Kendra Ward, LAc of Whole Family Wellness
1. What brought you to Portland?
I moved to Portland with my husband so that he could attend the National College of Natural Medicine. In the process of him completing his naturopathic degree (and me creating a practice) we both fell in love with Portland. At this point, we are very settled in and are really enjoying living in such a beautiful city. 2. Why did you decide to become an LAc?
Becoming an acupuncturist was a great match for me from the very beginning. I have always had a strong interest in healing in other cultures and I have always wanted to work hands on with people. I had been exposed to acupuncture from a young age for my own health issues and those experiences intrigued and inspired me to learn more about the Taoist principles that are behind acupuncture. 3. Tell me about your practice
My practice is located in SW Portland on the backside of Multnomah Village. My practice used to be named Unbroken Flow Acupuncture, LLC but in the last year it was changed to Whole Family Wellness Center, LLC when I joined practices with my husband. My practice is focused on women’s health, such as fertility troubles, pregnancy related conditions, menstrual irregularities, etc. I use a unique combination of acupuncture, powdered herbal formulas that I create myself, flower essences, and therapeutic essential oils. I really enjoy working with women at any stage or transition in their lives.
4. Where does your passion for the medicine come from?
My passion arises from the mysteries of the human body, the observations of qi and how it moves, from my own gratitude of the trust of my patients for sharing their health stories with me. It is the connections and deep relationships that are formed that keep me interested and inspired. 5. Any advice for patients?
To take responsibility for your own healing. Health practitioners are here to guide and support but the true progress is made in how you live your life on a daily basis. What habits you form, what kind of stability you can create for yourself. Because I work in the realm of hormones so often I see how a lack of regularity and stability in life habits gets reflected in large hormone fluctuations. We have great power if we can just work on the basics on a daily basis; clean water, and air, adequate sleep, having space for meditation and reflection, circulation of qi and blood through exercise, balanced, fresh food, and having a balance between giving (yang) and receiving (yin) with our precious time.
6.What is your favorite Portland restaurant and why?
I really enjoy eating at Kalga Café in SE Portland. All of their dishes are fresh, organic and vegetarian and they have a lot of classic dishes to choose from. I usually judge a restaurant by how the food makes me feel about an hour after eating and I always feel great after eating there.
You can contact Kendra at:
Whole Family Wellness Center 2920 SW Dolph Ct., Suite 2 Portland, OR 97219
503.244.0500