Professional Experience
Lead Acupuncturist and Clinic Manager, Durham Integrative Health and Acupuncture Center. December 2023 to Present.
Owner and lead practitioner, Tara Bianca Rado Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine, Durham 2018- Dec 2023 Providing acupuncture, bodywork, moxabustion, cupping, herbal medicine and nutritional consults.
Instructor, Alliance for Black Doulas for Black Mamas, 2020-Present, instruction on acupresssure for labor, ear seeds and the role of holistic health and adjunct therapies in birthing communities. https://www.cbs17.com/news/unc-based-doula-program-aims-to-make-pregnancy-safer-for-black-women/
Acupuncturist and Research Clinician at Duke Emergency Department and with Duke Integrative Medicine, Nov 2019 to January 2020, working as an acupuncturist and research advisor within a project treating Acute Musculoskeletal pain in the Emergency Department, funded by a large grant at the Population of Health Sciences Department of Duke University School of Medicine to reduce the harms of opioid use.
Full time Acupuncturist with Tiny Needles San Francisco, treating in the Community Room with up to 6 patients per hour and privately as well with cupping, gua sha, moxa, and custom herbal and nutritional consults. 2017/2018
Massage Therapist (1998-2018) and Acupuncturist (2017/2018) specializing in Asian style bodywork and spa treatment development and training at Kabuki Springs and Spa, San Francisco
Education and Training
Master's in Science, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College. 3600 hours of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Western medical training. Advanced externships at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital and at SF Homeless Prenatal Project. 2016
Bachelor's of the Arts in Anthropology, Summa Cum Laude, with high honors in Anthropology. U.C Berkeley, 2004
Haas Scholar, UC Berkeley 2003/04
Classical Tuina Training in hand techniques, channel palpation and Chinese medical therapeutic strategies and terminology. North American Tang Shou Tao, transmitted by Master Hsu Hong Chi at the Arizona School of Oriental Medicine 2011/2012
Trained at the Amma Institute, SF in table shiatsu, thumb technique, compression and percussive techniques and meridian and point location, 1998
Trained in cross fiber, muscle energy technique at the Hendrickson Institute of Orthopoedic Massage, 1999
Studied herbal medicine through a vitalist physiology based approach to native and European plants at the Pacific School of Botanical Medicine and a medicine wheel approach with Karyn Sanders, Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine. 1996-1999
Completed certification course work in acupressure, zen, barefoot and table shiatsu, meridian and point location at Acupressure Institute, Berkeley, 1995
Volunteer work
Egbe Imodoye Orisa. Volunteer founder, administrator, pedagogue of an online Orisa spirituality learning community. 2019-present
African American Safe Labor and Birth Project, was a volunteer project that was housed inside my private practice from 2019-2023, that is now transforming as I transition to non profit status.
Caare, Downtown Durham, volunteer acupuncture treatments for elders and people in recovery from substance use. 2019-21
Practiced harm reduction health education with active drug users in East Oakland. Herbal and nutritional support for patients dealing with HIV and AIDS and complications from drug use, at Casa Segura Needle Exchange. 1998/99
Performed therapeutic massage and acupressure on low-income women with cancer at the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic. 1997/98