A woman with shoulder-length dark hair and light skin is smiling, wearing a black top and a large circular necklace, sitting in a room with a beige chair and a wooden shelf with jars on it.

Dr. Heidi Golding, DACM, Dipl OM, LAc.

Dr. Golding practices a distinctive form of Japanese acupuncture as taught by the renowned Kiiko Matsumoto and Dr. Nagano. She has also studied with Jeffrey Yuen and integrates the exceptional herbal formulations of Heiner Fruehoff — a respected herbal curator and ethical steward of classical Chinese medicine, dedicated to purity, sustainability, and the living spirit of the herbs themselves.

When needed, Dr. Golding incorporates Craniosacral Therapy, as taught by the Upledger Institute, to gently release tension patterns and restore balance in the central nervous system — deepening the healing experience for patients who require a more subtle level of care.

Rooted in the ancient understanding that much of physical pain arises from stored emotions and unresolved trauma, Dr. Golding’s treatments work to unravel both physical discomfort and its emotional origins. Each session is designed to restore harmony between the body’s inner landscape and its connection to the external world, supporting profound healing and renewal.

Dr. Golding is nationally board-certified by the NCCAOM and holds Diplomate status in Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM). She earned her Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, and holds advanced certification with Dr. Carol McMakin in Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) — a modality that powerfully complements acupuncture and enhances tissue repair and nervous system regulation.

Specialties: Nerve Damage • Scar Tissue • Post-Operative Recovery • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / Hypermobility • Chronic Pain

Dr. Golding is truly honored to be a part of your healing process.

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Our Approach: A Healing Philosophy Rooted in Balance and Connection

Dr. Golding’s work is guided by the understanding that true healing occurs when the body, mind, and spirit are brought back into harmony. Her treatments are informed by the traditions of Japanese acupuncture as taught by Kiiko Matsumoto and Dr. Nagano — systems that recognize the body’s innate intelligence and its capacity to restore itself when properly supported.

She honors the wisdom of her teachers, including Jeffrey Yuen, whose lineage emphasizes the spiritual and emotional dimensions of health. Her herbal practice is inspired by Heiner Fruehoff, a deeply respected herbal curator and ethical steward of classical Chinese medicine. Each formula reflects reverence for the plants, their origins, and their energetic purity.

Dr. Golding also integrates Craniosacral Therapy, as taught by the Upledger Institute, using gentle touch to unwind the nervous system and restore flow through the body’s subtle rhythms. When combined with Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), these modalities form a bridge between ancient medicine and modern biophysics — uniting intuition with precision.

Her treatments are deeply attuned to the emotional landscape that underlies physical pain. With compassion and respect for each patient’s process, Dr. Golding helps to release the imprints of trauma stored within the tissues, allowing the body to remember its natural state of ease and coherence.

Every session is a conversation between practitioner and patient — between the seen and unseen — with the intention of restoring balance, clarity, and vitality on every level.

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How it Works

What is Acupuncture?  

Acupuncture Promotes Healing by acting as a catalyst via small electrical signals to achieve homeostasis and balance triggering events in the endocrine, neurological, immune, and autonomic nervous system.  

The stimulation of specific points located on the surface of the skin along energy channels that connect all internal organs through the human body with the head, torso, arms, hands, legs, and feet is one way to describe it. The life energy which flows along the course of the channels is known as Qi (pronounced chee); it’s also understood to be electricity in the body. When the concurrent flow of Qi in the channels becomes unbalanced or blocked, disease, or illness occurs. Stimulation of specific points can help restore the normal balance and flow of Qi so organs and systems can work together again in symphony. This sets the stage for the body to repair itself and maintain its own health.

Improves Circulation

There’s a classic Chinese saying: “If there is free flow, there is no pain; If there is no free flow, there is pain.” Acupuncture uses the electrical energy within the body to increase circulation. Inserting filiform needles into precise acupuncture points will promote circulation, and reduce pain. Color Doppler imaging (CDI) can be used to noninvasively create images of human blood vessels and quantitatively evaluate blood flow in real-time. See Research Article

Release Blockages

The body can be viewed as a river with dams blocking flow in certain areas. Acupuncture may be used to unblock these “dams” the body has created thus stimulating/increasing organ function and movement.  See Research Article

Decreases Pain

One of the most researched areas of Acupuncture is in the area of pain relief. Acupuncture can act as a tremendous analgesic to relieve pain and interrupt afferent (towards the brain) nerve signaling. See Research Article

Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation, so prominent in the United States, can easily be measured/monitored. Acupuncture has the unique ability to decrease proteins and pro-inflammatory markers. See Research Article

Balances Body Chemistry

Balances biochemical responses via the nervous system by heavily utilizing the body's parasympathetic response to Acupuncture and balancing the autonomic response. See Research Article

The Science

Originating over 3500 years ago, acupuncture remains one of the oldest, most commonly used medical systems of healing in the world today. Science can now begin to explain much of what this ancient tradition of healing understood so many years ago and why it is still effective today after thousands of years of usage.

  • Connective tissue winds around the needles, increasing electrical conductivity

  • Doppler ultrasound shows that acupuncture increases blood flow and circulation.

  • MRI readings demonstrate that acupuncture prompts observable changes in the brain.

  • Thermal imaging reveals that acupuncture reduces inflammation. 

Google Reviews

Customer review rating of 5.0 stars based on 64  reviews, displayed with a horizontal bar graph.

- Google review from a verified patient

“I can't say enough positive things about Dr. Heidi! Not only is she excellent at what she does but she is also just a pleasure to be around. I had shoulder and knee pain which she was able to heal in my first session. I will choose Dr. Heidi everytime when I need healing. I highly recommend her!”

-Joe Castillo, patient Google review

“I have been living with knee pain since 1994. I was to the point of considering amputation. After seeing Heidi I am in disbelief that I have very little pain after one visit. I couldn't be happier. WOW!!!”

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