Dr. Ash Goddard, DACM, L.Ac.

Ash has broad experience in the field of Chinese medicine including:  

Certifications and Continuing Education:

• NCCAOM Diploate in Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine (since 2000)
• Shamanic Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong Practitioner (2024-ongoing) - Empty Mountain
• Women's Daoist Studies (2024-25) - White Cloud Institute
• River Course with Joe Tafur, MD - study of the role of ancestral spiritual healing in modern healthcare and the intersection between biology, emotion and spirituality as relevant to the expanding field of psychedelic-assisted therapies (2023)
• Two-year certification course in homeopathy (2023) with New England School of Homeopathy and incorporates this modality into her treatment plan when appropriate, often when the patient is not progressing as expected.
• Trigger Point ("Dry") Needling (2023) - Myopain Seminars
• HeartMath Interventions Program - Certified Provider (2022) Biofeedback-based meditation training focused on heart rate variability and heart coherence
• Empowered Relief Certified Instructor (2021) Pain management-focused meditation training
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) Course for Health Care Providers – Mindfulness Northwest (2017)
• 1 year certification in Introduction to Neijing studies, a year-long program in classical acupuncture with the venerable Dr. Edward Neal who offers a fresh look at the very roots of Chinese medicine.
• Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship (2011) with Whitfield Reeves, which has proven invaluable for Ash's special interest in both acupuncture orthopedics and injury treatment. That same year, she was published in the Journal of Chinese Medicine on the subject of treating lower leg injury in runners.

Teaching and professional positions:

• Former president of the Washington East Asian Medicine Association (WAEMA) from 2016-2017, she has worked extensively on legislative matters and membership affairs.
• Former instructor at Middle Way Acupuncture Institute where she taught orthopedic acupuncture.
• Former teaching assistant in Whitfield Reaves' Acupuncture Sports Medicine Program—a proven course for acupuncturists who want to excel in treating sports and orthopedic injuries.  

Other continuing education coursework includes:

• Neijing Studies - Edward Neal, MD
• Clinical Applications of the Ling Shu (along with various other courses over the years) - Kiiko Matsumoto
• Assessment and Treatment of Neck and Rotator Cuff Injuries - Matt Callison
• Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship (two-year program) - Whit Reeves
• Certification in Gua Sha (similar to Graston technique), - Arya Nielsen
• Point injection therapy training - Dr. Bill Caradonna​
• Qigong study with Ling Gui International Healing Qigong school.
• Prevention of herb-drug interactions - John Chen
• The Treatment of Infertility with  Oriental Medicine - Miki Shima
• Cranio-sacral Therapy, Level 1-2 - Robert Bates
• Herbal Alternatives to Drugs: Western Pharmaceuticals and Chinese Herbs - John Chen
• Obstetric and Postpartum Care - Cindy Micleau
• Five Element study - Lonny Jarrett, yearlong program
• Chinese Medicine and the Evolution of Consciousness - Lonny Jarrett
• Taoist Medical Qigong for Cancer Recovery - Master He Liu
• Anatomy Trains in Structure and Function - Tom Myers 2016

All this of may sound like a lot but Ash believes there is always more to learn and ways to be better. Chinese medicine is a vast subject and there is much to learn and understand. 

National certification in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine requires a four-year masters program of study culminating in a Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree. While the study of Chinese herbology is not required for practice in Washington state, I have completed that training and am appropriately certified. Dr. Goddard received her Master's degree in 2000 and completed her Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in 2018.  

The modern study and practice of acupuncture includes ancient Chinese medical theory along with​ modern scientific study of the musculoskeletal and nervous system. The four-year program includes 3000+ hours of study in Chinese medical theory and diagnosis, acupuncture technique and safety, and also western science (Chemistry & Biochemistry, Physics, Psychology, Microbiology & Immunology, Nutrition, Anatomy & Physiology, Western Pathology, Western Medical Terminology, Western Pharmacology, Clean Needle Technique & Safety Codes, Survey of Clinical Medicine, First-Aid/CPR, etc).   

Acupuncture, when performed by a qualified, licensed practitioner, is very safe, which is reflected in our exceptionally low injury and claim rates, according to the Department of Health.