Founder, Owner of Blue Heron Acupuncture, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.) - Nationally board certified in acupuncture and herbal medicine, Master’s of Science (M.S.), Currently becoming certified in Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST)
Dr. Lisa Abernathy founded Blue Heron Acupuncture with the hopes of creating a beautiful, inspiring space where patients can feel welcome, at ease and able to invite transformational healing into their lives. Through collaborations with fellow holistic and allopathic practitioners and intensive continued education, Lisa is honored to create a unique service for Charleston - a respite that invites self-care and mindfulness, effective referrals, a full Chinese herbal pharmacy, and care of the highest caliber.
Dr. Lisa’s focus is on raising self-awareness, empowering patients and encouraging healing on both a physical and emotional level. She enriches her understanding of and passion for Chinese Medicine with ongoing continuing education courses, studying with Jeffrey Yuen and other leaders in the field. Lisa’s postgraduate studies, research and work with patients have focused on trauma resilience, fertility, autoimmune conditions, pain, endocrine disorders, headaches, women’s health, pediatrics, and emotional wellbeing.
Before pursuing her career in Chinese Medicine, Lisa studied Psychology and Literature at Appalachian State University. After college, she worked with seniors with Alzheimer’s, a homeless shelter and a theatre company. When she eventually tried acupuncture and experienced the sense of wellbeing it induces, she realized she had found her calling, an opportunity to merge her interests in psychology, art and poetry in a way that invites deep healing for people.
Lisa obtained her Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts, comprised of five years of full time study in Classical Chinese Medicine including Chinese herbal medicine. Her training included an 800-hour clinical internship, during which she treated hundreds of patients under the clinical guidance of Asheville’s top Chinese medicine clinicians. Lisa was incredibly fortunate to study with Dr. Jeffrey Yuen, global leader in reintroducing Classical Chinese Medicine, throughout her years at and post-Daoist Traditions - his teachings have shaped her understanding of the medicine and her approach to working with patients.
Having been raised in an Air Force family, Lisa spent much of her childhood, adolescent and young adult years living in Charleston, interspersed with jaunts in North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Saudi Arabia and California. Lisa loves visiting historic sites and getting outdoors with her family. She is pleased to share her passion for health and Chinese Medicine with the wonderful people of the Lowcountry.
Libby Prim’s interest in alternative medicine began with a natural food store that she opened in Ireland in the seventies. Wanting to continue learning about acupuncture and macrobiotic philosophy, she traveled to the United States to study at the Kushi Institute in Boston. Ten years later, she moved south and opened The Natural Living Center in Charlotte NC. While running the center, which specialized in acupuncture and whole food cooking, she became interested in a new bodywork from Australia called the Bowen Technique.
Libby began studying under Oswald and Elaine Rentch in 1996 as the first classes were being offered in the United States, and was certified by the Bowtech Academy of Australia in 1999. A year later, she also qualified as a NST practitioner under the tutelage of Michael Nixon-Livy of the International Institute of Applied Services in Germany and the developer of the Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST).
