River City Wellness Center
MEET YOUR ACUPUNCTURISTS
My career path as a licensed acupuncturist began in Atlanta, Georgia where I attended a small liberal arts college for my undergraduate studies. After graduation I sought out the calming and healing temperament of the Hawaiian islands and was happy to call Maui my home for a few years. It was during this time that I had my first acupuncture treatment for an acute neck injury. Immediately after the insertion of the first few needles, I felt an energetic change within my body and was hooked. I knew in my heart that I had found my calling. After the treatment was over, I asked the practitioner for an introductory book on Chinese Medicine and began my journey to becoming a professional healer.
After two years of preparation I embarked on my graduate studies at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon. I received a first-class education in Chinese Oriental Medicine which includes acupuncture, herbal theory, meditation, and massage techniques. I have also done extensive postgraduate study in Japanese acupuncture, a style that utilizes palpation in both diagnosis and treatment. Through my studies I ultimately learned to become a facilitator in health, using my knowledge and skills to help others reach their potential.
I am supported by a husband and two kids who remind me to laugh every day. I consider myself to be an athlete, spending my youth on the soccer field and in adulthood accomplishing triathlete races and doing trail runs when I can. I also enjoy gardening and spending time with family and friends.
Certifications and Credentials
- Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in 2008
- Clinical Study in Nan Jing, China
- Nationally Certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- State Certified in Kentucky
- Ongoing Study in the Certificate Program of Advanced Japanese Acupuncture Techniques
- Post-Graduate Training of Master Nagano and Sensei Kiiko Matsumoto
- Certified in Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT)
- Over 10 years of experience practicing Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- Proficient in Cupping Therapy and Moxabustion
- Certified Chinese Herbalist and Supplement Retailer
Shelley Ochs-Cooley, Ph.D., L.Ac.
(Licensed Acupuncturist)
My own journey with Chinese medicine began in Taiwan in 1989, when I was a young woman suffering from recurrent respiratory-tract infections and skin problems. A friend suggested I consult his Chinese herbalist whom we affectionately called “Dr. Jason.” His treatments immediately broke the cycle of infections, and he watched me learn to speak Chinese as I continued to visit him regularly over the next four years. That turned out to be the beginning of a spiral journey that led me through Chinese language and philosophy to clinical medicine and back into the history of traditional medicine in China.
In Taiwan, I learned to read, write, and speak Mandarin, skills that I used when I returned to the US to complete degrees in Chinese Literature (1996) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (2000). After several years of running my own Chinese medicine clinic, I decided to pursue advanced studies in China in order to delve more deeply into the clinical and philosophical questions that I had about this system of medicine. I ended up living and working in Beijing, China for 15 years (2007-2022), completing a Ph.D. and apprenticing with master acupuncturist, Dr. Wang Juyi, the founder of Channel Palpation Medicine. I am grateful for the variety of study and practice opportunities that I have had over the last twenty years. I have worked in a large private hospital, private clinics, and non-profits, using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments, from rare autoimmune diseases and addiction to common colds.
Over the years, I have developed my own style of practice that emphasizes direct palpation of acupuncture channels and teaching patients to discern and cultivate the flow of Qi in their own bodies and minds. In addition to working with patients, I also translate classical and modern Chinese medical texts, and teach translation classes. I live with my wonderful husband and daughter, and our two cats, Lion and Grey.
Certifications and Credentials
- Licensed Acupuncturist, Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure
- B.A. with Honors in Chinese Literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison
- M.S. in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Ph.D. in the History of Medical Literature of Chinese Medicine from the Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, China
- Official Lineage Holder of Dr. Wang Juyi’s Channel Palpation Medicine