ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m jenn monrad.
In 1993, when I was 21, I decided I was going to live in my van for a year, to do some soul searching and discover new possible places to live and make roots. Arcata was at the top of my list and I already had good friends going to school at HSU. So I packed up my belongings and moved to Arcata. I continued living in my van while working full-time at Bon Boniere in Arcata. Living in my van was THE BEST thing I did for myself… it helped shape me into the person I am today.
I eventually made my way back home to live with my mom and sister. When I was 24, my mom gave me the Chaffey College catalog and excitedly showed me the Holistic Health class they offered. I was SO thrilled I wanted to take every class. Chaffey College is where I found my first mentor, Mrs. Marilyn Shaw. At the time, Chaffey College was the only Junior College to offer such classes, so I made it my goal to spread the word and started the Holistic Health Club at Chaffey. I was the first person to achieve both certificates, which was a huge accomplishment for me considering how much I didn't like school. During this time, I had an internship at Heritage Hospital, with three chiropractors and an acupuncturist. I began interning privately with that acupuncturist, Amy Xing and learned as much as I possibly could from her. I was fortunate enough to intern with another acupuncturist who taught at my school, Dr. Chang, and gained even more knowledge, especially about myself. It was Dr. Chang's influence that motivated me to further my studies in Chinese Medicine.
Fast forward to the summer of 2001, when I was 29, I was hit by a car while crossing the street. I had many broken bones and was bedridden without any physical therapy for a little over a month. Between the atrophy and lack of physical therapy, it caused my body to heal in all the wrong ways. But eventually, I found the help I needed. With time and patience, and the encouragement of a physical therapist, acupuncturist and chiropractor, I was able to bring my body back to a good balance. Because of that experience and those injuries, I have empathy and understanding for those living with acute and chronic pain.
I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, be it good and bad. If I hadn’t been hit by that car, my life would be different. I was already rethinking the move, but after almost dying, I wasn’t going to let fear get the best of me. So, off to San Francisco I went! In 2005, I graduated with a BS in Health Science, with a focus on Holistic Health. Immediately following graduation in 2005, I began my graduate studies in Oakland, California at The Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Science where I earned a Master’s in Science in Chinese Medicine in 2008.
In 2011, my husband and I came to a big decision, and on New Year’s Eve we traded the intensity of our big city life for the small town comfort where he grew up in Willits, California. In Mendocino County I had two Community Acupuncture clinics, in Willits and Ukiah. And my husband Jorn, had a successful business as a licensed general contractor. Since we were constantly escaping Willits on the weekends to be with friends and family in either The Bay Area, Arcata, or Fort Bragg, we decided the best thing for us would be to move to the place where we felt was home... Humboldt. This was truly the best move EVER! I started my practice at 618 Harris on November 1, 2015 and it's been thriving ever since.