Meet Cheri – Who I am as a practitioner or how did I get here?
I practice acupuncture because I personally experienced its profound healing properties for myself.
As I turned forty, I found myself feeling tired, bloated, and unwell. I dealt with constant abdominal pain and acid reflux. Stress was affecting my sleep and my focus. I was experiencing an increase in joint and muscle pain. I simply felt OLD.
I went to see an herbalist I had met at a class on medicinal herbs. I was impressed by his knowledge of a whole new range of herbs I hadn’t much experience with. So my expectation was to get some advice on herbs to help my overall health. I really hadn’t had much experience with acupuncture – the first and only practitioner I had seen before didn’t change much, but upon reflection, I don’t think I was ready to change.
He laughed when I told him I felt old. “Forty is not old!” he exclaimed. And after a few weeks of acupuncture and herb formulas, I was beginning my journey of return to wellness.
I started my studies at Five Branches University in February of 2008. I was really charged up when I regularly saw the results acupuncture and herbs had for the people who turned to TCM for help. I began my solo practice in 2015.
James and Cheri Callis
Cheri Tuttle Callis
Herbalist, Licensed Acupuncturist, MTCM
Avid Gardener
Who I am beyond my practice
At the core of my being, I am an avid gardener and observer of nature. As any of my friends can tell you I love plants. They know they can send me a picture of some plant they discovered and I will probably know the name and way more information about it than they ask for. So it’s natural for me to be an herb nerd. I love gardening with edible plants – plants that do more than just look good in the yard. I love California native plants and the wildlife that they support. I participated in the UC Master Gardeners program in 2004. I am also an avid fan of xeric landscapes and find great joy in growing succulents. I’ve designed a few succulent gardens at my church and a couple of friend’s homes.
I live next to Elkhorn Slough and share my life with my husband and a couple of delightful cats. I also love taking pictures – photography is a hobby that I share with my husband Jim. When we can, we love to travel so we can enjoy nature and of course take more pictures.