiving a Certificate in 'Bi Zheng and Scalp Acupuncture'. She is also Certified as a Qi Gong Instructor, integrating ancient therapeutic breathing and exercise techniques into her treatments. Donna is very active in her profession. She sat on the Board and was past Treasurer of the California Acupuncture Association. She was also chosen as a Clinical Examiner and Subject Matter Expert for the California Acupuncture Committee helping to develop the California State Board examination. She currently teaches in the Departments of Oriental Medicine and Clinical Practice at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Donna is the Clinical Director of the Acupuncture Center of La Jolla and has been in private practice since 1989. Donna is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and specializes in Fertility and other Women's Health Care issues.

John first experienced acupuncture as a patient when it successfully relieved his back pain. He received his training at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, CA., where he graduated with a Masters degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine in 1988.

John has extensive clinical experience and post graduate training. Since 1993 John has studied with Dr. Richard Tan, a world renowned practitioner and teacher of "The Balance Method" of acupuncture. In this highly effective system distal points are used as opposed to needling into the painful affected site. This often results in almost immediate relief from a persons condition.

John is also a Postural Alignment Specialist in "The Egoscue Method" and does postural evaluations and prescribes therapeutic exercises to relieve a wide variety of conditions.

For many years John has studied a number of martial art forms and yoga and continues training in Tai Chi chaun, Nami Ryu Aiki Ju Jutsu, Systema and does posture exercises from "The Egoscue Method". Many principals and exercises from these arts are applicable to daily life thru enhancing health and teaching skills to deal with stress and fears.

Lisa Valente first became interested in Oriental Medicine when she received acupuncture treatments for migraine headaches in Italy. She attributes the healing process of these treatments, which was not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual, as the culprit for her decision to make a career change to study Oriental Medicine. In the Autumn of 2001, Lisa and her husband moved over from Italy to California in order for her to attend the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Lisa has since earned her master's degree from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and is both California and nationally certified in acupuncture and herbal medicine. Her undergraduate degree is in Italian and German Literature.

Lisa recently returned from Guatemala on a missionary trip where she practiced acupuncture in a medical clinic for the indigenous. She is currently creating a missionary team to return to Guatemala.

Lisa's clinical experience includes participating on the palliative care team at San Diego Hospice, treating children and their families in the integrative Hematology/Oncology unit at San Diego Children's Hospital, and treating patients at a clinic for the homeless. Lisa is also a Postural Alignment Specialist in "The Egoscue Method".

Lisa's intent is to be of service to each individual through his or her journey of health; to help empower each individual to thrive by obtaining and maintaining their health through the modalities of Oriental Medicine and supportive life style choices.

Lisa adheres to the foundations of the Traditional Classics, with diagnosis and techniques based on the Japanese "style".

Julie Simonton, L.Ac. found acupuncture during her own struggles with infertility and while unsuccessful in her quest for pregnancy, found a peace and understanding that acupuncture is so much more than a "quick fix" or "magic cure". Inspired by her experience, she took on a journey of self discovery which led her to the practice of Traditional Oriental Medicine and Reiki.

Her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany led her to working with developmentally disabled children and young adults early in her career. She achieved a level 3 Reiki Master certification, and then felt a desire to do more hands on healing. She made a decision to pursue this goal, so attended Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and received a Master's Degree of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine. While pursuing her degree, she practiced at ACLJ performing therapeutic massage and rapidly developed a following of devoted patients. She is a California State Board Certified Acupuncturist.

Julie followed her mentor, Donna Keefe, from being a patient to attending her alma mater, through years of assisting her and thus has an emphasis on women's health. Through her own struggles with infertility, she has a unique ability to empathize with those currently going through this process, as well as a knowledge base of the available treatments both from the Western and Eastern perspective. She was a member of the San Diego chapter of RESOLVE, a fertility support group, and was a guest speaker at informational conferences regarding how Eastern medicine plays a supportive role in achieving and maintaining healthy pregnancies.

She has had much success controlling and eliminating pain using Traditional Oriental Medicine. Her approach to patient care involves using all tools available, such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, massage, self care and nutritional counseling to achieve the best results and customized treatment plans for each patient, based on their specific needs.

Nikki Desjardins, L.Ac. is a licensed acupuncturist with additional training in Tui Na and NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.) She received her Masters degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine with studies in acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutrition, and Qi Gong.

Nikki also has undergraduate training and a bachelor's degree in psychology, which allows her to understand the effects of the environment on her patients' feelings and actions. This combined with her knowledge of research methodology and human nature permits Nikki to readily identify and solve many health concerns.

She shows her patients the most effective way to restore balance and achieve their optimal health, by working on the immediate imbalance and underlying factors. This approach allows her patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes to achieve optimal wellness. She is passionate about helping her patients and takes a thorough and holistic view of each patient.

Well known for her positive attitude and caring manner, her patients know that Nikki truly listens to their concerns and is committed to achieving their wellness goals.