Demetra Markis

Acupuncturist and clinical herbalist

Welcome to my practice!

I love to work with people on improving their health, using these tools:
-Acupuncture: in my studio in the Cazadero Hills
-Community Acupuncture: in Cotati at CCA and seeking local venue in the Timber Cove area
-Classical Chinese herbal medicine: Online consultationsPlease read on to learn more!

Testimonials from some of my patients:

Community Acupuncture-
Cazadero Hills/Timber Cove

Affordable acupuncture delivered in a group setting. Currently taking names while actively looking for a host location. Learn more ->

Schedule Online Consultations Here:

My practice is in holistic family medicine. Now what does that mean? Let's break it down.Who is holistic medicine for? EVERYBODY.Sometimes people have an idea in their heads of who gets holistic medicine, acupuncture, herbs, that sort of thing. They’re often picturing a yoga-pose-holding vegetarian who drinks green tea and meditates all day. But that picture is not complete at all!While of course I’m happy to treat you if you’re one of those folks, I also welcome people who wield chainsaws all day and enjoy a good steak for dinner.There is no such thing as perfect health, and there is no one path to a healthy lifestyle. I welcome people whatever their habits and whatever their interest is in feeling better.What is a family practice? I welcome people of all ages and all stages of life to my practice. I am here to help you navigate your path to good health whatever is going on. Whether its a quick fix for your back when you’ve overdone it stacking firewood, or long-term supportive care when you’re dealing with a serious health crisis, holistic medicine has a lot of tools to help.The holistic medicine I practice includes:Acupuncture: a simple and powerful practice to create calm, relieve pain, and resolve inflammation.Custom herbal formulas: made using third-party certified ingredientsMoxibustion: direct heat treatment on acupuncture pointsCupping: using suction to improve circulation in tight musclesSupport: sometimes you just need someone to take the time to talk through your health concerns, diagnoses you’ve been given, medical treatment risks and benefits, and the value or risk of alternatives.

Biography and Training:

My clinical experience and training:I began clinical training in 2005 in the graduate program at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. I graduated and became a board-certified and licensed provider in 2009, and opened Yerba Buena Community Acupuncture, then the largest community acupuncture clinic, in San Francisco in 2010. In my time there I grew my practice to over 5,000 patients and gave over 25,000 treatments, while also providing continuing education to other practitioners and serving in several leadership roles in the national coalition of community acupuncturists.

In 2018 I sold my practice to an employee, and focused on continuing my education for several years. I wanted a deeper understanding of the classical texts that are the heart of Chinese medicine. I began by completing a year-long training in Classical Physiology and Diagnosis through the White Pine Institute, including advanced training in the use of classical herbal formulas. I’ve continued my studies with further advanced herbal training in obstetrics and gynecology, immunity and autoimmunity, metabolic disorders, and neurological health. Throughout this time I operated mobile acupuncture services throughout the Cazadero Hills and Timber Cove region, as well as operating a weekly community acupuncture clinic for the staff of a local retreat center. I also spent free time growing a huge variety of medicinal herbs and operating a volunteer community grazing flock of sheep for wildfire resilience.

In 2022 I accepted a position at Cotati Community Acupuncture as the Community Room Director. I work here three days/week providing community acupuncture care and herbal formulas. I currently offer virtual consultations for herbal medicine and acupuncture services at my home office on Gualala Ranch for local residents two days per week. Please see my services section above for complete details on how to get started working with me.

Online Consultations

Classical Chinese herbal medicine is designed to restore healthy function in the body. It doesn’t matter if you have been diagnosed with a particular disease, or not; or if you have symptoms across a range of body systems or just one: we use the experiences you are having in your body to understand where things are out of balance, and design custom herbal blends to resolve those imbalances.My goal is to get people feeling better as quickly as possible- not to prolong your dependence on treatments with me or on taking herbs forever. Herbal treatment may span a few weeks or several months, depending on the severity of the problem.If I think I can’t help you, or if I believe you would be better served by a type of care that I don’t provide, I will do my best to refer you to someone who can.Cost: My lifetime goal as a provider has been and will always be accessibility. There are countless services out there for the ultra-wealthy; I’m not interested in adding to them. At the same time, non-profits and government services exist to meet the needs of the indigent and poor, and those down on their luck. My intention is to basically be accessible to everyone else- meaning, about 80% of the population.In that spirit I offer a range of services, including access to low-cost sliding-scale acupuncture, and do my best to keep my fees for one-to-one services as reasonable as possible.Online consultations: $85 initial visit, $75 return patient, $40 for a brief follow-up. Payment is requested at the time of booking.Consultations include a complete review of your current health condition and goals, and my diagnosis and prescription based on Classical Chinese medicine principles. I have spent years learning from my patients how to get to the heart of the matter. Your time is valuable and I will be 100% focused on you and your case in our time together.Quick follow-up questions by email are fine, but I’ll let you know if we need to schedule a follow-up visit if email is not sufficient.Herbal formulas: $25-35 for a week's supply, and I can arrange a drop-off site for local pickup, or have them shipped directly to you for an additional fee.Please click here to schedule online

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I have a limited number of in-person appointments available to local residents at my home office on Gualala Ranch. Please contact me to request an appointment; a local reference is required.

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Community Acupuncture

Are you interested in community acupuncture here in the Cazadero hills? Please complete the interest form here!Treating people in a shared space allows the cost of acupuncture to be significantly reduced, making treatment affordable enough to receive as much as needed to recover health. I've been providing community acupuncture for almost 15 years and still think it is the most effective way to deliver this incredible healing service.

I am actively seeking a location to use once/week, where I can host up to 5 people per hour for up to 4 hours. Requirements include a restroom, temperature control, and parking for up to six vehicles at a time. I can provide all of the necessary treatment materials including folding recliner chairs. Please contact me with your suggestions!For those willing to drive to town, I provide acupuncture on a low-fee sliding scale three days per week at Cotati Community Acupuncture.

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