Bess Donley L.Ac

I first received acupuncture at the age of 9 after a car accident. Acupuncture alleviated my neck pain, improved my sleep, and brought my body back to balance. That was the beginning of my experience receiving & trusting in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Through my teen years, I taught myself about meridian theory, the importance of a seasonal diet, and how to massage points on my body to help relieve a myriad of discomforts. I experienced my body's innate ability to heal itself with gentle guidance and care. This was life-changing and inspired me to study and practice Jin Shin Acupressure for 4 years in my late teens/early 20s.  

Between 2002-2006,  I went to the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco to get my Masters of Science. Three years during school, I mentored with the esteemed Dr. Robert Johns L.Ac in his Berkeley clinic. During my final year, I had the incredible opportunity to study and live in Beijing, China where I followed doctors in both private clinics and large hospitals where TCM was practiced alongside allopathic medicine.

Over the years, I have learned and practiced in a wide array of settings including The Women's Community Clinic, Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, Community Ear Acupuncture Clinics, and the Integrated HIV clinic.  I continue to devote myself to studying the Shen/Hammer pulse lineage with Brian Laforgia L.Ac and herbal medicine with Brian Weissbuch of KW Botanicals.  In 2021, I completed the “Women’s Functional & Integrative Training Program” with Dr. Aviva Romm.

In 1998 I had the privilege of becoming a Doula under my mom’s guidance. She has been a Family Nurse Practitioner and home birth Midwife in Mendocino county for over 35 years.  I have had the honor to attend over a dozen births.

In my practice, I blend Eastern & Western healing practices. I selectively use functional medicine diagnostics to help get to the root cause of imbalances. I offer custom herbal formulas, acupuncture, supplement guidance, health coaching, mindfulness training, and breathing techniques. 

My mission and what I am most passionate about is changing what healthcare means for women- to have their care be more focused on root causes, the unraveling of deep stress patterns, and empowering them to feel their best while truly understanding what self-care means for them. I am passionate and committed to making sure women of all ages feel heard and supported through all transitions of their lives whether it be a health imbalance or a natural process of aging.