Richard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Acupuncturist and Herbalist specializing in integrative care focused on pain management, emotional well-being, and mental health. His work is grounded in a holistic, quality-of-life–centered philosophy that recognizes the profound and bidirectional relationship between psychological distress and physical pain.

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Richard has successfully treated patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain, including neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and knee pain. Richard also words with patients experiencing headaches, migraines, sciatica, herniated discs, and sports injuries. Using a comprehensive approach that may include acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, cupping therapy, herbal medicine, and lifestyle guidance, Richard focuses on reducing pain, restoring function, and improving overall quality of life. Each treatment plan is individualized to address the root cause of discomfort while promoting the body's natural healing process.

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Richard currently provides clinical counseling with an emphasis on behavioral therapy and hospice comfort care, supporting individuals and families navigating complex medical conditions, emotional challenges, and end-of-life transitions. He has extensive experience working with patients experiencing depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and applies a trauma-informed, compassionate, and ethically grounded approach to care.

While practicing behavioral therapy, Richard observed that emotional and psychological suffering frequently manifests as somatic pain, and that unresolved physical discomfort often intensifies mental health symptoms. This clinical insight shaped his professional mission: to move beyond treating the mind alone and to also address physical pain as an essential component of emotional healing and overall well-being.

Motivated by his commitment to improving patients’ quality of life, Richard pursued advanced training in Oriental medicine to complement his background in behavioral health. By integrating evidence-based psychotherapy with acupuncture and herbal medicine, he supports pain reduction through dry needling, indigestion, Bell’s palsy, emotional regulation, stress resilience, and improved functional well-being—particularly for patients with chronic pain, stress-related conditions, and psychosomatic symptoms.

Richard earned his MSW degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2010 and completed a master’s degree in Oriental Medicine at Virginia University of Integrative Medicine in 2024. His interdisciplinary training allows him to bridge conventional mental health care with TCM in a clinically responsible and patient-centered manner.

Richard is committed to collaborative and individualized care that honors each patient’s physical condition, emotional experience, and personal circumstances. His work is guided by the belief that meaningful healing occurs when mind and body are treated together, with dignity, compassion, and respect.