Ryan Altman, L.Ac./ HHP is the Founder and Executive Director of the Alternative Healing Network, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that promotes the use of integrative healing to the public and improves access to care. While studying Chinese Medicine at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Ryan created the San Diego Healing Arts Festival, a free community event that brings music and healing together, allowing a fun and accessible forum to teach the public about integrative health care.
Later he expanded this concept to bring these healing techniques directly to the under-served communities who needed it the most. With the help of a growing team of volunteer practitioners and affiliations with Pacific College, Concorde Career College, IPSB, and UCSD – School of Medicine, he created a series of “Integrative Health Nights” at local community centers to offer free “integrative” health services to the under-served community.
In June 2008, Ryan selected his team of practitioners and created Adams Avenue Integrative Health (AAIH). As a project of the Alternative Healing Network, AAIH is a community oriented integrative health center that operates on a sliding scale to make integrative health services available and affordable to everyone. The proceeds from AAIH go to support the free Integrative Health Nights.
Additionally, Ryan is a graduate of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. He practices a combination of Classical Japanese acupuncture with Reiki, offering gentle, energetic treatments that follow meridian theory while using lighter gauge needles and a shallow insertion. This is good for anyone who may be a bit more needle sensitive. Ryan also incorporates “tui na“, a Chinese therapeutic massage technique, and “moxabustion” or heated herb therapy into most treatments.
Michelle Coltart, L.Ac. discovered the Chinese healing art of Acupuncture in the early 1990’s while working in the computer industry. After a co-worker suggested she get a treatment, she realized her true calling. She fell in love with this healing modality, instantly impressed by the effect it had on the health and wellbeing of herself and those she cares for. She began her studies by attending seminars and reading every book she could find; a few years later she left the world of computing and returned to school to explore the wonders of this medicine in-depth. Along the way, she has studied nutrition, herbology, postural analysis, and medical qi gong.
Michelle’s passion for this medicine shows in her commitment to her patients. Her compassion, humor and gentle needle technique set people at ease. She delights that those she treats are as amazed by the effect as she first was.
Kimberly Fried L.Ac. is no ordinary acupuncturist. In addition to being a skilled practitioner, she is an herbalist and massage therapist as well. She became a Certified Massage Therapist at Touch Therapy Institute in 1996. Being a strong believer in the mind-body connection she was very interested in how people work from a scientific point of view as well as spiritual. So, after completing her education in massage therapy she continued on to college at SFSU and acquired her B.A. in Psychology in 2001. In addition to studying psychology, she took extra classes in eastern and western holistic health. It was there that she discovered her passion for healing naturally and chose to redirect her studies. She chose to continue her education at the nationally renowned school Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) where she earned her MSTOM (Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine) in 2006. Since then she has focused her practice towards making health care more accessible to the general public and under-served communities.
Kim loves her patients and gives each one her undivided attention. Her compassionate touch and sense of humor make each session not only healing, but fun as well.
Suzanne Husami, M.T./ Co-Office Manager It was during a vacation in Thailand that Suzie first desired to learn massage and oriental medicine. She fell in love with the philosophy of prevention and harmonious balance that Thai practitioners utilize with each client and patient. Upon her return home she enrolled in Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego where she attained her degree in massage and in 2011 will receive her Acupuncture license.
During her course of study, Suzie has learned many unique styles of massage, including Thai, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Tui Na (a Chinese method of therapeutic massage), Acupressure, Circulatory and Pre-Natal Massage. She believes in utilizing multiple styles in one massage. It is this fusion of modalities that makes her massage so special – and tailored to every client she works with. Suzie truly believes in ‘massage with intention’ –an idea she has borrowed from Thai healers in order to create a healing experience for both client and therapist. She strives for each massage to be centering and meaningful. It is this intention paired with her bright and fun manner which keeps clients returning to see her on a regular basis.
She hopes to one day open an integrative health center of her own with her twin sister, Maggie, a Naturopathic Physician who resides in Scottsdale.
Dr. Colleen McCann, D.C. is on a mission: to remove whatever is blocking you from being who you really are. This interference may be in the form of a trapped negative emotion, an imbalance in your energy field, a vertebral misalignment, etc. Dr. Colleen has tremendous compassion and a unique gift for getting to the heart of the patient’s concerns. Through her use of kinesiology, or “muscle tests”, she is able to discover the body’s priority for healing. Although trained in traditional chiropractic techniques as well, her focus is on Energy Work and low-force techniques, specifically Bio Cranial Therapy and Network Spinal Analysis.
And if you want an extra treat, ask Dr. Colleen to adjust your feet. She feels that feet are often overworked and under appreciated and loves to bring them into alignment and make you feel great in the process!
Dr. Colleen is a 2001 honors graduate of Life Chiropractic College West.
Dr. Dave McCann, D.C. is a 1997 honors graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis. His background in engineering prepared him well for his systematic, yet highly creative approach to working with the human body. His extensive study of Applied Kinesiology gives him an excellent knowledge of the muscular system and how it relates to not only the skeleton, but also to the organs and the energy meridians of the body. Through his use of kinesiology, or “muscle testing”, he discovers the hidden causes of dis-ease in his patients.
In addition to being an extraordinary chiropractor, Dr. Dave has a passion for nutrition. His use of the Biomeridian device, which extensively tests the health of the body’s various systems via 58 acupuncture meridian points, paired with his clinical experience, enables him to find the appropriate nutritional protocol for any health issue.
Dr. Dave’s humor and compassion go far to creating a healing atmosphere for anyone fortunate enough to be on his table.
Don Phillips, L.Ac. is a licensed Acupuncturist, but that only tells a small part of the story. When you are fortunate to have Don working on you, you receive not only a wonderful acupuncture treatment, but amazing energy work as well. Having been in private practice since March of 2003, he is experienced in cases ranging from pain to internal medicine to psycho/social disorders.
His interest in acupuncture and Oriental medicine began in massage school during a survey of Asian massage modalities class. After graduating from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) in 2002, Don became a member of the faculty in 2005. He teaches in the OM/Acupuncture department on the subject of channel theory in acupuncture. Don also assists in supervising at the Seniors Clinic in downtown San Diego, the Pacific Beach Homeless Clinic, and the Integrative Health Nights (a collaborative effort with PCOM and the Alternative Healing Network).
Don’s gentle touch combined with his warm presence make any session a healing experience.
Andreia Saboya, L.Ac. was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and brings that Latin energy to everything she does. Andreia has been practicing acupuncture at Adams Ave. Integrative Health since March ‘09 and started the Chinese Herbal Tincture Dispensary there in August ‘09. She studied Traditional Chinese Medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington, where she resided for 6 years.
Andreia’s main focus is to bring her patients back to balance and to help them feel like themselves again. Preventative care is always her top priority and she encourages her patients to live a healthy and happy life! She is a strong believer in exercise and is always doing some physical activity. She teaches low-flying trapeze at Aerial Revolution and dances Samba with Union Samba.
Andreia speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Oksana Yufa, HHP/ Craniosacral
Oksana was born in Moscow, Russia into a family of healers She came to the healing professions from her personal journey and work with Toltec master healers and shamans, both here in America and in Mexico. Specifically, she has studied with don Miguel Ruiz (Author of The Four Agreements) in the four year curriculum of Toltec Dreaming, and is active in the Circle of Teachers in this Toltec lineage. Oksana also trained with Mother Sarita, a curandera (Folk healer of the Mayan tradition), where she prepared as a seer and a medicine woman.
While studying at the International Professional School of Bodywork in San Diego (IPSB), she became enthralled with craniosacral therapy. With this approach, she noticed that her clients were able to release the residues of old injuries, emotional pain and trauma, and often made quantum leaps in personal growth after a few sessions. She continued her studies in this field at the Upledger Institute, based in Florida, and is in her fifth year of formal practice.
Heidi Wittmann, N.D.
(Bio Forthcoming)