Heather E. Vaughan, L. Ac, MSOM, C. Ay, CYT, (she/her) is a licensed Acupuncturist and certified Clinical Ayurvedic Practitioner with a specialty in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbal medicine. She completed her Master’s of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization at the Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Honolulu’s Chinatown in 2023. There she was lucky enough to study TCM with Dr. ‘Cathy’ Yu Low, Dr. John Weldon, and the wonderful Dr. Shishong Xiao who has practiced and taught acupuncture and Chinese herbs for over 50 years, Dr. Tan's Balance Method and fertility with Dr. Tim Nguyễn, trauma-informed gentle acupuncture with Dr. Deborah Barry, and scalp acupuncture and dry needling at Pacific Rehabilitation Hospital with Dr. Liberata Orallo, and orthopedic acupuncture with Dr. Ray Dela Cruz. At Southwest Acupuncture College, she learned Japanese technique from Hiroki Takeda.

A 2010 graduate of The Ayurvedic Institute under Dr. Lad, and Clinical Herbalism with Sonia Masocco at the University of New Mexico, Heather has practiced Ayurveda and Integrative Herbalism in a variety of settings including Primary Care, an integrative pharmacy, and private practice since 2010. 

Heather specializes in complex cases, and loves working with people of all ages, from babies our elders.

Additional Training

Heather studied CranioSacral Therapy (CST) at Peirsman CranioSacral in the high desert of New Mexico, focusing on courses related to the nervous system and emotions. While helpful for any patient, as an extremely gentle, subtle bodywork technique, CST is an excellent option for those scared of needles, in too much pain or too weak to receive strong pressure, those suffering from sleep or emotional issues, babies, and small children. Craniosacral therapy can stand alone or be woven into an acupuncture treatment. Heather is extremely honored to call Elana Sue St. Pierre, Peds OT, her mentor for working with babies and small children.

Background

Originally a classically trained singer from California, Heather’s experience with holistic medicine began out of necessity. When she could no longer run cross country in high school due to pain, Heather was taken to her first acupuncture appointment (painless Japanese style, thanks Mom!), and began practicing yoga. In college came the diagnosis - Ankylosing Spondylitis, a severe, progressive autoimmune condition of the spine with no known cure. Unable to find sufficient relief from Western Biomedicine alone, she was lucky enough to find Ayurveda. By combining Ayurvedic detoxification, lifestyle, and dietary therapeutics with acupuncture and craniosacral therapy, Heather slowly but surely regained her health. “Disease management” came with a bonus- falling in love with the elegance, empowerment, and freedom available to even those in dire circumstances that is possible in holistic medicine. This gave way to intense study of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda in New Mexico, India, and Hawaii.

She lives with her co-conspirator (aka husband), Shane, and darling dog, Rye, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina.

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