Kate Thomas, MAc, LAc (she/her)
Licensed Acupuncturist · Certified Health Coach
Herbalist · Owner, Fireweed Acupuncture
Training At A Glance
2000+ Hours
graduate-level training
3
National Board Exams passed
15+ years
of herbalism
studies
100+ Hours
post-graduate training
I often work on…
Sleep Problems · Headaches & Migraines · Perimenopause & Menopause · Menstrual Problems · Mental & Emotional Wellness · Chronic Pain · Navigating Chronic Illness
Some techniques we may use…
Acupuncture · Nutrition & Health Coaching · Herbal Medicine · Tui Na · Gua Sha · Cupping · Lifestyle Changes · Chinese Medicine Food Therapy · Movement Practices
My path into acupuncture was a long one! I completed my training in massage therapy and Reiki in 2010, where I had my first introduction to Chinese medicine during an acupressure seminar. What followed was more than a decade of deepening study in Western herbalism through workshops, self-study, and advanced training. During this time, I also began receiving acupuncture for digestive problems, anxiety, and stress, and was deeply inspired by how much it helped. Then in 2018, I was in an herb class where all of the threads converged: a classmate explained a Western herb using Chinese medicine terminology, and I knew I needed to know more.
I enrolled in my Master's program in January 2019 and graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern Health Sciences University in December 2021. During my program, I completed over 2,000 hours of training and more than 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience, including inpatient care at M Health Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis. Today, my practice brings together acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Western herbalism, and health coaching, where supporting your daily life and habits is woven into every appointment.
My approach to patient care is pragmatic, grounded in clinical experience and theoretical knowledge, and shaped by the lived experience of having and managing multiple chronic illnesses. I have lived most of my life with chronic illness and am neurodivergent - experiences that inform how I understand and work with my patients.
Health & Healing Philosophy
I believe in using the gentlest intervention needed. Bodies - especially stressed and overwhelmed bodies! - tend to respond better to nudges than to shoves. More treatment is not always better treatment.
Health is dynamic, not an endpoint. Chinese medicine has a term for this: 養生 (yang sheng), or "nourishing life" - the daily practices that support health over a lifetime. Much of what we do together is build sustainable habits that feel realistic, not heroic.
Much of our health is shaped by things outside our control- social, environmental, and structural factors that aren't personal failings and can't be overcome by effort alone. My role is to help you work skillfully with what's within reach, and to be honest about the rest.
Post-Graduate Training
Post-graduate training on: insomnia, peri/menopause, digestion, scar therapies, mental health, herbalism, and more.
Sleep, Stress Management, and Recovery (SSR) Coaching Certification - Precision Nutrition (PN) - In Progress
Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification (PN1-NC) - Precision Nutrition (PN) - 2025
Degrees
Master of Acupuncture (MAc) - Northwestern Health Sciences University – Dec 2021, Graduated magna cum laude.
Clinical placements included working with athletes, low-income populations through the Integrative Clinic of Minnesota, and inpatient care at M Health Fairview hospital in Minneapolis
Bachelor of Arts, Speech Communications, Rhetoric, Gender Studies - MSU Denver - 2016, Graduated magna cum laude.
Massage Therapy – Blue Sky School of Massage Therapy, Wisconsin – 2010
Certifications & Trainings
Practitioner Skills I & II - Blue Otter School of Herbalism (online) - July 2021; Oct-Nov 2021
Intermediate/Advanced Herbalism - Matthew Wood (in person) - 2018
Intermediate Herbalism - Herbal Academy of New England (online) - 2017-2018