I created Daodi so more women could experience the depth of Chinese herbal medicine.
My formal training began at Daoist Traditions College, where I completed four years of focused study and earned a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. After graduating, I completed a two-year, full-time clinical residency at The Alternative Clinic under Andrew and JulieAnn Nugent-Head. The residency began in the clinic's traditional pharmacy, which was stocked with more than 250 medicinals. Filling hundreds of raw herbal prescriptions written by senior practitioners gave me repeated, hands-on experience with classical formula construction. Working closely with raw herbs during that time deepened my understanding of their physical and medicinal qualities, as well as the traditional preparation methods that developed over thousands of years and were recorded in classical texts such as the Shang Han Lun. I later practiced at the clinic, treating patients and writing personalized herbal formulas.
Over the course of my clinical work, I became increasingly drawn to women's health, particularly the importance of regulating the menstrual cycle as a way to harmonize the body as a whole. In Chinese medicine, each menstrual cycle offers a unique glimpse into a woman's health. The timing of the cycle, the color, volume, and consistency of the blood, the presence of pain, and accompanying shifts in mood, digestion, sleep, and energy can each provide important information about underlying patterns. Together, these details guide diagnosis and treatment in Chinese medical gynecology. Changes in the cycle over time also offer insight into how the body is responding to treatment.
As someone who has taken Chinese herbs regularly for years, I understand what it means to make them part of daily life. I know the experience of taking a formula consistently, noticing gradual changes, and returning to the process as the formula evolves. This perspective shapes how I support patients through longer-term treatment and has deepened my commitment to helping more women access individualized herbal care.
Chinese herbal formulas have long been prepared in a variety of forms. In classical texts, formulas appear as decoctions (tāng 湯), powders (sǎn 散), pills (wán 丸), and medicinal wines (jiǔ 酒), depending on the purpose of the formula and the needs of the patient. That same flexibility guides my practice today. When prescribing longer-term constitutional formulas for remote patients, I have found granules especially well suited to consistent daily use. Their practicality allows me to extend individualized herbal care beyond my clinic and continue working with each patient over time.
Personalized, ongoing care is the foundation of Daodi.
