Meet our passionate, caring, and skilled Santa Rosa Acupuncturists & Herbalists
Christina Ness-Hawks
Founder and Clinic Director
LAc (Licensed California Acupuncturist)
Dipl OM (NCCAOM Nationally Certified)
MSTCM (Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Christina’s life was transformed in her mid-20’s, when she sought Chinese Medicine to treat her allergies, chronic sinus infections, and struggling immune system. After personally experiencing the healing effects of Chinese Medicine and the freedom that comes with true well-being, Christina was inspired to become an acupuncturist.
Christina knows firsthand what it’s like to be overwhelmed by health challenges. But she’s also seen that our bodies have an innate healing intelligence that’s part of every cell of your body. She’s excited to help reawaken your natural healing system and empower you to make the best decisions for you. She has helped hundreds of patients with a variety of health issues ranging from chronic pain and sports injuries; allergies, frequent colds, and sinusitis; depression and anxiety; PMS and menopause; to all sorts of conditions that patients can’t find a solution for.
Christina is a California Licensed and Nationally Certified acupuncturist and herbalist. She has been studying and practicing Chinese Medicine since 2007. She earned her Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco and is Board Certified by the California Acupuncture Board as a Licensed Acupuncturist as well as the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. She interned abroad at Yue Yang Hospital in Shanghai and has worked in a variety of clinic settings including an inpatient stroke and trauma rehabilitation center and a skilled nursing facility for the aged. She opened Thrive Acupuncture and Wellness in Santa Rosa, California in March 2012.
Christina is super results driven. She draws from a wide variety of styles of acupuncture, but relies on a deep foundation in distal acupuncture such as Richard Tan’s Balance Method and Master Tung Acupuncture that are renowned for patients starting to feel better on the table as soon as a few points are placed. She loves that Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the best values for your investment of time and money in your wellbeing because you only need to come in for 1 appointment and you go home with herbs that you can take twice a day for a week or more. In order to get the best results, she has studied with herbal masters who are focused on treating modern patients such as Jimmy Wei-Yen Chang and Christopher Volesky to learn Pulsynergy and Harmonize Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Christina brings a unique balance of the scientific and energetic to her practice. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz with a concentration in comparative physiology and a minor in Psychology. At the same time she was enrolled in the holistic health practitioner program in which she studied Swedish massage, acupressure, and western herbology and nutrition. She had a few careers, including marine mammal training and biotechnology regulatory affairs, before she became an acupuncturist. Christina will help you bridge the gap between western science and Chinese Medicine by educating you on how these two worlds relate and how they can work together.
In her free time you can find her thriving on her mountain bike, in the garden, on the dance floor, and in the kitchen with her husband cooking food from their garden.
Megan Rauch
Acupuncturist & Herbalist
LAc (Licensed California Acupuncturist)
Dipl OM (NCCAOM Nationally Certified)
MSTCM (Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Megan believes true healing means not only feeling better, but living with more energy and ease—and that’s the heart of her work with every patient. Her curiosity about the connection between emotional and physical health has fueled her passion for supporting the body’s natural ability to heal for over 24 years. When she experienced the profound effects of acupuncture firsthand, she was inspired to become an acupuncturist and for over 18 years she has helped patients relieve pain, restore balance, and cultivate long-term vitality through the wisdom of Chinese Medicine.
She meets each patient exactly where they are, using gentle yet effective acupuncture and customized herbal formulas to achieve meaningful, lasting results. Her compassionate approach integrates mind, body, and spirit—empowering patients to make small but meaningful lifestyle changes.
Megan has partnered with patients to address a wide variety of conditions—ranging from chronic and acute pain, sports injuries, anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, digestive issues, allergies, sinusitis, frequent colds, and stress-related health issues.
She has a special passion for women’s health, which began over 20 years ago as a birth doula. As an acupuncturist she has supported pregnant and postpartum women, as well as women experiencing hormonal imbalances including PMS, peri-menopause, and menopause. A mother of 3 herself, she brings even more depth, compassion, and experience to helping women through all stages of life.
Megan is a California Licensed and Nationally Certified acupuncturist and herbalist. She has been studying and practicing Chinese Medicine since 2007. She earned her Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco and is Board Certified by the California Acupuncture Board as a Licensed Acupuncturist as well as the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. She interned abroad at Yue Yang Hospital in Shanghai and has worked in a variety of clinic settings including an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialty Practice, the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, serving diverse patient needs for underserved and marginalized communities, and an auricular clinic focused on using the ear to treat the whole body.
Megan combines time-honored healing techniques with a modern understanding of mind-body health. Before becoming an acupuncturist, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from New York University and worked as a mental health counselor and brain research assistant at the San Francisco VA Hospital. Her interest in holistic wellness led her to train as a massage therapist and birth doula, experiences that deepened her insight into the body and the profound transitions of life. Today, as an acupuncturist, she draws on this diverse foundation to offer care that is both compassionate and deeply effective—helping patients achieve lasting healing and transformation.
In her free time, Megan enjoys staying active with her husband and three children, gardening, cooking, practicing yoga, and sharing laughter at a good comedy show.
Dylan Hawhee
Acupuncturist & Herbalist
LAc (Licensed California Acupuncturist)
MSTCM (Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nervous-system-focused care, Dylan helps people move from tension and overwhelm into calm, clarity, and resilience. She creates spaces where every person feels safe, supported, and reconnected with their body’s natural wisdom. Dylan believes healing begins when the body is heard and honored.
As a young adult, she was drawn to Chinese medicine as a path to sustainable healing. She sees symptoms not as problems to silence but as messages the body wants understood. Her work restores nervous system balance, helping patients move out of chronic stress and into states where the body can repair, regulate, and heal.
Dylan has a calming presence that helps people feel grounded and at ease right away. She listens deeply and without judgment, creating space for people to feel seen and supported. Her treatments are highly individualized, blending precise, intuitive needling with strong clinical understanding.
Many people come to Dylan navigating anxiety, persistent pain, or symptoms that have not fully resolved through conventional care. Through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nervous system education, she guides patients from ongoing stress to a more regulated and resilient state, reconnecting them with their body’s natural ability to heal.
Before becoming an acupuncturist, Dylan spent a decade in emergency medicine as an EMT and paramedic. Those years gave her firsthand experience with crisis, trauma, and human resilience. While she deeply respected the lifesaving work of emergency care, she felt called to a stage of healing that creates space for prevention, restoration, and long-term well-being.
As she was transitioning from emergency medicine, Dylan studied massage therapy — including deep tissue, acupressure, and shiatsu — and worked as a massage practitioner. Through this hands-on practice, she witnessed how the body responds when given the right conditions to restore balance, further awakening her curiosity about the body’s deeper healing systems.
She earned a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine at the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley and began practicing Chinese Medicine in 2012. She is Board Certified by the California Acupuncture Board as a Licensed Acupuncturist, reflecting her professional expertise and commitment to high standards of care.
Her clinical experience includes community acupuncture clinics throughout the Bay Area, the San Francisco Homeless Prenatal Program, the UC Berkeley Athletic Department student clinic, and the staff wellness program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. She also completed a three-year internship under Robert Levine, L.Ac., in Berkeley, and ran a private practice at Farmacopia in Santa Rosa, cultivating a loyal patient community rooted in trust and results.
Dylan specializes in anxiety, stress, depression, trauma recovery, nervous system dysregulation, allergies and acute pain. She feels especially honored to support first responders, healthcare workers, athletes, parents, families, and LGBTQ patients navigating high stress. Her trauma-informed approach emphasizes the inseparable relationship between emotional and physical health.
She is committed to making healing spaces accessible, affirming, and welcoming, upholding the dignity of every person and creating safety, respect, and belonging. Alongside acupuncture, Dylan incorporates customized Chinese herbal formulas that extend care beyond the treatment room. She sees Western and Chinese medicine as partners and believes meaningful healing grows through small, steady steps.
At home, Dylan and her wife of 30 years are raising their 11-year-old son in Sonoma County with two dogs and two cats. She finds joy in dancing, moving her body, spending time outdoors, and tending to her home and life’s small rhythms. Supporting others as they reconnect with their resilience and capacity to heal is both her calling and her privilege.
