Our Team
CO-FOUNDER/APPLIED KINESIOLOGIST & CHIROPRACTOR
Dr. Kirsten West DC,MS
Dr. Kirsten West grew up in Wilkesboro, NC and found her passion for chiropractic and holistic health from being a patient at very young age. Through this experience and witnessing firsthand the positive changes in her health as well as her families, she decided to pay it forward and pursue a career in Chiropractic so that people can make positive changes in their health journey while solving health challenges naturally.
Kirsten graduated in 2011 from North Carolina State University and went on to attend Logan University outside of St Louis, Missouri. While at Logan, she was chosen by faculty to tutor students in the areas of Biochemistry and Anatomy as well as be a peer-mentor to fellow students in the clinical setting. In April of 2015 she graduated with a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree & Masters of Sports Science and Rehabilitation.
Dr. West continues to pursue learning opportunities in functional medicine, pediatrics, and sports science through seminars and other continuing education. When not seeing clients, she enjoys outdoor activities (hiking, floating, kayaking), spending time with her pup Chance and exploring all that the Asheville and surrounding areas have to offer.
CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR OF MINDFULNESS PROGRAMS
Emily Horn
Emily Horn is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher via the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. She is also authorized to teach meditation, dharma, and long retreats by Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Society, and InsightLA.
Emily has been called a “power player of the mindfulness movement" by Wired Magazine. Her work is featured in 10% Happier, Boston Children's Hospital's Comfort Ability Project, Buddhist Geeks, and apps such as Brightmind and Buddhify. She's also been mentoring mindfulness teachers in a certification led by Jack Kornfield, Ph.D and Tara Brach Ph.D for over 7 years.
For her, a mindful life is simply learning to dance with all of this human experience: from transcendence to dirty dishes, evolutionary edges to ancient roots, solitary practice to deepening relationships. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her husband, Vincent, and son, Zander.
LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST
Kat Harrod
Kat Harrod is a clinical acupuncturist, certified by the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), and licensed by the state of North Carolina. She has experience treating a wide range of health issues and conditions in both private and community acupuncture settings. She is also especially interested in working with mental and emotional health (including PTSD and C-PTSD), digestive conditions, sleep issues, acute and chronic pain, and hospice & palliative care acupuncture.
Kat deeply values the ability of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture to support the body’s natural intelligence for healing, wellness, and relaxation. She believes that due to the current pace and demands of our culture, that there is an increased need for self-care practices that help support and relax our nervous systems. Acupuncture is one of those resources.
When she's not practicing or learning about acupuncture, Kat can be found spending time with her family, reading a good book, drawing, meandering through a forest, or attempting to learn a variety of musical instruments.