Tarah Herrington L.Ac. is an acupuncturist turned keynote speaker and founder of Well Rounded Healing. After over a decade in clinical practice specializing in fertility and stress-related conditions, Tarah transitioned into speaking and virtual healing following a series of life-altering events. Today, she blends Chinese medicine, storytelling, and sound therapy to support leaders, providers and practitioners in reconnecting to their inner wisdom. She is the creator of The Living Library, a guided healing platform designed to reduce stress and build intuitive resilience in both individuals and organizations.
So, how long have you been practicing acupuncture for, and what are your specialties?
I’ve been very fortunate to practice and continue learning through acupuncture over the past 11 years. My speciality is in fertility and stress management.
What inspired you to become an acupuncturist?
I knew I wanted to impact people’s lives through tangible results that targeted the root cause of their suffering. Acupuncture was one modality and medicine that gave me that reach and scope of practice to create change.
What keeps an acupuncture practice going?
I believe it’s both curiosity and nourishment through evolution. That may look very different for each practitioner, but it is our responsibility to reflect and adventure into ourselves to keep the spark ignited. The ebb and flow is natural but complacency becomes stagnation.
On your journey to become an acupuncturist, what obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
The biggest obstacle I’ve experienced has been my own denial of my unique expression in the framework of acupuncture. It’s easy to mimic what the world deems worthy, but it takes true courage to honor what lives within you, even when there’s no external proof to be found. If I cannot see myself in anyone else, how do I know I’ll be accepted and therefore successful? I’ve always known my calling was going to go beyond the treatment room and into a role of leadership but I didn’t know how or when. I’ve overcome, and maybe, really, I should say, I’m continuing to overcome this obstacle in my journey by remaining devoted. I’m deeply devoted to my vision and my evolution through this vision, but I also allow for time to exist in the process of this unfolding.
Looking back, what advice would you have given to the younger version of yourself, who was just getting started in this profession?
I don’t know if telling myself this advice would make any difference at all, because you know what you know, and you cannot know more than that, even if you’re given the wisdom. My mindset and my beliefs determined what I was capable of back then, but I can say without any hesitation that the devastations I’ve experienced have transformed me faster than any book or mentor or coach has bequeathed to me. Embrace the unexpected, especially the unexpected events that shake you to your core. Those are your exponential gold, expanding you faster and far greater than any mundane free will goals could ever dream of.
What are specific roadblocks to watch out for as a new acupuncturist?
Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do. That is only for you to discern. Input, advice and guidance is paramount for growth and reflection but the ultimate decider is you and can only ever be you. If I listened to what people told me when I was in school, I never would have had the opportunity to work in a fertility clinic in NYC. I remember clear as day, I was in the elevator with a bunch of acupuncture students who were graduating and they asked me what I wanted to do when I graduated the following year.
I said, I wanted to work at a fertility clinic or with a fertility acupuncturist in NYC and they all looked at me dumbfounded and said that there is absolutely no way that would ever happen. “Acupuncturists don’t hire other acupuncturists full time, forget it”. One year later I was working at a fertility clinic in NYC, full time with doctors, nurses and an acupuncturist. Never let someone else tell you your future. It is yours to define, decide and navigate!
We have all occasionally had a patient come into our practice who is upset, frustrated, and a little angry. Maybe it’s from work, being stuck in traffic, or life in general – we have all been there! What advice would you give to fellow acupuncture students and/or colleagues on how to deal with situations like these?
I remember very vividly when I had a doctor who was a patient come into the fertility clinic screaming, “I know it didn’t work, don’t talk to me, don’t say anything. I don’t even know why I’m bothering with acupuncture.” She was referring to her embryo transfer that had just happened and she was coming in for the post transfer treatment. I was newly in my acupuncture practice and in the specialty of fertility so it was a bit hair-raising to hear her cursing and yelling, but it’s NYC so it also didn’t feel that out of the ordinary. I nodded my head and said “Ok, let’s do this for good measure and we’ll see what happens,”
Being quiet and allowing her to vent and be witnessed was what she needed. She didn’t scare me because in my past life I worked around off-the-track thoroughbred race horses who would blow a gasket in an instant. This doctor seemed harmless compared to the horses I worked around prior to becoming an acupuncturist. I never shied away but I also didn’t tell her it was going to be ok, I just said, “we’ll see, but I’m willing to bet against you”. The next time she came into the clinic two weeks later she threw her arms around me and jumped up and down telling me “It worked, can you believe it?” That was a very cool experience to have so early in my career and taught me a lot about being patient and not taking someone else’s “stuff” personally.
Share a recent success story you had with a patient. What acupuncture points, herbs, or other interventions (meditation, yoga, nutrition, etc) did you use to help them achieve results?
I had a really incredible experience very recently with an 87 year old man who had chronic hiccups. The hiccups were induced after being hospitalized and receiving a diagnosis of terminal cancer. The most interesting part of this case is that the appointment with me wasn’t in person. He was about 45 miles away from me and his daughter who has done both acupuncture and distance healing with me begged me to do a virtual session with him so I said “why not”!? I’ll try and see what happens.
In my sessions I discuss what’s happening, then I do guided healing through speaking and playing a sound healing instrument (of my choice) through the phone. Honestly, I really didn’t think this would work to stop the hiccups but to my amazement it did. What I saw intuitively in him (with his permission) was so much rejection around his diagnosis but also rejection from his girlfriend who was abandoning him. I guided him through my words around relaxing into acceptance of the breath (not the situation) and within minutes the hiccups completely subsided.
What are your favorite acupuncture points, and why?
Bladder 10 because it’s awesome! I just love Bladder 10 because of how relaxing it can be for so many ailments and it just works really well for me in treatments. I also really love Kidney 27 as I use it for speaking truth from the heart. And who doesn’t love moxa on the umbilicus!?
Tell us more about your journey into Reiki. How did this experience impact your life?
Reiki is an odd one for me, I have this really wild story around my first Reiki session. When I lived in Japan I decided it would be a good idea to get Reiki IN Japan, so I did and it blew me away. I was always intuitive, but Reiki blasted me open to the point where I thought I was in some kind of vortex due to the unbelievable experiences I started having. Premonitions whether dreams or visions started coming true and it was happening rapid fire everyday. I even had an experience where I was standing on the train and all of a sudden time stopped and I felt myself step backwards out of my body, as if my body was a mask. I decided that I needed to learn how to do Reiki if this is what happens when I receive Reiki! So I got certified in Japan and this is where my intuitive journey began. After many years of fearing what others would think, I am fully out of the intuitive closet and I don’t need Reiki to utilize my intuition. I use it in all of my sessions as it is a part of my practice.
You have a world of experience in the eastern medicine field. Which work or educational experience do you feel impacted you and your practice the most to get you to the point you are today?
I lean very heavily on my mentorship with Lorie Dechar. She has always been my beacon of light, my north star throughout my years as an acupuncturist. She lit the fire within my soul as her work was where I saw my fullest, truest expression of who I could be as a healer. Lorie always encourages all of her students to take her mentorship and make it your own. The heart of her teachings are in the heart of my being and how I show up in this world as an alchemist. I am here to support people’s alchemical change and transformation into a life of more fulfillment and continued growth.
I also give homage and credit to Dr. Angela Le at Fifth Avenue Fertility Wellness for her role in my growth, experience and professionalism. I learned so much about clinical practice, teamwork, focus, details and patient care through her tutelage and through the patients she attracted into her clinic. It was truly a gift to have the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Le as well as Dr. Sami David in such a caring clinical setting. These two women, Lorie Dechar and Dr. Angela Le, shaped me and I am forever grateful for their impact and imprint on me.
Describe your experience working at Fifth Avenue Fertility Wellness in New York City, under two leading fertility experts, Dr. Angela Le, and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Sami David. What were some take-a-ways you learned from treating patients in this type of setting? How did you like working in the Big Apple?
I found so much joy in a clinical setting where the patient’s care was paramount and we, as providers, were encouraged to give our best, most authentic version of ourselves as clinicians and healers. Both Dr. Le and Dr. David created a container that emulated exceptional attention to detail and patient care while being professional. I found that beautiful balance of professionalism and conscious care through this experience. Dr. Le goes above and beyond for her patients and knows that their experience in her care will have a direct effect on their health, wellness and outlook. She always made sure I knew that the patient’s well-being is rooted in how they feel in our care. They must feel safe, nurtured and witnessed to begin the process of opening to their healing journey.
Tell us about some herbal formulas and foods you find yourself consistently recommending to your patients, friends, and colleagues. What makes these herbs/foods so helpful?
Maca! I am always recommending Maca Root. I especially love Femmenessence. It’s an amazing herb for vitality and for the aging process for women. I take it as a 45 year old and it really supports my energy, mood and cycles.
Sometimes, the best resource for improving our skills is by learning from the other acupuncturists we meet along our professional journey. What is one thing you learned from a fellow acupuncturist or holistic practitioner that has helped you in your professional growth, or in your care for patients?
I have to say, having fellow acupuncturists in your life that you admire, respect and care for makes a HUGE difference in your career and in your own wellbeing as a human. I think it’s crucial to your “success” whatever that looks like for you, to have fellow colleagues that are what you consider successful to keep inspiring you. I’ve been so lucky to know so many wildly successful acupuncturists that I can call my friends.
They offer me an ear and I offer them the same when they need help, feedback or just someone to hear them vent. It’s really important to surround yourself with people who can understand your profession and the challenges but also inspire you to keep pushing, to keep dreaming. I am so grateful for my acupuncturist friends, they are so valuable to me in many layered ways. Also, please get acupuncture! Acupuncturists deserve to be treated through our medicine regularly!
How awesome that you are transitioning to the stage to do Keynote speaking! What inspired you to get started on speaking to live audiences, and where do you see it taking you over the next five years?
This pivot into keynote speaking emerged from deep loss and deeper listening. After the sudden death of my brother and surviving a war zone abroad, I stepped away from a thriving acupuncture practice and returned home, both to Kansas and to my inner knowing. That experience unraveled everything familiar and clarified everything essential. I came to understand that home isn’t a location; it’s the wisdom that lives within us, waiting to be remembered and embodied.
Now, I speak and teach on healing, mindset, leadership, and stress reduction through storytelling, sound meditation, and principles drawn from Chinese medicine and intuitive practice. My work invites people, especially those in high-impact roles to slow down, recalibrate, and lead from within. I’ve built a virtual sanctuary called The Living Library, a platform offering guided audiovisual meditations and monthly support for practitioners, providers, and leaders navigating stress, burnout, or transition. It’s both a resource and a community, with space to grow through collaboration and shared purpose. I also work one-on-one with leaders and providers, offering personalized versions of the same transformational process I bring to the stage, helping them reconnect to their gifts, their boundaries, and their capacity to lead with clarity and compassion.
In the next five years, I see this work expanding globally, weaving together individual healing, community restoration, and a new model of intuitive leadership rooted in presence, purpose, and reciprocity. My path has shifted, but I’m still practicing just without the needles, and often with a mic in my hand.
What are some daily habits or rituals you practice that keep you feeling your best?
Yoga at 5am! I don’t actually like yoga, but it works so well for me I can’t deny it!
The kindest thing a patient said to you recently:
Oh boy, this will make me tear up. I’ve been so very privileged to be a part of people’s lives in ways that I feel is to be treasured. We are allowed and invited to witness people’s unique stories. I’ve been privy to a deeply connected practice and life. When left my practice in Charleston just 6 months ago I found myself in tears with my patients as I said my goodbyes. There are so many words that were said, but the feeling they all gave to me was of a profound appreciation for my existence in their lives.
The funniest thing a patient said to you recently:
“I don’t know Tarah, I just found $20K in my bank account”. I know that’s not funny, it’s IMPRESSIVE! And I LOVE IT. We are working on an abundance mindset.
As an acupuncturist, what are you most proud of thus far in your professional journey?
That the needle doesn’t define me as a “healer” and I’ve completely shapeshifted into something so much more than I could have ever fully realized without the help of fate.
What is your definition of success?
Success is my joy in creation and the impact it has through co-creation with others and the people we touch.
If you could have a billboard with anything on it, what would it say?
Embrace the unexpected! It is your catalyst to your biggest, best, most expansive life!
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
To stop time. Because there are moments I wish I could pause with my brother before he passed. I have memories, but it’s not the same as being in person.
If you were to choose a spirit animal for yourself, what would it be and why?
When I was in Costa Rica recently I heard my brother’s voice tell me “It’s going to be butterflies now” and the next morning I saw a massive Blue Morpho Butterfly flying past me in rhythm to the beat of the song “I am the Light” by Zen that Beat. I’m pretty sure my spirit animal is the Blue Morpho Butterfly, at least for this leg of the journey.
Rapid fire questions!
Morning or night? Morning!
Tea or coffee? Coffee!
Sun or moon? SUN
Cupping or Tui na? CUPPING
Yin or Yang? Yin
Meditation or exercise? Meditation!
Instagram or Facebook? IG
Top 3 Favorite Books?
1. The Anatomy of the Spirit
2. The Surrender Experiment
3. Five Spirits
Where can other practitioners, acupuncture students, and patients go to learn more about you and your work?
Website: www.wellroundedhealing.com
Instagram: @wellroundedhealing
The Blue Morpho Butterfly is thought to symbolize hope, transformation, and new beginnings.
They are one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan that can reach up to eight inches.
