Meet Leona

Leona Marrs is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist in the state of California, and she is also nationally board certified. She received her Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington in 2002. Leona began her acupuncture studies at Beijing University in Tokyo, Japan in 1998, where she also studied Qi Gong. In the fall of 2001, she studied with Dr. Michael O. Smith, and completed an internship at Lincoln Detox Center in the South Bronx in New York, where she received a National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA) certificate. After receiving her master’s degree, she completed an internship at Shanghai University Teaching Hospital in Shanghai, China. From 2000 to 2005, Leona volunteered at Alternative Healthcare Access Campaign (AHAC) in Seattle, initially as a site coordinator and then as a practitioner, treating homeless women and youth with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In 2006, Leona became a Hepatitis C certified practitioner through the Quan Yin Healing Arts Center in San Francisco, CA.

Leona enjoys treating a wide variety of disorders and has a long history working with chronic Hepatitis C, addiction, depression, and anxiety as well as digestive issues, pain, and perinatal support.

Throughout the years Leona has continued her studies, some of which include: Master Tung philosophy with Henry McCann, DAOM, LAc., perinatal care with Claudia Citkovitz, PhD, LAc., perimenopause with Yvonne Farrell, DAOM, LAc., detoxification with Joseph Pizzorno, ND, Japanese abdominal diagnosis with Kumiko Shirai, LAc., DACM, and most recently began a Graduate Mentorship Program focusing on herbal medicine with Sharon Weizenbaum, LAc., and the White Pines Institute. She has completed her first two-year program and recently began a second two-year course of study. She is also currently studying a Korean 4-needle acupuncture technique with Toby Daly, PhD, LAc. that was originated by a wandering Buddhist monk.

In her off-time you can find Leona running, doing pilates, cooking, and enjoying time with her husband, two sons, and two cats.