About Robert Levine, LAc

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Introduction

My name is Robert Levine, Lac. I am from New York originally.  I have had the great fortune to practice Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 35 years. I live and work here in Albany, California, in the beautiful East Bay Area. Now that I am in my seventh generation of this life, I continue to be blessed and inspired by these ancient healing sciences. I have a wonderful community of clients, many of whom I have worked with for decades. Learning and growing with my clients is deeply nourishing for me, as we co-create the wonderful journey of healing. My work is also blessed by working with many younger practitioners over the years. It has been an important part of my learning process to function as a teacher and mentor to many new practitioners, during my ongoing clinical internship program, as well as various tutorials and continuing education courses.

 

Background

In my early years, I worked with community organizing and activism. I worked with movements for peace and justice, connecting with many truly inspiring people from various walks of life. I received a Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Psychology. Initially, I worked with student drug abuse counseling, as well as somatic counseling.

 

I discovered Traditional Chinese Medicine almost accidentally and began to pursue some basic study, as a support to my work in somatic-based therapy. I started cautiously, offering very gentle “tune-up” treatments for relaxation and stress, free of charge. However, before long some people came to me with very serious health cases, asking for me to work with them.  I discovered a profound connection with some of these serious cases. I was deeply inspired and moved by the spirituality and courageousness I saw in some of my clients suffering from life-threatening health conditions. This inspiration, working with patients from various walks of life and backgrounds, profoundly motivated me to continue my path in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  As I continued learning and growing in my practice, I had the wonderful opportunity to study with many excellent teachers, oftentimes on a one-on-one basis. My somewhat informal training gave me the opportunity to discover my own unique approach to healing. I feel that by integrating our psychological, spiritual, and physical intentions we can greatly benefit our healing process. I have found my own spiritual practice very helpful in this regard.

 

My Practice

In my therapeutic approach, I find it essential to discover and connect with each person’s own inner wisdom and innate capacity for healing. Many people live with chronic conditions which may present with mild symptoms, yet still dampen the joy in their life long term. Other people I work with are working with life-threatening conditions. Throughout this spectrum of conditions, I have seen many people return to good health and vibrancy, while others are no longer with us. In most of these cases, I have witnessed the incredible capacity for growth and personal transformation displayed by those working through health challenges.

 

Acupuncture and traditional herbal medicines are my primary tools for treatment. Within the scope of Chinese Acupuncture exists a vast array of theories and methods to apply in the clinic. I work extensively with traditional diagnostic methods, especially the examination of the pulse. In the major systems of Eastern Medicine, pulse diagnosis features very prominently. I have had the opportunity to study, practice, and innovate within the realm of pulse diagnosis throughout my decades of clinical practice. I find it to be a powerful, nuanced, and richly complex tool to work with.

 

I also have had the opportunity to study Tibetan Medicine, which features its own profound systems of theory, diagnosis, and practical methods. I currently integrate quite a bit of Tibetan Medicine pulse theory, elemental theory, and other important aspects into my clinical practice.

 

Our Clinic

I share my clinic space with several other practitioners, each with their own unique practices. We are a mutually supportive group of professionals, sharing resources, tools, and helping each other in many ways. We confer on difficult cases. We study together, sharing the wealth of our collective expertise. Together we are able to offer a diverse array of specialized techniques, such as Acupuncture, Tibetan Medicine, Chinese Astrology, and more. 

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