Meet Sita
(She/Her/Hers)
Sita Symonette has been a practicing Acupuncturist and small business owner of Black Pearl Acupuncture since December of 2009. She and her wife Lai-Lani Ovalles co-founded Black Pearl Wellness clinic, in July of 2020. Black Pearl Acupuncture is located inside of Black Pearl Wellness. Sita is a graduate of Western Washington University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Psychology with a focus in pre-med.
While doing her undergraduate work, she also participated in research studies focusing on neuroscience. Her work in this area was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. After completing her Bachelors’ degree, Sita then attended the Oregon College of East Asian Medicine (OCOM) to earn her Masters’ degree in Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine. (Please note that Sita has changed the name of her graduate school on her website to be in solidarity with those from the Asian-Pacific Islander community asking OCOM to change their name to erase the racial slur, the “O” word).
Sita is excited to work daily with the goal of enhancing her patients’ quality of life. Sita has created a healing environment where her patients feel welcome, heard, and receive high-quality health care. Sita proudly identifies as Black and Queer and it is her passion to continue to make Acupuncture and East Asian medicine more accessible to Black, Brown, Asian-Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Latinx people, the LGBTQIA community and marginalized communities.
Sita is an active member of her community and dedicates time to giving back by advocating for healthcare equity. She is the first student to serve on the OCOM board. She also served on the Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) board for 7 years from 2012– 2019. Sita is the first Black woman and the first LGBTQIA person to serve as board chair in PPCW’s 54 year history. Sita is currently is serving as a board member for Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Inatai Foundation. In 2020 Sita and her wife Lai-Lani fulfilled a life long dream of opening their own wellness clinic, Black Pearl Wellness. The clinic's purpose is to be a culturally responsive wellness center that focuses on making Acupuncture/East Asian Medicine, Chiropractic, Massage and Naturopathic Medicine more accessible to Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA, and historically excluded communities. Sita and her acupuncture practice have been featured in the Observer, the Skanner and as part of the Mercatus Story Collective.
Click here to read news Sita has been a part of and to see how she is engaged in her community.
Sita is passionate about helping others live their lives to their fullest potential and serving her community. She meets you where you are at to help you with your health goals. Her practice focuses on menstrual health, fertility, menopause, headaches/migraines, acute and chronic pain and injury rehabilitation.
Photo By KRP Photography
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Meet Judy
(She/Her/Hers)
Feeling heard, held, and safe is some of the most potent medicine that we can receive. This is the environment and medicine that I am dedicated to providing.
I am licensed and board certified through the NCCAOM with extensive training and experience in culturally responsive, trauma informed care that is attuned to the unique needs of each patient. Since obtaining my license in 2019, I have worked in a variety of clinic settings supporting people experiencing a range of conditions including chronic and acute pain, headaches and migraines, hormonal balance, gastrointestinal support, pregnancy and post-partum, neuropathy, edema, and mental-emotional health. My hope is to help as many people as I can feel better so they can then feel empowered in their own well-being.
I was inspired to pursue acupuncture as a profession after my personal experience of receiving profound support and healing. I believe a sincere connection with yourself and your surroundings can lead to transformative change. Acupuncture can provide the relief that allows you to connect with more clarity to your body and your life and the decisions you choose for yourself. Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals and feel better.
I am proud to be of Korean ancestry and identify as an Asian practitioner in the field of acupuncture and East Asian medicine. I am passionate about increasing inclusivity and accessibility of acupuncture and East Asian medicine for Black, Brown, Asian-Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Latinx communities, the LGBTQIA community, and other marginalized populations.
Contact Judy directly here: hello@judyacupuncture.com
INSURANCE ACCEPTED CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
A Culturally Responsive Acupuncture Practice
We are proud to run a business that is a safe place for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian-Pacific Islander, Latinx people and the LGBTQIA community to receive high-quality healthcare. It is our mission to be a place of healing where people from all of our communities can come and see themselves reflected back to them. This is accomplished through the identities of the healthcare practitioners treating patients, through the art on the walls, through Black Pearl Wellness clinics dedication to healthcare equity and much much more. To heal one must be heard, truly listened too and seen as a whole person. This is what Black Pearl Acupuncture does.
We are excited to be one of the first businesses highlighted by Mercatus in Portland. Mercatus is an online platform founded in Portland, Oregon to highlight Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian-Pacific Islander, and Latinx entrepreneurs in the City of Roses through storytelling and a comprehensive inventory.
What to expect at your first treatment:
Your Acupuncturist will great you at the door for your first appointment and provide hand sanitizer for you to use to help keep everyone healthy. It is very important that there is an adequate amount of time during your first treatment for you to ask as many questions as necessary in order to be comfortable receiving your Acupuncture treatment. Your initial visit is 90 minutes long. Your Acupuncturist will also conduct a thorough health history intake to give you the best possible treatment. After the intake, your Acupuncturist will explain acupuncture and the different modalities that are used in East Asian Medicine. You will then receive a very relaxing acupuncture treatment where you will lay on a comfortable table, listening to peaceful music for 30 – 35 minutes while the acupuncture needles do their work. Once the treatment is over you will feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of your day.