FOUNDER + ACUPUNCTURIST + HERBALIST
Dr. Lisa Abernathy, DACM, L.Ac.
Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.), Master’s of Science (M.S.), Nationally Certified Herbalist, Currently becoming certified in Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST)
Lisa founded Blue Heron Acupuncture & Apothecary with the hopes of creating a beautiful, inspiring space where patients can feel welcome, at ease and able to invite transformational healing into their lives. She has been overjoyed and honored to have amazing fellow practitioners join the clinic and expand its comprehensive offerings for patients. Together, Blue Heron’s Chinese Medicine and other therapists teach and uplift one another every day, enhancing their ability to support patients and create a unique service for Charleston – a respite that invites self-care and mindfulness, effective referrals, a full Chinese herbal pharmacy, and care of the highest caliber.
Lisa’s focus is on raising self-awareness, empowering patients and encouraging healing on both a physical and emotional level. She enriches her understanding of and passion for Chinese Medicine with numerous continuing education courses each year, studying with Jeffrey Yuen and other leaders in the field. Lisa’s postgraduate studies, research and work with patients have focused on trauma, fertility, autoimmune conditions, pain, endocrine disorders, stress management and emotional wellbeing.
Before pursuing her career in Chinese Medicine, Lisa studied Psychology and Literature at Appalachian State University. After college, she worked with seniors with Alzheimer’s, a homeless shelter and a theatre company. When she eventually tried acupuncture and experienced the sense of wellbeing it induces, she realized she had found her calling, an opportunity to merge her interests in psychology, art and poetry in a way that invites true healing for people.
Lisa obtained her Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine from Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts, a 4-year graduate program in Classical Chinese Medicine that included Chinese herbal medicine studies concurrently with acupuncture. Her training included an 800-hour clinical internship, during which she treated hundreds of patients under the clinical guidance of Asheville’s top Chinese medicine clinicians. Lisa was incredibly fortunate to study with Jeffrey Yuen, global leader in reintroducing Classical Chinese Medicine, throughout her years at Daoist Traditions – his teachings have shaped her understanding of the medicine and her approach to working with patients.
Having been raised in an Air Force family, Lisa spent much of her childhood, adolescent and young adult years living in Charleston, interspersed with jaunts in North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Saudi Arabia and California. Lisa loves visiting historic sites and spending time outdoors with her family. She is pleased to share her passion for health and Chinese Medicine with the wonderful people of the Lowcountry.
What Lisa’s patients say.
“Lisa’s work is powerful. She’s very attentive, wonderful at holding space, and in a constant state of creativity and leaning into her own depth and shift in life in a way that I find highly respectful.”
“Still remarkable to me how settling and centering it always is to receive your treatments. Thank you. Earlier last week, because of the pain and looking for treatment, a lot of people had asked who my doctor was. I said to many of them I did not have one. Walking out of your office, I realized the real answer is – Lisa Abernathy. I know our system does not see you that way. But I do. You get me, my body, and what keeps it from being well and you have helped me more than any doctor I know of. Thank you.”
“I am seriously blown away. My shoulder has felt so much better since my treatment. I was also very surprised by how chill I was for 24 hours after the session. It was like all my stress was gone. I was zen.”
“Lisa is amazing! She knows just what to do to make you feel great! I can not say enough great things! She has been an answer to 4 years of prayer. Thank you, Lisa!!”
“I am not a person who lets go easily but I melted under Lisa Abernathy’s capable hands as she did a combination of acupuncture, cupping, and gua sha. Lisa is so intuitive and attended to my every need with a gentle yet incredibly expert manner. The environment is serene, clean and has character that made me feel safe and at ease. Absolutely going again!”
“Lisa Abernathy at Blue Heron Acupuncture and Apothecary treated me last year for enlarged gall bladder and gallstones (documented by CT scan). I recently had another CT scan, and this one revealed that there are NO gallstones at all! The treatment she gave worked and has lasted! Highly recommend this “alternative” medicine!”
“I came to Lisa for acupuncture to help alleviate emotional and physical pain caused by a case of complex PTSD. Like the saying goes, ‘Your issues are in your tissues’, and I’ve needed help unwinding from the memories of life threatening events that have been stuck in my body for years. After two months of weekly treatments, I’ve noticed a reduction in my levels of hyper-vigilance and fight/flight responses to stress that have made my life confusing and difficult for so long! I’ve also felt tension leak out of my body in numerous problem areas. I am clearer and closer to whole. I highly recommend that people who are ready for the next step in their mental/emotional healing work with Lisa. Her calm and caring presence will make you feel safe to reveal vulnerable truths. Her thoughtful treatments will help you see the symbolism behind your imbalances as you work toward happiness and health.“
“I consider acupuncture a beautiful form of art and an investment in managing my own health. Lisa Abernathy is a skilled acupuncturist, and her knowledge and, furthermore, her creativity shine while she provides me care through gentle neck massage, needling, and suggesting oils, tinctures, and herbal blends which are appropriate for my care. She is professional and detail-oriented in her approach to understanding my needs and my daily environment, and how acupuncture treatment can best serve me. Her patience and kindness are a good fit for her chosen field. The best aspects of having Lisa provide my acupuncture treatments are that I know I can trust her when I share pieces of my life with her, and also, I have total confidence in her abilities. Saying “She rocks!” pretty much sums it up!”
“Lisa’s been wonderful at taking the time to understand my body so she could create an effective acupuncture and herbal treatment plan. She first treated me with acupuncture to help my digestive system and skin, and I experienced tremendous improvement after the one session! I’ve continued taking herbal tea extracts to sustain my health improvements, and I really appreciate how Lisa’s let me try herbal tea extracts in different formats (tincture, powder, and pill) and combinations to find what works best for me. I’m also thankful for how she’s consistently followed up with me to see how I’m doing and determine whether any adjustments are needed.”
What is Classical Chinese Medicine?
Classical Chinese Medicine incorporates the ancient texts, theories and meridian systems that comprised the foundation of this tradition prior to the formation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is the predominant form found in the United States and China today. Many of these texts and systems were lost when Communism came into China in the 20th century. The Chinese government attempted to streamline the medicine in order to make it easier to teach and disseminate. At this time, Chinese Medicine became more “Westernized” by standardizing treatment methods and reducing the number of meridian systems that practitioners use. This is the form of acupuncture that is now being taught in most Chinese Medicine schools.
Under the tutelage of such leaders in the field as Jeffrey Yuen, under whom Lisa has studied, many acupuncturists are striving to reclaim the classics in order to utilize a more comprehensive form of this medicine. Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts, where Lisa obtained her Masters Degrees, is one of the few Classical Chinese Medicine schools in the nation. This return to the classics is equipping practitioners with a deeper knowledge of Chinese Medicine and providing more diverse tools with which to treat patients. In addition to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lisa has studied Primary Channel Theory, Luo, Sinew, Divergent and Eight Extraordinary Vessel Meridians, and Five Element Theory. She is honored and excited to share Classical Chinese Medicine with the Lowcountry.
