We're an acupuncture and functional medicine clinic in downtown Seattle. We've been around since 2008. Our work blends traditional Chinese medicine with modern functional medicine, and we treat everything from chronic pain and digestive issues to hormonal patterns, fertility, autoimmune conditions, and the long tail of 'something is off and no one can figure out what.' We specialize in the complex, chronic, and 'mystery' cases that other clinics often punt on.

What makes you different from other acupuncture clinics?

Three things. First, we treat the whole person, not just the symptom — every plan is customized, no cookie-cutter protocols. Second, we blend Chinese medicine with functional medicine, lab work, modern technology, and clinical reasoning that most acupuncture clinics don't do. Third, we say what we mean. We'll tell you straight up if we think we can help, if we think you'd be better served somewhere else, or if a particular intervention isn't right for you yet. We're not here to upsell you — we're here to actually fix what's going on.

Where is GoodMedizen located?

We're at 509 Olive Way, Suite 1401, in downtown Seattle, WA 98101. The Medical Dental Building, on the corner of Olive Way and 6th Ave. The primary entrance is on Olive Way next to Go Fitness and Cherry Street Coffee. Take the elevator to the 14th floor.

Yes. Every provider at GoodMedizen is a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.) with a Master's degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, plus extensive continuing education. We're nationally board certified and licensed by the State of Washington.

What conditions do you treat?

A lot. Pain (chronic and acute), digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, fertility, anxiety and depression, sleep problems, allergies, autoimmune conditions, fatigue, post-surgical recovery, headaches and migraines, neurological conditions, skin conditions, and the long tail of 'something is off and no one can figure out what.' Acupuncture and TCM are whole systems of medicine — we're always looking at the whole body, working on restoration of function to help your body perform the duties it's supposed to.

Do you take my insurance?

We're in-network with most major Seattle-area carriers including Premera, Regence, Aetna, Cigna, First Choice Health, Kaiser PPO, Molina, and several others. We can verify your specific benefits before your first visit so there are no surprises — text us your insurance info or fill out the form on our website and we'll run a benefits check for you.

What if you don't take my insurance?

We're preferred providers for most insurance plans in Washington State. We can still see you on a self-pay basis at our standard or member rates. If you have an FSA or HSA, you can typically use those. We can also provide a superbill that you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement, depending on your plan.

How much will it cost me?

It depends on your insurance plan, your deductible status, and what services you receive. We'll always run a benefits check before your first visit and tell you what to expect — copay, deductible, coinsurance, the whole picture. No surprise bills.

How do GoodMedizen memberships work?

Standard ($99/mo) is for fairly straightforward cases — member-rate acupuncture, 10% tier discount, office-visit access to your practitioner, 60-minute appointment times that include a few modalities. Premium ($179/mo) adds weekly group Q&A access for people who want more clinical guidance between visits, with a 15% discount on everything. Functional ($397/mo) is the full toolkit — monthly functional medicine visits, quarterly lab review including specialty labs, dedicated messaging access with 24-hour return, 80-minute appointments for more modality work, and 20% off acupuncture, services, and supplements. Memberships are month-to-month and you can cancel anytime.

What's the difference between a la carte and a membership?

A la carte is pay-as-you-go — you pay full rate for each visit and service. Memberships give you a monthly rate that includes longer visits, member pricing on every service and supplement, modalities included in your appointment time, and varying levels of provider access depending on tier. Memberships are designed for people who plan to use them — if you'll be in regularly, they save you significant money over a la carte.

Does acupuncture hurt?

The needles we use are very small — about the width of a strand of hair — and most people do very well with them. They are still needles, so there might be a spot here or there that's a little sharp. If something feels sharp, it should go away within a moment or two. Some points, especially in the hands, can have a deep, dull, achy quality. That ache is actually a good thing, so long as you can rest comfortably with it. Our number one goal is that you are comfortable with our treatments.

How many acupuncture sessions will I need?

What we're trying to do in the beginning is get the attention of your immune system, so we front-load treatments 2–3 times a week for typically the first 2–3 weeks. If you aren't seeing significant change by visit 3, then we dig deeper. The ultimate goal is quarterly maintenance visits — 4 times a year at season change. The goal is to limit the amount of intervention you'll ever need.

How long until I feel better from acupuncture?

Most patients notice benefit from acupuncture at their very first visit, although the first benefits noticed can be nebulous — feeling more relaxed, sleeping better, having more energy. We want to start seeing explicit change around visit 3, and significant improvement around visits 4–6. We front-load treatments to get the attention of your immune system, then slow down.

Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?

Yes — and incredibly helpful. Acupuncture is safe throughout pregnancy when performed by a trained practitioner, and it can help with morning sickness, back pain, sleep, anxiety, breech presentation, labor preparation, and postpartum recovery. It's often one of the only things a pregnant person can do for stubborn aches and pains, as many standard treatments and medications are contraindicated.

Can children get acupuncture?

Yes. We treat kids of all ages, including infants for things like reflux and sleep disturbances. For younger children we often use non-needle techniques (shonishin, gentle bodywork, magnets, ear seeds) that get the same effect without the needles. By age 8–10, most kids are curious about the needles and actually lead us to start using them.

Is dry needling the same as acupuncture?

Dry needling is a form of acupuncture — so all dry needling is acupuncture, but not all acupuncture is dry needling. Acupuncture is a complete medical system with upwards of 5,000 years of clinical refinement. Acupuncturists train for 3–4 years at master's or doctorate level and complete national board exams. An acupuncturist needs 2,000–4,000 hours of training to insert needles. A physical therapist can be certified to do dry needling after 50–100 hours. That's the practical difference.

What is functional medicine and how is it different from going to my regular doctor?

Conventional medicine is excellent at acute care, surgery, and managing established disease. It's less designed for the chronic, complex, multi-system stuff — the gut/hormone/inflammation/fatigue tangles where every specialist sends you to a different specialist. Functional medicine zooms out, looks at how your systems interact, and uses targeted labs and interventions to address the upstream causes. We work alongside your conventional providers, not in place of them.

How long does functional medicine take to work?

Most people start feeling shifts within 4–6 weeks of starting a personalized protocol. Bigger structural changes — restoring gut function, rebalancing hormones, healing chronic inflammation — usually take 3–6 months of consistent work. Functional medicine is iterative: we run labs, build a protocol, retest, refine. It's not a quick fix; it's a rebuild.

How do I know if I need detox?

Common signs include chronic fatigue, brain fog, unexplained inflammation, hormonal disruption, chemical sensitivity, mold exposure history, dental amalgam history, occupational exposures, autoimmune patterns that aren't responding to other care, and a long history of 'doing everything right' without feeling right. We start with a thorough intake and (when indicated) testing to figure out whether toxic burden is actually the issue.

Why doesn't GoodMedizen sell a 30-day detox kit?

Because they don't work, and some of them are dangerous. Pre-packaged detox kits don't account for your specific exposure history, your drainage capacity, your genetic detox pathways, your medication situation, or your nutrient status. They mobilize toxins without first making sure your exits are open — which is exactly how detox protocols cause harm. Real detox is individual. We don't shortcut it because we've seen what happens when people do.

How much does microneedling cost at GoodMedizen?

Microneedling at GoodMedizen is a flat $619 per session and is never discounted. Exosomes are expensive — really expensive — and they're the difference between 'okay' results and exceptional ones. Cheap microneedling without quality exosomes is a fundamentally different treatment. We don't compromise on the materials.

How many microneedling sessions will I need?

Most people see significant results from a series of 3 sessions spaced 4–6 weeks apart, with maintenance every 6–12 months after. Severe scarring or significant sun damage may benefit from a series of 4–6 sessions.

What should I expect at my first acupuncture visit?

Your first visit is longer than a typical follow-up — usually 75–90 minutes — because we're doing a thorough intake. We'll go through your health history, current medications and supplements, lifestyle, and what brought you in. Then we'll do a TCM diagnostic exam (pulse, tongue, palpation) and build your initial treatment plan. The treatment itself is included in this first visit.

How do I book an appointment at GoodMedizen?

Online at goodmedizen.com/schedule-now — it's the fastest way and shows real-time availability. You can also text 206-402-3813 if you'd rather book that way or have a specific timing question.

What's the fastest way to reach GoodMedizen?

Text 206-402-3813. We're a busy clinic and during clinic hours we're with patients, hands-on, often literally holding needles. We can't pick up the phone in real time — but we can absolutely respond to a text between patients. Texting is by far the fastest way to get a response from us.

Acupuncturist, Naturopath, or Functional Medicine Practitioner: Who Does What in Washington

Sep 22

4 min read

Three practitioners in downtown Seattle can all tell you, accurately, that they practice root-cause medicine. One is a licensed acupuncturist. One is a naturopathic physician. One is a health coach with a functional medicine certificate. Those are three very different things, and the difference is not marketing — it is what the state allows each of them to do.

Here is how to tell them apart before you hand anyone your medical history.

The one distinction that explains most of the confusion

"Functional medicine" is not a license. It is a model of care — a way of thinking about how body systems interact to produce symptoms. Anyone can study it, and anyone can put it on a website. A physician can practice functional medicine. So can a nurse practitioner, a chiropractor, a dietitian, an acupuncturist, or someone with a weekend certificate and no clinical license at all.

That is why "functional medicine practitioner" tells you almost nothing on its own. The useful question is not do you practice functional medicine — it is what license do you hold underneath it.

Acupuncture and naturopathic medicine, by contrast, are licensed professions in Washington State. Each has a defined scope written into statute, a board exam, and a regulator you can look up.

What each one is actually licensed to do in Washington

Licensed acupuncturist — Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Practitioner (L.Ac. / AEMP)

Washington's scope is enumerated in RCW 18.06.010. It covers acupuncture and related techniques, moxibustion, cupping, tui na, point injection therapy with specified substances, and — the clause that matters for this conversation — "dietary advice and health education based on acupuncture or Eastern medical theory, including the recommendation and sale of herbs, vitamins, minerals, and dietary and nutritional supplements."

What is not in that statute: ordering laboratory tests, imaging, or prescription drugs. An acupuncturist who works with functional lab data is working with results the patient obtained and paid the laboratory for directly, and is advising within the nutrition, herb, and lifestyle scope above. Training required: a master's-level degree, national board certification through the NCCAOM, and a state license.

Naturopathic physician (ND)

Washington licenses naturopathic physicians under RCW 18.36A, which defines the practice as "the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disorders of the body by stimulation or support, or both, of the natural processes of the human body," and includes "the prescription, administration, dispensing, and use" of nutrition and food science, physical modalities, minor office procedures, homeopathy, naturopathic medicines, immunization, contraceptive devices, and "common diagnostic procedures."

That is a broader diagnostic scope than acupuncture, and Washington NDs have prescriptive authority within a defined formulary. Training required: a four-year doctoral program at an accredited naturopathic medical school, board exams, and a state license. Worth knowing: naturopathic licensure varies enormously by state, and in some states the credential is unregulated entirely.

Functional medicine practitioner (no license of its own)

Whatever the person's underlying license is — MD, DO, ND, L.Ac., RD, DC, NP, or none — that license is what governs what they can legally do. The functional medicine training sits on top of it and expands the thinking, not the authority.

Which one you want depends on what you need

You need a diagnosis, prescriptions, or a full workup. Start with a physician — MD, DO, or ND depending on your preference and insurance. Nobody else can complete that job, and an integrative practitioner who implies otherwise is a problem.

You need pain, sleep, cycle, or nervous-system symptoms treated hands-on. An acupuncturist is doing the thing they trained for. The evidence base for chronic pain is one of the stronger ones in integrative medicine: a meta-analysis pooling 39 trials and 20,827 patients found acupuncture superior to both sham and no-acupuncture control, with effects still present at one year (Vickers et al., The Journal of Pain, 2018).

You have a folder of normal labs and a body that disagrees. This is the functional medicine sweet spot, and it is worth caring more about the practitioner's reasoning than their letters. Ask how they decide which tests are worth running and what they do when a flagged result does not match how you feel.

You want the Chinese medicine and the functional nutrition from the same person. That combination exists, and it is what happens at this clinic. It also has a specific limit, described above: the lab ordering is not part of the acupuncture license, and any practitioner who tells you otherwise in Washington is describing something the statute does not say.

Five questions worth asking anyone

What license do you hold, and in which state? (You can verify it — Washington's Department of Health has a public credential lookup.)
What does that license let you do, and what does it not?
Who do you refer to when something falls outside your scope, and how often does that happen?
Do you sell the supplements you recommend? (A yes is not disqualifying — an unclear answer is.)
What will this cost, including labs, before I start?

A practitioner who answers all five without getting defensive is telling you something useful about how they practice.

What this means for you

The letters after someone's name are not a ranking. They are a description of scope. A good acupuncturist working inside their scope is more useful to you than a broadly licensed provider who is not curious about your case, and a naturopathic physician is the right call for things an acupuncturist genuinely cannot do.

The failure mode to avoid is the practitioner whose stated scope quietly exceeds their licensed one. That is the thing the five questions are designed to surface, and it takes about four minutes.

Not sure which kind of care your situation calls for? Text us at (206) 402-3813 and describe what you have already tried. If the honest answer is that you need someone else, we will tell you that.

Courtney M. Zeller, AEMP, L.Ac., MS is the owner and primary practitioner at GoodMedizen in downtown Seattle. Licensure descriptions here reflect Washington State law and do not describe other states.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

downtown seattle's home for personalized, integrative care: acupuncture, herbs, and functional medicine