Practitioner Biography

Dr. Deokhee Ahn has been interested in eastern philosophy and oriental medicine throughout her entire life.  As a young child growing up in Korea, she was exposed to oriental medicine early on as it was still the primary method of treatment. She witnessed her father recover from a stroke solely through acupuncture, herbs, and diet and was convinced of the sustained power of oriental medicine even alongside western technological developments.   

 After coming to the U.S. as a graduate student, she earned her M.A. in Information Science at University of Michigan and an additional M.A. in Sociology at UCLA. Her interest in oriental medicine was rekindled while she was raising her three children and taking care of her aged parents.  On many occasions, Dr. Ahn was confronted with what she saw as the limitations of western medicine, which tends to view health problems from an isolated point of view rather than in relationship to the body as whole. More often than not, the approach is invasive and ignores the individual subtleties that might differentiate treatment.  Dr. Ahn reconnected to the importance of a holistic approach, which emphasizes the healing power of the individual and which targets the underlying cause of the ailment.

 After graduating from SCU soma with her acupuncture license, Dr. Ahn earned a Ph.D. at Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shen Yang, China.  She continued to deepen her understanding of both western and eastern medicine by earning an Integrated Medicine Certificate from the Internal Medicine Board.  In addition, she has trained with renowned masters of classical acupuncture theory and herbology.  Dr. Ahn has also served as an Academic Dean and currently has a private practice. 

 Dr. Ahn believes that traditional oriental medicine can effectively address many contemporary health concerns ranging from the emotional to the cardiovascular. In addition to its benefits as a preventive health measure and pain regulator, it can  alleviate and regulate problems such as insomnia, obesity, stress, hypertension, diabetes, women’s health issues and attention/behavioral disorders. 

From both personal and professional experience, Dr. Ahn can attest to the power of this ancient healing method and she is dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of her patients through her knowledge of both western and eastern medicine.