Ryan Gallagher, LAc, DSOM
Hi there! I’m Ryan. I’m a doctor of traditional East Asian medicine and a somatic guide.
Here are a few of my qualifications:
• Licensed acupuncturist (LAc)
• Doctor of Science in Oriental Medicine (DSOM) degree from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, Oregon
• Tao of Trauma graduate
My passion is helping clients feel more resourced, regulated, and resilient. The primary therapeutic modality I use is “needle-free” acupuncture. I also frequently incorporate other traditional East Asian therapies, including Qigong Tuina, Sotai, classical Chinese herbalism, and moxibustion.
In my Acupuncture Plus sessions, I weave in body-based awareness practices to help you nurture your nervous system and unwind trauma.
To learn more about sessions with me, click here.
I also lead small groups in Qigong (which is a form of mindful movement), as well as meditation and somatics. Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up-to-date on my offerings!
Scroll down to learn more about the primary influences on my approach: traditional East Asian medicine; polyvagal theory; and the meditative arts.
Traditional East Asian Medicine
I’ve been studying traditional East Asian medicine since 2009, learning from renowned teachers like Heiner Fruehauf, Joon Hee Lee, and Bob Quinn. Recent influences on my approach include Thomas Sorensen (Japanese Meridian Therapy), Alaine Duncan (trauma-informed medicine), and Damo Mitchell (Neigong). I’ve been in practice since 2017.
At the heart of traditional East Asian medicine are the Five Elements. Early Daoists looked inwardly and recognized five distinct patterns. These became known as the Five Elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. The Five Elements are active at all levels of existence, from the lifespans of the smallest organisms to the changing of the seasons to the movements in the heavens above.
In the human being, each of the Five Elements correlates with certain organ networks, body tissues, emotions, and more. When the cycle of the elements goes awry, we experience disharmony in our bodies and minds. My role is to be sensitive to the Five Elements in each individual client, and to provide the appropriate support to help re-establish the smooth flow of the cycle so that the person can feel resourced and whole.
These days, I use the style of acupuncture known as Japanese Meridian Therapy, a gentle yet effective approach. Learn more about my acupuncture sessions on the Sessions page.
Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal theory tells us that our nervous system has three states:
1. Connection (where we feel safely engaged with our life)
2. Hyper-arousal (where we get really ramped up)
3. Hypo-arousal (where we feel shut down and disconnected)
When we’re feeling unsafe, we move into hyper-arousal or hypo-arousal; they help us defend ourselves against a perceived threat. So, we can think of these two states as “protection mode.” It’s here, in protection mode, that we experience the survival responses of fight-or-flight, freeze, and collapse.
On the other hand, “connection” refers to the state of feeling safely engaged with our life—with our own inner experience; with our outer environment; and with other nervous systems. It’s here, in connection mode, that we can access ease, security, belonging, wholeness, vitality, and resilience.
Both connection and protection are essential. However, many of us get stuck in protection mode, in hyper-arousal and hypo-arousal. This leaves us feeling “too up” or “too down”—chronically anxious or depressed. Chronically stressed or checked out. Our nervous system has “forgotten” its capacity for feeling safely connected.
My sessions are designed to support you in building new pathways into safe connection. My role is to help you “remember” how to make connection mode your home, using body-based awareness exercises and bodywork.
This approach stems from my many years of exploration in the healing arts, including my training in Alaine Duncan’s Tao of Trauma system, which combines polyvagal theory with the Five-Element Theory of Traditional East Asian Medicine and body-based therapies.
I’ve written a series of articles on polyvagal theory here. And I have an online polyvagal course called Homecoming, which you can check out here!
The Meditative Arts
I’ve been studying and practicing meditation since 2004, when I began a multi-year residency at a Buddhist monastery.
To me, stabilized attention is the most important skill that a person can develop. When our awareness is stable, we start seeing things more clearly. And when we see clearly, we make wise decisions—decisions that serve our well-being and the well-being of those around us.
In my sessions, I help you hone this skill of stabilized attention—in particular, the capacity to really “listen” to your body. Becoming deeply attuned to the body’s messages is an essential part of the healing process—there’s so much intelligence in your physiology!
And I guide you in applying mindfulness—the capacity to keep in mind things that are beneficial. In particular, we work on “remembering” how to access “connection mode.”
It’s important to note that we don’t need to be sitting still in order to train the mind: Qigong is a form of mindful movement, where you practice immersing your awareness in the body as you engage in a variety of postures and exercises.
While I don’t incorporate Qigong into my sessions unless requested, I do offer an online Qigong course called Elemental Movements, which you can find here.
Intrigued? Learn more!
