Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson

Listen to Dr. Taylor-Swanson in an interview with Qilogical

 

Dr. Taylor-Swanson’s Approach to Research, Teaching & Clinical Care
It has been my life-long dream to teach, conduct research and to practice medicine. I think that we are dynamic, complex and fascinating beings. I am interested in researching and promoting abundant health, wellness and resilience. I think that while reductionistic approaches (that are the hallmark of biomedicine) have brought us absolutely fantastic medical advances, much is missing in this world view and approach to science. Specifically, by simultaneously funding and conducting research on whole people, with a whole-person perspective, we can discover how to treat and manage multiple symptoms.

My initial interest in Western medicine was supplanted by Oriental medicine the first time I received Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs in 1995. I then apprenticed with a practitioner in Utah, after which I completed a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAcOM) at the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine and became licensed with the State of Washington to practice acupuncture (EAMP – East Asian Medicine Practitioner). I practice various forms of acupuncture as well as traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

In addition to practicing Traditional East Asian Medicine, I am a doctorally-prepared research scientist. Having completed my research PhD at the University of Washington, I am prepared to conduct and evaluate cutting-edge research on clinical concerns relevant to my practice. I am a Research Consultant on several projects, including the secondary data analysis of symptoms experienced by veterans with Gulf War Illness, and a study of the dynamics of fatigue and stress experienced by women during the menopausal transition and early post-menopause.

I believe that the best way for Traditional East Asian Medicine to be fully understood and appreciated by all in the US is through personal experience. Second to this, I think that well-designed and meaningful research is critical to all people making educated decisions about the use and scope of this medicine. Decision makers include individuals evaluating their personal healthcare options (I won’t call my patients “consumers“!), insurance companies, government agencies and policy makers.  For this reason, I have completed both a clinical master’s degree and a research PhD so I may serve my patients and the scientific community as a clinician-researcher.

My clinical specialties include treating male- and female-factor infertility, gynecological and obstetric concerns, and musculo-skeletal disorders. My practice includes the treatment of various illnesses, including but not limited to: PMS, endometriosis, infertility, concerns during pregnancy (fatigue, pain, nausea, pre-eclampsia), migraines, insomnia, & pain due to various causes and in various locations.

I see a lot of patients with multiple complex and/or chronic illnesses. Many people are stressed out, tired, in pain and overall just feel crummy. I can help each patient determine correct courses of action, including the establishment of an excellent care team. Nowadays, people need an excellent team to work for them, and I can help patients find trustworthy and skilled clinicians with whom I have developed excellent relationships. My patients benefit from these relationships as we are able to build a continuum of care between primary care providers (MDs, ARNP/DNPs, NDs) integrative health providers (LMPs, EAMPs, etc) and family members or care takers.

It is my belief that the body is able to heal, change, and grow. Because of this, people are able to transform illness and disease. It is possible for each individual to experience more radiant health and abundant vitality. These are the reasons I named my clinic Abundant Health. I approach each client with this as a permanent background, upon which the patters of signs and symptoms compose the foreground. I provide acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbal formulas to stimulate a client’s body to incorporate greater health and vitality so that abundant health can become their own foreground in life.

Professional member of: Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society in Nursing;  ISCMR (International Society for Complementary & Alternative Medical Research); WIN (Western Institutes of Nursing); SCTPLS (Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences); SAR (Society for Acupuncture Research). Member of the following Honors Societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Skull & Bones, Owl & Key, Golden Key National Honor Society, Beehive Honor Society (1 of 17 graduating seniors honored from University of Utah).