Andrea P. Fisk MSOM, Dipl. OM, L Ac

photography by she saw things

Andrea's strong desire to practice Chinese medicine emerged from the knowledge, empowerment, good health, and vitality she herself gained through this ancient holistic process. The belief that every person is capable of experiencing good health and vitality, and through conscious awareness can live a life of empowerment and success is at the core of Andrea's practice. Andrea has made it her mission to open this awareness to as many people as she can through her Chinese medicine practice at Singing Bird.

Andrea's warm and gentle demeanor complements her enthusiasm for Chinese medicine. She is adept at designing treatment strategies that incorporate the needs of the individual within the family context. Andrea easily connects with persons of all ages and has transitioned her practice to include children. As a mother of two young girls, Andrea is engaged in instructing the next generation about their bodies and she's delighted by the chance to guide them in making good choices for those bodies.

Bryan found relief at Singing Bird Acupuncture for tension in his back and shoulders, pain in his wrists, and multiple skin disorders. Bryan wrote, "I began going to Singing Bird acupuncture as an experiment on myself. I felt some rather extreme...(read more)

Andrea's career history highlights her extensive experience developing treatment strategies alongside doctors and other healthcare specialists. She practiced for two years at The Chicago Institute of Neuroresearch and Neurosurgery where she collaborated with physical therapists and occupational therapists to help patients gain control of their bodies, overcome pain, and recover from illness or surgery. She also worked for three years alongside Dr. Karen Koffler at Evanston Northwestern Hospital's (ENH) Integrative Medicine program in Glenview, Illinois. Dr. Koffler is a distinguished Internist who graduated from Dr. Andrew Weil's Fellowship Program in Integrative Medicine. A breakthrough made by a patient under Andrea's care was part of a cover story about Dr. Koffler in Chicago Magazine (Jan. 2005) titled, "The New Doctors"[PDF download]. While practicing at ENH, Andrea also regularly lectured on Traditional Chinese Medicine to Northwestern University Medical School residents and to the general public.

Andrea has applied her clinical expertise to projects related to the intersection of western science and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2005, she worked as a consultant to a study directed by Dr. Bi Li and conducted at the Judith Nan Miller Integrative Medicine Program at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She assisted the lead researchers in observing over 60 cases of children and young adults diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. A paper titled, "Examination of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome in Children Using Traditional Chinese Medicine Pattern Differentiation," was published detailing the results of the study.

Since moving to Portland in 2006, Andrea has also worked as a consultant to the Acupuncture Practitioner Research Education Enhancement (APREE) project at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in Portland. APREE is the result of a 4-year grant awarded by the National Institute of Health (NIH/NCCAM) and is intended to bolster curricula related to evidence based medicine and research literacy amongst oriental medicine graduate programs.

Andrea holds a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2001. She is Nationally Board Certified in Acupuncture and in the administration of traditional Chinese herbs. Andrea is licensed by the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners to practice in the State of Oregon.

Andrea lives in Southeast Portland with her husband and two children. For the last 17 years Andrea has practiced yoga, and she enjoys classes at The Yoga Project in Sellwood. Recently she has taken classes in Mandarin. Residing in Portland has inspired Andrea to pursue a lifestyle of sustainability and environmental responsibility, in addition to her long-time commitment to healthy eating.