Background & Training
Melody Short-Boice L.Ac., Dipl.OM, MTCM
Licensed Acupuncturist
Melody Short is a second-generation practitioner of general Chinese family medicine with a particular love for her specialties of Pediatrics and Sports Medicine. Her style of acupuncture is known for its gentleness and extremely thin needles. She draws on multiple techniques and disciplines, due to her extensive and unique training as well as the knowledge passed on to her by her father. She is a firm believer that there is never only one answer or solution to any given condition and so tailors her treatments to the specific needs of each individual patient. Likewise she is constantly working synergistically with other practitioners for optimum patient care. Having been deemed an "acu-geek" and "TCM nerd" by multiple patients and colleagues, you would be hard pressed to find something she won't take a crack at. She loves puzzles and finds odd cases fascinating as she says, "It's much easier to use a book for reference, than it is to try and stuff a patient into it." Melody uses multiple modalities in her treatments including: acupuncture, acupressure, "sticker therapy," tui na (Chinese orthopedic massage), Chinese abdominal organ massage, children's tui na, cupping, gua sha (a Chinese scraping technique), moxabustion (including lionwarmers, tigerwarmers, ginger moxa, warm needle, etc.), Shonishin (a Japanese pediatric brushing technique), herbal medicines, dietary therapy, movement therapies, and energetics.
Melody's History and Training:
Melody is a second-generation practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Her father is trained in Ayurvedic, Tibetan, and Chinese Medicine and is the progenitor of his own form of deep tissue bodywork. Her interest in medicine started at the age of three when her mother taught her she could eat dandelions. Her fascination with edible flowers evolved into the study of herbal medicine. Naturally, she also delved into the study of massage and bodywork, learning from her father and the many wonderful practitioners around her. At the age of thirteen she received her first degree in Reiki. Two years later she correctly reset and splinted the broken leg of a duckling abandoned by her neighbor, intensifying her interest in physical medicine.
She began her Chinese Medical studies early at The Evergreen State College where she was given the opportunity to do an intensive yearlong internship at the famous Wu's Healing Center in San Francisco. It was there that she learned Chinese abdominal organ massage and mastered many of the foundation techniques of Chinese Medicine. During the same time as her internship, Melody began her formal training in 1999 under the direct tutelage of two of the worlds most distinguished Tui Na masters Greg Zhang L.Ac. and Po-Lin Shyu L.Ac. Ph.D.
After finishing college, she spent a fifth year in Santa Cruz enjoying her pre-med science courses, and in the Bay Area and Taos continuing her Tui Na studies and receiving her CMT, through the Taos School of Massage. The next four years she completely immersed herself in Chinese medical studies at Five Branches University, (proclaimed by the accreditation board to be the primer Chinese medical school in the country and widely accepted as one of the top three schools in the world). Her insatiable curiosity lead her to take almost every elective offered by her school as well as innumerable CEU level courses and double clinic, in addition to required classes. She specialized in Pediatrics and Orthopedics, qualifying for and completing the Sports Medicine Certificate Program on top of her MTCM (Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine). As pediatrics is a rare specialty, it was arranged for Melody to shadow Five Branches' head of pediatrics for the last 2 1/2 years of her training. She also studied in Hang Zhou China at the Zhe Jiang University as part of the pioneer group that reinstated accredited externships to China. Additionally, during part of her externship in China, she trained under one of China's Olympic Tui Na experts. Throughout her five years in Santa Cruz she had the distinct honor to work with one of the worlds two Imperial Acupuncture lineage holders, Joanna Zhao L.Ac. at her private clinic as her only intern.
After graduation she has continued both her orthopedic and pediatric studies as well as delving more deeply into the obstetrical support side of Chinese medicine, studying with acupuncturist/midwife Raven Lang. Returning home to the Pacific Northwest, she was warmly welcomed into the NCNM (National College of Natural Medicine) family where she lectured on occasion and practiced privately. It was there that she befriended Dr. Ryan Minarik and was later invited to join his clinic when he opened Elixia Wellness Group. There she is very happily treating patients, working in tandem with her beloved colleagues, and moonlighting as a guest teacher for health at the Portland Waldorf School. In her free time Melody is an accomplished artist who loves to draw and paint, get lost in the woods, snuggle up with a cat and book, go dancing, or exercise her imagination by writing on the novel she's been working on since she was 15.
Licensed Acupuncturist
Melody Short is a second-generation practitioner of general Chinese family medicine with a particular love for her specialties of Pediatrics and Sports Medicine. Her style of acupuncture is known for its gentleness and extremely thin needles. She draws on multiple techniques and disciplines, due to her extensive and unique training as well as the knowledge passed on to her by her father. She is a firm believer that there is never only one answer or solution to any given condition and so tailors her treatments to the specific needs of each individual patient. Likewise she is constantly working synergistically with other practitioners for optimum patient care. Having been deemed an "acu-geek" and "TCM nerd" by multiple patients and colleagues, you would be hard pressed to find something she won't take a crack at. She loves puzzles and finds odd cases fascinating as she says, "It's much easier to use a book for reference, than it is to try and stuff a patient into it." Melody uses multiple modalities in her treatments including: acupuncture, acupressure, "sticker therapy," tui na (Chinese orthopedic massage), Chinese abdominal organ massage, children's tui na, cupping, gua sha (a Chinese scraping technique), moxabustion (including lionwarmers, tigerwarmers, ginger moxa, warm needle, etc.), Shonishin (a Japanese pediatric brushing technique), herbal medicines, dietary therapy, movement therapies, and energetics.
Melody's History and Training:
Melody is a second-generation practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Her father is trained in Ayurvedic, Tibetan, and Chinese Medicine and is the progenitor of his own form of deep tissue bodywork. Her interest in medicine started at the age of three when her mother taught her she could eat dandelions. Her fascination with edible flowers evolved into the study of herbal medicine. Naturally, she also delved into the study of massage and bodywork, learning from her father and the many wonderful practitioners around her. At the age of thirteen she received her first degree in Reiki. Two years later she correctly reset and splinted the broken leg of a duckling abandoned by her neighbor, intensifying her interest in physical medicine.
She began her Chinese Medical studies early at The Evergreen State College where she was given the opportunity to do an intensive yearlong internship at the famous Wu's Healing Center in San Francisco. It was there that she learned Chinese abdominal organ massage and mastered many of the foundation techniques of Chinese Medicine. During the same time as her internship, Melody began her formal training in 1999 under the direct tutelage of two of the worlds most distinguished Tui Na masters Greg Zhang L.Ac. and Po-Lin Shyu L.Ac. Ph.D.
After finishing college, she spent a fifth year in Santa Cruz enjoying her pre-med science courses, and in the Bay Area and Taos continuing her Tui Na studies and receiving her CMT, through the Taos School of Massage. The next four years she completely immersed herself in Chinese medical studies at Five Branches University, (proclaimed by the accreditation board to be the primer Chinese medical school in the country and widely accepted as one of the top three schools in the world). Her insatiable curiosity lead her to take almost every elective offered by her school as well as innumerable CEU level courses and double clinic, in addition to required classes. She specialized in Pediatrics and Orthopedics, qualifying for and completing the Sports Medicine Certificate Program on top of her MTCM (Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine). As pediatrics is a rare specialty, it was arranged for Melody to shadow Five Branches' head of pediatrics for the last 2 1/2 years of her training. She also studied in Hang Zhou China at the Zhe Jiang University as part of the pioneer group that reinstated accredited externships to China. Additionally, during part of her externship in China, she trained under one of China's Olympic Tui Na experts. Throughout her five years in Santa Cruz she had the distinct honor to work with one of the worlds two Imperial Acupuncture lineage holders, Joanna Zhao L.Ac. at her private clinic as her only intern.
After graduation she has continued both her orthopedic and pediatric studies as well as delving more deeply into the obstetrical support side of Chinese medicine, studying with acupuncturist/midwife Raven Lang. Returning home to the Pacific Northwest, she was warmly welcomed into the NCNM (National College of Natural Medicine) family where she lectured on occasion and practiced privately. It was there that she befriended Dr. Ryan Minarik and was later invited to join his clinic when he opened Elixia Wellness Group. There she is very happily treating patients, working in tandem with her beloved colleagues, and moonlighting as a guest teacher for health at the Portland Waldorf School. In her free time Melody is an accomplished artist who loves to draw and paint, get lost in the woods, snuggle up with a cat and book, go dancing, or exercise her imagination by writing on the novel she's been working on since she was 15.
