Louisville Acupuncture Clinic – Our Practitioners
Shelby VanCleve, MAOM., L.Ac., FABORM
Special interests: Male and female fertility, Women’s health, Digestive complaints
Email: shelby@louisvilleacupunctureclinic.com
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are amazing tools with centuries of empirical evidence for healing and self-development that I am honored to offer to my community in Louisville and beyond. My training in Functional Medicine provides a modern lens that further deepens the resources available for real transformation and self-empowerment. Using the combination of thorough health history, diagnostic assessment, and compassionate touch I guide patients on their path to wellness and coach them on ways to live more aligned, intentional, and ease-filled lives.
I was fortunate enough to find Chinese Medicine at a young age. I began meditating at age fifteen, started doing yoga at eighteen, and delved into Eastern philosophy with the intention to become an acupuncturist at age twenty. This early exposure to alternative health endowed me with a discerning mind and breadth of experience that I now offer to my patients as they seek true wellness. My undergraduate studies in Eastern philosophy, Western Medicine, and nutrition at Indiana University paved the way for my Master in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, one of the leading acupuncture schools in the county with research funding through the National Institute of Health. My Fellowship with the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine brings fertility expertise to my patients seeking assistance with getting pregnant and maintaining healthy pregnancies, an issue I am incredibly passionate about. As a Holistic Fertility Specialist combined with my Women’s Functional and Integrative Medicine Professional Training, I offer highly customized and effective solutions to hormonal, digestive, and emotional struggles via one on one coaching.
I currently reside in The Highlands neighborhood of Louisville Kentucky with my tech-savvy husband, my soon-to-be engineering college student son, my extroverted creative elementary school daughter, Timber the One-eyed Dog, and Juniper the Adventure Kitty. We own a travel trailer and camp all over the country as often as we can because communing with nature has always been the way I nourish myself most deeply. I am also a vegetable and herb gardener, an avid supporter of local farmer’s markets, a fairly good cook, a voracious reader of fiction, and prioritize authentic communication and deep conversation.
Certifications and Credentials
B.A. in the Individualized Major Program at Indiana University 2003
Studies in Nutrition and Oriental Medicine
Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in 2008
Including clinical study in Nan Jing, China
Nationally certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine Certified Fellow
Graduate of the Women’s Functional and Integrative Medicine Professional Traning Program
State certified in Oregon and Kentucky
Certified 1000 Hands Buddha Instructor
RYT 200 Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor
Member of the Kentucky State Acupuncture Association
Holly Macias, MSTOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac., FABORM
Special interests: Male and female fertility, Women’s health, Internal medicine
Email: holly@louisvilleacupunctureclinic.com
I am grateful to be part of Louisville Acupuncture Clinic and here to help our patients move towards health through the wisdom of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. I consider each patient’s unique physiology, and instead of isolating symptoms, I work to restore balance to the whole system, while helping each patients reach their specific health goals.
I am a Nationally Board Certified Acupuncturist and Herbalist and a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM) as certified by the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. I received my Master’s Degree of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and studied at the San Diego and Chicago campuses and also completed training in Tokyo, Japan.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been a part of my life since I first started receiving treatments at age 21. After experiencing the first hand benefits and having a major shift in my own health, I decided to study Chinese Medicine and it has been my passion to share this with others. I practice a gentle and effective needling style that is ideal for treating anything from the common cold to long standing chronic conditions and can help to soothe the everyday stressors of modern life. I specialize in internal medicine and Women’s Health including optimizing fertility, IUI and IVF support, prenatal and postnatal care. I have completed additional training in endocrine system disorders, obstetrics, male and female infertility, and pediatrics. I practice a classical style of Traditional Chinese Medicine that employs a unified consideration of the patient’s mind, body and lifestyle in order to come up with the most effective treatment for each patient. The gentle needling techniques I use are especially suited for treating sensitive patients, pregnant women, children, pain disorders, complex health issues, and those that simply feel run down from the ins and outs of daily life. In addition to acupuncture, I also employ the use of Traditional Chinese Herbs, nutrition and other modalities such as moxibustion and cupping.
I am thrilled to call Louisville my new home and excited to get to know the city and my community with my partner, Jake, and our two pups, Meru and Nokie. I also believe that the learning process never stops and am currently pursuing a DAOM (Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and am also in a 2 year speciality training involving a deeper study of the endocrine system and it’s roll in health and disease.
Certifications and Credentials
B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2007
Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in 2012
Extensive training in Japanese Meridian Therapy including training in Tokyo, Japan
Nationally certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine Certified Fellow
State certified in Tennessee, Michigan and Kentucky
Current fellow of the American Society of Endobiogenic Medicine and Integrative Physiology
Paige Waggoner Clark, LMT
Special interests: Women’s health, Pregnancy and post-partum care
Email: paige@louisvilleacupunctureclinic.com
I was first made aware of the needs of pregnant and birthing women at the age of 19, when attending the birth of a dear friend. It sparked a deep interest in women’s health, and shortly after, I began the first of several apprenticeships with midwives and physicians in Kentucky, Tennessee, and New Mexico.
Later I became a volunteer staff member at The Omega Institute, where I studied with many bodyworkers and spiritual teachers who had a profound influence on me. I lived and worked there for 3 years, beginning my study of Thai Massage, completing the Nosara Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher Training, and the Spiritual Lifestyle Program at The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.
I continued to study and practice Thai Massage, traveling to Thailand three times, assisting my primary instructors. I completed a Yoga Teacher Training specializing in Prenatal, Birth, and Postpartum Yoga. While maintaining a small homebirth midwifery practice, I gave birth to two beautiful children, and graduated from Advanced Massage Therapeutics, with a focus on prenatal and postpartum massage. In October 2016, I completed the Arvigo® Mayan Therapy training.
Over the years, the trinity of midwifery, yoga, and massage therapy has allowed me to create a truly holistic offering for the women in my community. I deeply believe in one’s ability to tap into the root of their wounding and access their own deep healing abilities; and to feel supported during this transformational process is vitally important.
Certifications and Credentials
Shelley Ochs, Ph.D., L.Ac.
Special interests: Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Acute and chronic pain
Email: shelley@louisvilleacupunctureclinic.com
I’m thrilled to be back in my hometown to be with my family and serve the Louisville community. I have spent the last 15 years in Beijing, China, where I completed a Ph.D. and apprenticed with master acupuncturist, Dr. Wang Juyi. I am grateful for the variety of study and practice opportunities that I have had over the last twenty years. I have worked in a large private hospital, private clinics, and non-profits, using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments, from rare autoimmune diseases to common colds.
My own journey with Chinese medicine began in Taiwan in 1989, when I was a young woman suffering from chronic respiratory-tract infections (due to air pollution and my own asthma) and skin problems. A friend suggested I give his Chinese herbalist a try, his treatments immediately broke the cycle of infections, and that turned out to be the beginning of a journey that culminated in becoming a Licensed Acupuncturist in California in 2001. Along the way, I learned to read, write, and speak Mandarin, and returned to the US to complete degrees in Chinese Literature and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2007, I decided to pursue advanced studies in Beijing, leading me to follow dual paths of traditional apprenticeship and an academic degree.
As a practitioner, my goal is to guide patients to use the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine to choose both professional and self-care methods that are effective and sustainable for them. Many chronic conditions require a multi-pronged approach that includes acupuncture and acupressure, cupping, nutritional therapy, and daily exercise or visualization. Patients receive specific instructions for self-care that are designed to meet their goals for physical and mental well-being.
Treatments in the clinic are primarily based on acupuncture and individualized herbal medicine, but may also include organ-balancing abdominal acupressure, targeted nutritional plans, cupping, and Qi-healing therapy. I treat and advise patients who want to address gynecological disorders, male and female infertility, post-partum recovery, insomnia, depression, anxiety, compulsive behavior, chronic and acute pain, sports injuries, skin disorders, acne, poor digestion, weight loss, and other conditions.
I live in the Highlands with my daughter and our two cats, Lion and Grey. In addition to working with patients, I also translate classical and modern Chinese medical texts, something that is both a vocation and a great hobby. I am enjoying getting re-acquainted with people and places in Louisville. You may see me at farmer’s markets, on biking trails, or doing Qigong in the parks.
Certifications and Credentials
Ph.D. in the History of Chinese Medicine and Medical Literature, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 2013
Masters in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2000
B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996
Official Lineage Holder in Dr. Wang Juyi’s Channel Palpation Medicine
Advanced Training in Gynecology, Internal Medicine, and Zhineng Qi-healing
Joe Curcio, MTOM, L.AC., SEP
Special interests: Muscular-skeletal issues, Acute and chronic pain, Trauma
Email: joe@louisvilleacupunctureclinic.com
Over two decades of holistic healing practice, I have had the privilege to help thousands of people to feel more fully alive by assisting them to reconnect with their natural healing power. I am a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, in private practice since 2002. I received my acupuncture training at the second-ranked Oriental Medicine school in the nation, Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, California, graduating with the highest honors. In addition to completing a two-year clinical internship at the college clinic, I was chosen to participate in an externship at both the L.A. Free Clinic with a focus on fibromyalgia as well as the Daniel Freeman Hospital, treating withdrawal from chemical dependency. I have treated a wide variety of conditions over the course of my career. Some of the concerns I most frequently address are anxiety and depression, PTSD, pain management and resolution, neurological disorders, autoimmune conditions, and digestive disorders. I also completed a three-year training program in Somatic Experiencing®, a trauma resolution modality, which I have practiced since 2017, I serve as an assistant to the SE faculty in training new practitioners. Mindfulness has been an important thread weaving through my life for over 30 years. I have logged several thousand hours on the meditation cushion, striving each day to remain a beginner. I am particularly interested and actively engaged in exploring the intersection between nervous system regulation and meditation.
For a short time after college, I worked in aerospace as a metallurgical engineer but soon learned that this was not to be my life path. Soon thereafter, I trained to become a yoga instructor and enrolled in acupuncture school. After founding L.A. Wellness in Los Angeles and serving as director there for two decades, I relocated to Louisville in 2022 for a slower pace of life and was fortunate enough to be invited to practice at the wonderful healing center that is Common Ground Wellness. I am a grateful father to my amazing daughter, and in addition to healing work, I love running, hiking, biking, camping, reading, practicing yoga, as well as playing guitar and piano, and songwriting.
Certifications and Credentials
Master’s Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine, Emperor’s College 2002
Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Illinois 1995
Nationally certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine 2002
California and Kentucky Licensed Acupuncturist
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner and assistant 2017
Certified Yoga Instructor 1998
Certificate in Craniosacral Unwinding Technique 2003
Professor of Medical Physics: Yo San University and Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine
Assistant Trainer – Somatic Experiencing® Training Institute
Published a Musical Study Guide to Chinese Herbal Formulas 2000