Meet Our Team of Experienced Practitioners
Growing up in Central Asia in the family of physicians, Aurora (she/they) has always had a strong interest in human rights and serving the underserved. At the junction of East and West, she developed an appreciation for the natural healing practices of her nomadic ancestors and conscious living that is in harmony with mother nature.
Inspired to learn what makes up the matter within the cells of our human body, she graduated with a chemistry degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later enrolled at UNC School of Medicine to pursue her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. As a medical student, she traveled to Peru and apprenticed there with the indigenous tribes of the Amazon River basin and learned about the medicinal plants of Peru. The truths she learned and compassion she found deep in the heart of the jungle propelled her towards her career in holistic medicine.
After completing her pre-clinical studies at UNC School of Medicine, she moved on to study East Asian medicine in the PNW. She completed her acupuncture studies at Bastyr University, where she received her Doctor of Acupuncture degree. In her practice, she integrates Eastern Medicine with Western medicine by supporting her patients with her knowledge of both TCM and clinical biomedicine. She frequently utilizes Japanese meridian therapy, bodywork modalities (shiatsu, cupping, gua sha), and Eastern lifestyle and dietary modifications to help create a lasting shift in her patients’ health and lives. In her trauma-informed approach, she strives to create a safe space for her patients to tap into the essence of who they are and find wholeness and health within. treatment plan to get you back in the game.
Aurora specializes in women’s health, LGBTQ+ support, pain management, autoimmunity, oncology, facial acupuncture, and mental-emotional support. Facial acupuncture is one of her big areas of interest, and she has successfully treated patients with both Bell’s palsy and early onset post-stroke sequelae. treatment plan to keep you healthy.
Certifications
- Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc)
- Masters in Acupuncture (MAc)
- Doctorate in Acupuncture (DAc)
- Board Certified with National Cert. Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
- Certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS)
Qualifications
- Global Health Outreach with International Service Learning (Costa Rica)
- Clinical Externship with Sharing Hearts in Nepal (Nepal)
- Primary care experience with treating migraines, degenerative spinal changes, musculoskeletal pain, dermatological conditions, infertility, respiratory illnesses in medically underserved areas, and complex trauma in refugees
- Undergraduate research experience in polymer chemistry (UNC Group of Dr. Valerie Ashby, PhD)
- Teaching experience as a chemistry tutor and Pilates instructor
Meet our Massage Therapist Lil Kerson, LMT
Lil (they/them) is a licensed massage therapist (#MA60689784), Craniosacral therapist, and energy worker. Born in San Francisco, Lil has lived in Seattle since 2009. Before becoming an LMT in 2016, they spent years studying various healing arts modalities and ancestral practices of folk healing. Lil is currently in the Health Psychology program at Antioch University and has received multiple certifications in medical assisting and patient advocacy work. They are interested in the intersections of biomedical care and mental health, and hope to be an advocate for change in the field of public health.
Lil became an LMT to create a space to serve their queer and trans community. In the seven years they’ve been in practice, they have received countless continuing education courses in the field of trauma informed care and nervous system restoration. Lil’s approach as a practitioner is centered around grounding and building a foundation of resilience.
Lil has extensive experience supporting clients who are experiencing grief, major life transitions or burn out, have chronic pain, have C-PTSD and/or are actively exploring how trauma has impacted their bodies, and those who are neurodiverse. They bring a wide variety of modalities into each session, including acupressure, Craniosacral therapy, Myofascial release, Swedish techniques, somatic-focused guided meditations, and breathwork.
They believe that all of us are vessels of transformation, magic, grief, and vast, blooming opportunity to heal, and are incredibly grateful to be able to help support you on your journey
Qualifications
- 750-hour massage therapy training through Cortiva Institute
- CranioSacral and SomatoEmotional release through Upledger Institute
- Foundation in Swedish, Myofascial release, acupressure, cupping. Specializes in relaxation and nervous system regulation with a trauma and social justice informed lense.
Meet our Acu & Founder Bethany De Marco, LAC, RN
Bethany (she/her) is a descendent of farmers and people who view life as entwined with nature and developed a strong connection with Nature as medicine.
In her meandering search for a medical practice that she resonates with, she familiarized herself with very different worlds of healing. This journey ranged from studying the environment itself in Denver Botanic Gardens, working on over 40 studies of native plant species, to managing over 80 cancer research studies at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
Later she furthered her knowledge and became a registered nurse at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center, and since then she has worked at many ICU’s across the country, including the Neurological ICU at Seattle’s premier stroke center, Swedish Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and Harborview Medical Center.
Bethany, an avid outdoor enthusiast, found healing in energetic modalities like Acupuncture to be extremely effective at not only alleviating musculoskeletal injuries, but also treating the spirit and psycho-emotional levels. A graduate of Maryland University of Integrative Health, Bethany loves alleviating pain, treating psycho-emotional health, and also assisting those who are balancing complex medical issues and who want to thrive.
Certifications
- Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), Masters' in Acupuncture
- Master's of Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
- Board Certified with National Cert. Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
- Registered Nurse (RN), BS and BA degreed
- Certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Certified in Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Certified in Pediactric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
Qualifications
- Completed a Fellowship at Mend Acupuncture
- Clinical Residency completed at MUIH
- Specialized in critical care as an RN for 15 years, managing diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart attacks and heart failure, trauma, and organ failure, and neurological, orthopedic surgeries and musculoskeletal diseases.