Glimpse of my story

From a young age, I developed a curiosity for the healing properties of what sprouts from the natural world. From my mother’s warm kitchen to camping trips, the texture and potential of plants inspired me. Whether it was hearing stories of traditional uses for herbs or finding edible flowers in the valley down the road with my sister or enjoying the benefits of honey and vinegar based fortifying elixirs my father would prepare for us before going to school, I was in awe.

During my sophomore year of high school, my world turned upside-down. My father had a stroke in the brain leaving him completely paralyzed for over a decade now. I quickly realized the limitations of the conventional medical model for patients like my dad and beyond. I came to find that while allopathic medicine may excel in the domain of acute care, the options in both preventative medicine and the relief of chronic conditions are often severely deficient. I devotedly began to explore other models of healthcare that address patients’ concerns beyond drugs and uniform protocols.

Life got serious and I grew up fast. At 16 years old, I graduated high school early and enrolled in a Nutritional Consulting program. I further delved into the study of Public Health and Environmental Design and completed my undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine. I became a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) and taught middle school science for two years while revisiting my dream of becoming a doctor and helping people in a clinical setting. Amidst my search for medical school options, there was a part of me yearning towards a slightly different take on health and wellness. I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but not in the conventional sense.

I immersed myself in the study of therapeutic modalities beyond orthodox norms and came to the realization that there was something very intuitive and visceral missing from today’s allopathic medical practice, and that is: the power of healing touch, bio-individuality, and a systems-based model of medicine–essentially, holism. I decided to enroll in one of the most prestigious schools of East Asian medicine in the country at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, CA and completed the terminal post-graduate doctoral degree with honors.

I soon found the fuel to a familiar flame in my heart. The child in me returned as I continued to learn about ancient healing wisdoms from the traditional medicinal studies of Chinese, Tibetan, Ayurvedic, Unani-Tibb, Native American, and beyond to the sprouting developments of modern functional medicine and everything in between. My fascination quickly grew into years of training and official certifications in the realm of natural medicine and self-cultivation of nourishing life practices. Having spent time in one of China’s top TCM University Hospitals and the awe-inspiring Tibet བོད, further deepened my appreciation of what medicine truly has to offer. Now, I integrate the use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, food therapy, moxibustion, tuina and functional medicine in my treatments.

I consider myself a lifelong learner and the process of gathering more insights only feeds my yearning to explore more. As a doctor of East Asian medicine and women’s health advocate, I hope to share what I have learned with others by empowering patients and practitioners of all kinds to take a more intuitive approach to health. It is an honor to share my journey with you.

With care,

Aïcha Sebaa

P.S. In addition to my clinical practice, I formulate natural skincare that embraces a synergy of traditional herbal wisdom and modern advancements in cosmetic chemistry. The tagline of my skincare business is “beauty that heals” as anything that heals the skin will inevitably beautify it and that’s the starting point of every formula. You can learn more about this here. 🙂