Anna Hsieh Gold, L.Ac, DACM, Diplom.OM, FABORM

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Who: Anna Hsieh Gold, L.Ac, DACM, Diplom.OM, FABORM

Specialty: women’s health, skin health and pain management

Location: Berkeley and San Francisco, CA

TCM in Modern Wellness

How did you get acquainted with TCM?

I started going to the Chinese medicine doctor and getting acupuncture when I was eight years old. My mother always believed in coupling east Asian and western medicine, before there was such a concept of “integrative medicine.“ I was a sickly kid and spent much of my second grade in the hospital. As a child of Taiwanese immigrants, it just made sense that I would be getting acupuncture and taking herbal medicine to support my well-being in addition to the Western medicine treatments I was getting.

How has TCM impacted your life?

TCM has deepened my understanding of how life works. Being a TCM doctor has taught me ways to observe closely and interpret patterns and manifestations of health and disease. It has given me lessons of patience and acceptance that no other experiences have.

What's your favorite way to de-stress?

I was a yoga teacher for a decade before becoming a doctor of East Asian medicine. Ways I destress include my Yoga practice, meditation, mauna (the intentional practice of silence), and nature hikes.

What's the one piece of advice you always give your patients?

Healing does not happen in a straight line. It is not instant. Healing is two steps forward and one step back. You have to look at the trajectory of your path to back to health from a weekly or monthly viewpoint, depending on how long you’ve not been well. The most important way to look at it is from a wider angle. Is the overall trajectory going in a positive direction, even though you may have little setbacks along the way? Well, then, that’s more of what healing looks like.

Acupressure At Home

What is one health issue that’s common in your practice?

I mostly see hormonal and fertility issues and skin imbalances in my practice.

What is one acupressure point that is helpful for this issue?

Liver 3 — it regulates hormones and calms stress. It's located between the tendons of the big toe and second toe, in the depression proximal to the first metatarsal bone. It may feel tender initially which may indicate stagnation. Massage for 3-5 minutes on both feet daily.

TCM Ingredient

What is your favorite TCM herb?

Bai Shao (white peony) which helps to soothe Liver Qi, tonify blood, regulate hormones, calm the nervous system, and improve liver function and skin integrity.

Favorite way to take the herb?

I love using this herb in my custom formulas and tinctures. It is one of the main ingredients in Si Wu Tang, or Four Substance Decoction. It is the basis for many gynecological formulas. It’s sweet enough to cook with. I cook it with other herbs like Dang Gui, Shu Di Huang and Gou Qi Zi to make an herbal chicken tonic soup.