Rachil was an integral force within Healing Opportunities from 2007 to 2022. We honor her and miss her warmth, her deep knowledge and her loving way of being.

She had an eclectic approach to healing; trained in clinical nutrition, holding a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine, which included: Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Constitutional Dietary Training, Shiatsu, Cupping Tai Qi and Qi Gong (energetic healing), she enjoyed helping people heal themselves naturally. Through educating her patients she empowered them to access their bodies’ own healing powers: promoting health and preventing disease.

Founder of The Sage Center for Health: consisting of a private a practice as well as a corporate wellness program, Rachil. was dedicated to creating awareness and access to integrative medicine in our community. Having lived in Santa Barbara for over 20 years, she directly contributed and guided the efforts of Healing Opportunities since its inception in 2001, as an intern. Her dedication led her to serve proudly as President of the Board for many years, and served as Executive Director in 2021. Her legacy of pride and service will continue within the Healing Opportunities' mission.

Read more about Rachil's life: In Loving Memory of Rachil B. Vincent

A highly respected author, lecturer and practitioner of Chinese medicine. He trained in England at the International College of Oriental Medicine graduating in acupuncture in 1974 after a three-year course. He went on to study Western herbalism and graduated from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in 1977. He attended three postgraduate courses in acupuncture (1980, 1982, 1987) at the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, one of the foremost teaching institutions in China, where he was later appointed Visiting Professor in 1996. There he gained invaluable knowledge and clinical experience helped by his ability to read Chinese which gave him access to Chinese medicine textbooks, old and modern.

Learn more about Giovanni on his website at: https://giovanni-maciocia.com/

He educated the medical community to improve support for NADA treatment nationally and internationally; serving instrumentally in the initiation of the NADA protocol in Medical Reserve Corps. John was also dedicated to improved health care delivery through work with the Cottage Hospital Department of Psychiatry, SB College of Oriental Medicine, Medical Reserve Corps, and more.

We at Healing Opportunities and others who support and advocate for the benefits of ear acupuncture are indebted to the work and efforts of John Ackerman. John passed on August 20, 2020 providing a legacy for NADA through his many years of advocacy.

Read more about John's life here:

Dr. John Michael Ackerman, M.D., psychiatrist, and pioneer in integrative medicine, had a keen interest in the psychological impact of chronic illness on patients and their families.
John’s penchant for research sprang from his father’s participation as the subject and co-investigator of one of the pioneering studies on the use of warfarin (Coumadin) as a blood thinner.
After graduating in psychology from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), John received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin. While studying in Madison, he met his wife Ruth Watkins. They married in 1963.
He completed his straight medical internship at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, followed by his psychiatric residency in San Francisco at UCSF and Mt. Zion hospitals. All of this occurred while Ruth completed her masters degree in Social Welfare at UC Berkeley.
They both worked on the front lines during the Summer of Love.
From 1968-70 John served in the U.S. Public Health Service Division of Indian Health in Anchorage, Alaska, as director of psychiatric services for the indigenous people of the state.
John’s position required weeks of absence from his family as he visited the area hospitals by bush plane, including Nome, Barrow, Kanakanak, Tanana, Kotzebue and Sitka.
He sought to change the Bureau of Indian Affairs policy of forcing indigenous children to attend boarding schools, often thousand of miles from home. He also worked with village healers, and often utilized short-wave radio, the telemedicine of its time.
These experiences introduced John to alternative healing methods and the importance of community in supporting mental health. Always at the forefront of innovation, John began his studies in acupuncture in 1971; family therapy at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic in 1979; and ear acupuncture for treating anxiety, trauma, and substance abuse at Lincoln Hospital in New York City's South Bronx in 1981.
His interest in acupuncture led to him auricular medicine, with many trainings, conferences, and research projects in France. His practice and innovative research resulted in an esteemed award from the G.L.E.M. (Lyon Medical Studies Group).
In addition, for 11 years John travelled to the Netherlands to research subtle energy.
John was an active member of psychiatric and medical societies and presented numerous papers at national and international conferences.
Locally, he was active in the Cottage Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine, the Family Therapy Institute, Medical Reserve Corps (adding acupuncture to their resources), Montecito Emergency Recovery and Action Group, League of Women Voters and other nonprofits dedicated to improved health care delivery.
John will always be remembered for his patient, loving, compassionate and kind heart, his contagious laughter, his enthusiastic love of song and dance, and his devotion to his family.