Wisdom in Practice

A Deeper Look at Patricia Kim’s Approach to Wellness

At East West Integrative Medicine, we’re proud to offer a diverse range of healing modalities to support your whole-body wellness. We’re thrilled to spotlight one of our talented team members: Patricia Kim, whose presence brings deep care, attunement, and intuitive healing to every session.

Patricia Kim offers a grounded and heart-centered approach that meets you where you are—physically, emotionally, and energetically.

“I listen not only to what’s said, but also to what the body may be holding—whether it’s tension, pain, or an unspoken emotional experience.”

Patricia Kim’s Approach to a Session

Patricia’s sessions are spacious, calming, and deeply intentional. Clients often describe a sense of being fully seen, deeply supported, and energetically renewed.

Her clinical practice is rooted in a strong foundation of classical Chinese medicine and brings a nuanced understanding of how physical, emotional, and spiritual imbalances intersect. Patricia specializes in:

• Sports medicine and orthopedic acupuncture, addressing acute and chronic injuries, pain syndromes, and performance recovery through structural balance and qi flow.

• Cosmetic acupuncture, not just for aesthetic rejuvenation but also to support emotional confidence, inner radiance, and self-connection.

• Classical herbal medicine, using time-tested Classical Chinese herbal formulas tailored precisely to each patient's constitution, pulse, Fukushin abdominal diagnosis and pattern presentation.

• Neurological disorders, focused on restoring function, circulation, and quality of life through Neuro-meridian acupuncture techniques that support brain and nervous system repair.

• Digestive disorders, to support the healing of the gut microbiome, which is ultimately our second brain.

Philosophy & Healing Style

Can you describe your approach to working with patients?

I approach each patient with deep respect for their whole being—body, mind, and spirit—guided by the principles of Chinese medicine and a trauma-informed lens. My work begins with creating a space of safety, trust, and attunement. Especially for patients with trauma histories, I honor personal pacing and boundaries, and prioritize practices that help regulate the nervous system and restore internal safety.

I work relationally—meaning I see healing as a partnership. I often incorporate mindfulness meditation, breathwork, qigong and subtle inquiry into sessions, offering the space to be present and still.  Whether someone comes to me for physical pain, trauma, emotional stress, cosmetic renewal, or complex neurological concerns, my goal is the same: to help them feel more connected to themselves, more resilient in the world, and more aligned with their innate vitality and truth.

What’s one thing you wish more people understood about acupuncture or manual therapy?

I wish more people understood that acupuncture and manual therapy are not just tools for symptom relief—they’re powerful ways to support the body’s innate intelligence and capacity to heal on multiple levels. These therapies work not only on muscles, fascia, and nerves, but also on the nervous system, emotional regulation, and energetic balance.

In a culture that often separates the physical from the emotional or spiritual, acupuncture invites integration. A needle placed in just the right point can help someone release long-held tension, process grief/ complex emotions or reconnect with a deeper sense of themselves. Manual therapy can offer profound regulation to the body’s systems, especially for those who’ve experienced trauma or dysregulation.  These modalities are gentle yet deeply effective. They don’t force change—they invite it. 

Self-Care + Personal Rituals

What keeps you feeling grounded or inspired outside of work?

Spending time in nature is one of the most grounding and restorative practices for me—whether it’s running barefoot on the beach, swimming in the ocean, hiking in the mountains or simply being in stillness with the natural world. 

I’m also nourished by practices that bring me into my body and spirit—like meditation, qigong, dance, yoga, and creating music. These help me center my energy and better able to share and hold space for others.

I draw a lot of inspiration from beauty and creativity—whether it’s poetry, music, art, or meaningful conversations. These remind me of the resilience of the human spirit and the many ways healing can take form. 

Ultimately, staying connected to my own practices and community allows me to walk with others in their healing, from a place of integrity and presence.

If you weren’t doing healing work, what would you be doing?

If I weren’t doing this work, I see myself devoting more time to walking a spiritual path—perhaps as a guide, space holder, or teacher in some capacity or doing something that centers around human connection, creativity, and transformation.   I also could see myself as a writer, artist/musician or educator—creating spaces for reflection, storytelling, and inner growth. 

At heart, I’m drawn to work that invites people back to themselves—whether through words, movement, ritual, or presence. So while the form might shift, the essence would remain the same: supporting the discovery of our truth, in whatever way is most needed.

Connection to Community

How do you see your work contributing to healing in the broader San Francisco community?

I see my work as part of a larger movement toward more compassionate, integrated, and accessible healing in San Francisco. This city is rich with diversity, creativity, and resilience—but it also carries deep layers of trauma, stress, and disconnection.

Through trauma-informed Chinese medicine, classical herbalism, and holistic therapies, I aim to offer a space where people from all backgrounds can find safety, support, and restoration. I want to help individuals reconnect not only with their physical health but also with their emotional and spiritual well-being—because I believe true healing happens when all parts of a person are honored.

I’m also committed to community education—sharing knowledge about how acupuncture, herbal medicine, and somatic practices can empower people to take ownership of their health. By collaborating with local organizations, supporting underserved populations, and fostering conversations around wellness and resilience, I hope to contribute to a more vibrant, connected, and deeply evolved San Francisco.

What are you currently learning or excited to explore in your healing journey?

Right now, I’m deeply drawn to the intersection of energy medicine, sound, and spirit—how vibration, intention, and presence can create profound shifts in the physical, energetic, subtle body that reverberates through the collective consciousness.   

I’m also continually learning how to attune more sensitively to trauma in the body—not just as something to “treat,” but as a sacred imprint that requires reverence, patience, and deep listening. The nervous system continues to fascinate me—how safety, repair, and regulation can open the doorway to truly sustainable healing.

On a personal level, I’m learning to trust my own intuition more fully. To let spirit lead. To allow healing to be a co-creative, mysterious dance and a path for me to dive deeper into who I really am.  It is an honor to be alive and support my patients on our parallel journeys.

Book Acupuncture and Therapeutic Bodywork in San Francisco

Patricia Kim is now seeing clients at East West Integrative Medicine in our Noe Valley and Bernal Heights locations. With her gentle, grounded presence, Patricia offers trauma-informed Chinese medicine, therapeutic bodywork, and support for the nervous system.

✨ Ready to feel more balanced, rested, and aligned?

 Book a bodywork or acupuncture session with Patricia today.

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