Lisa Glasser, M.Ac., L.Ac

Pain Managment Specialist

As an acupuncturist, I always get asked the question ” What made you want to be in this field?” The short answer is….the hard way.  As a college athlete I endured excessive physical stress which resulted in several injuries. At the time, I thought my only option was surgery. Four years and multiple surgeries later, I thought there has to be a better way. As I was recovering from my fifth knee surgery a year after college graduation, I found my answer in an alternative health magazine.  I read about a former college athlete, in my same position, who was now an acupuncturist. The article went on to explain her story and the benefits of acupuncture. I was sold! I made an appointment with my local acupuncturist in small town North Dakota and the rest is history.

I attended Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minneapolis, MN where I received a Masters in Acupuncture. While in school I had heard many amazing things about the great Northwest. I made the leap and settled in Eugene. I have grown to admire and love this community that has welcomed me and my practice with open arms.

Almost 10 years after first hearing of acupuncture, I am thankful to have found a profession that I love. At the same time I have found a way to help people facilitate their own healing and give them the knowledge to live a healthier life. It is through my education, life knowledge and passion that I was able to create Well Balanced, an environment dedicated to your health through acupuncture, nutrition and fitness.

In my free time you’ll find me exploring our great state of Oregon! In the summer months I love to hike and swim with my dog, Mazi. This year I have taken up gardening, it’s amazing to watch life grow. In the winter I try and find the sun on the mountains and I get up to the snow every chance I get. You’ll either find me on my snowboard or cross-country skiing.

Ben Hoff, L.Ac.

Internal Specialist

I was first exposed to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) while taking classes on the healing arts of energy work and was immediately fascinated by its simplicity of categorizing disease and illness through the elements around us. I truly enjoy the beauty and magic of Chinese medicine and it was actually one of the first things that really resonated and made sense to me given how often I felt lost in the chaotic western world in which I grew up. So, I jumped right in, decided to make it my living and have never looked back!

I have nearly ten years of healing experience in the wellness field. I received my Masters of Traditional Oriental Medicine from one of the leading schools in the industry, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM); studying and building my clinical skills at both their Chicago and New York campuses. During my time at PCOM I sought out professors and mentors with years of clinical expertise and received hundreds of hours of firsthand experience partnering with them in their private practices.

While I love everything TCM, my passions and interests lay in community acupuncture and herbal medicine. I really came to appreciate the healing power of this communal modality while working in a health clinic in rural Nepal. Making this ancient and powerful medicine available and affordable to everyone is my top priority. Being a lover of plants, and understanding their restorative potential, I find it beneficial to use their healing properties to increase the effectiveness of treatments. I excel at preparing custom made herbal formulas, and every formula I create is specifically designed to maximize wellness and balance each patient’s unique body and energy.

It is my goal in life to help everyone realize his or her maximum potential, reach this potential and to smile along the way. I am a huge advocate of spreading positivity and empowering you to be accountable and in control of your own good health. Together with Lisa’s and my knowledge and expertise, this amazing medicine can help you and our community, live and fulfill our perfect existence.

Jesse Liberty, M.Ac, L.Ac.

Pain Management Specialist

After high school, I had no idea if I wanted to continue my education or work so I decided to do both and enroll in community college and work full time.  Knowing that I wanted to work with athletes, I started the Fitness Technology program at Portland Community College and got a job at Gart Sports, which is now The Sports Authority.

After three years of off-and-on schooling, and six years of working at Gart Sports, I felt I needed a change in my life.  I decided I wanted to continue my education and was accepted into the Human Physiology program at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

I really enjoyed my classes and my time there, and was focusing on a career in physical therapy and athletic training.  However in the winter term of my last year at the U of O, I took a course called Complementary and Alternative Medicines and I was immediately fascinated with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.  The following term I began looking into schools for Traditional Chinese Medicine and found the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in my hometown of Portland Oregon.  I applied to OCOM, and after graduating from the U of O with a BS in Human Physiology, found out that I was accepted into OCOM’s Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine program.

My exposure to athletics and athletes has also given me exposure to injuries.  As Western practices like surgeries and pharmaceuticals can surely help injured athletes, the recovery time with such therapeutics can be long and painful.

I believe that acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be integrated with western modalities, or stand on it’s own to help decrease recovery time from injuries as well as increase performance levels of athletes, and prevent future injuries.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a relatively non-invasive and time proven modality that uses the body’s own energies and immune system to keep the body in balance and can be a very effective medicine to athletes and weekend warriors.

My clinical experience at OCOM proved to me that acupuncture is a great medicine that can not only treat pain, but can also be effective for people suffering from insomnia, menopausal symptoms, digestive disorders, colds, flu, and allergies.