About

Timothy Asher is a California Licensed and Nationally Board-Certified Acupuncturist and Herbalist. He received his Masters of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Additionally he spent time as an intern at the Chengdu University Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan, China. He has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including the California Pacific Medical Center’s Stroke and Rehabilitation Center, as well as the Community and Auricular clinics of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has also worked as an acupuncturist at Twitter and at San Francisco Community Acupuncture.

Tim did his undergraduate studies in French and Economics at Georgetown University. He is committed to helping his patients identify and overcome obstacles that are inhibiting them from realizing their greatest potential physically, emotionally and spiritually! He is passionate about health and is also an avid cook and advocate of local seasonal foods.

Tim’s practice is focused on autoimmune, sleep, and digestive disorders, as well as mental/emotional disorders like stress, anxiety and depression. He also works with people suffering from musculoskeletal pain conditions, and men’s health issues.

A large part of his work with patients is around diet and lifestyle modifications. Developing healthy eating and activity habits is crucial to the long-term success of treatment. He really tries to work with and inspire people to make these changes, and identify any blocks that might be sabotaging their progress.

Chinese herbal medicine is also a strong area of focus in his practice. The combination of acupuncture with an herbal formula that the patient takes twice daily at home is significantly more effective than just weekly acupuncture alone. As such, he strongly recommends patients take herbs as part of their treatment.

People are naturally nervous to try new things, and acupuncture is no different. The fact that it involves needles only reinforces this. We have flashbacks to childhood of being traumatized by injections at the doctor’s office. Rest assured, it is nothing like this.

Building a Healing Relationship

I believe that effective healing begins with building a strong healing relationship between patient and practitioner— a healing relationship that is based on trust, compassion, honesty, and understanding. The better we can get to know one another, the greater success we will have in achieving your health goals.

The first visit, which typically lasts about an hour and a half, begins with an in-depth whole-body health assessment, followed by an initial treatment. Chinese medicine is a holistic system of medicine, meaning it considers the entire person, not just the symptoms that brought you in. I will ask you about everything from digestion to sleep to emotions. Be honest! This is crucial. The more honest you can be, both with me and yourself, the better we can address your issues and concerns.

Much More Than Just Pain and Physical Symptoms

Many people say: “I’ve always wanted to try acupuncture, but I just don’t have any physical ailments right now.” You don’t have to have a physical condition to benefit from acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Perhaps you’d just like more mental clarity and focus, better sleep, more energy, or a calmer mind. Or maybe you feel fine in all these areas, but just feel stuck in life, and don’t know what the next step should be. Or perhaps you are a creative person like an artist or writer seeking renewed inspiration. Because it is a holisitic system of medicine, Chinese medicine works equally well for mental health and emotional/spiritual issues.

Release Patterns

A large part of my practice is working with patients to release past patterns that no longer serve them, or that are keeping them from truly thriving. Whether physical or emotional, releasing stuck patterns is essential to allow us to lead the healthy and happy life we all desire. Chinese Medicine can be excellent at facilitating this letting go.