Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine
My clinical work is grounded in two comprehensive medical systems—naturopathic medicine and Chinese medicine—both of which emphasize understanding the whole person and addressing the underlying drivers of illness, rather than managing symptoms in isolation.
While these systems originate from different cultural and historical contexts, they share a common orientation: health emerges when regulation, flow, and adaptability are restored. My work weaves these traditions together with modern clinical assessment, movement, and embodiment practices to support meaningful and sustainable change.
Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic medicine provides the structural and diagnostic foundation of my clinical work. It is a systems-based approach to primary care that emphasizes physiology, lifestyle, and the body’s inherent capacity for healing.
I hold a dual doctorate in naturopathic and Chinese medicine and completed four years of graduate-level medical education at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington—one of the few accredited naturopathic medical schools in the United States. Following graduation, I completed a primary care residency and passed the required national licensing examinations (NPLEX I & II).
I am licensed as a naturopathic physician in Washington State, where naturopathic doctors serve as primary care providers with prescriptive authority.
In Texas, I am licensed as an acupuncturist (L.Ac.) and provide integrative, complementary services within the scope permitted by Texas law.
My medical training included biomedical sciences and clinical rotations in cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, immunology, endocrinology, dermatology, pediatrics, and women’s health.
Services Provided in Texas
In Texas, my work focuses on integrative and complementary care, which may include:
• Comprehensive health history and functional assessment
• Review and coordination of laboratory and imaging results
• Nutrition and dietary guidance
• Lifestyle and nervous system regulation
• Botanical medicine and supplementation
• Manual therapy and therapeutic movement practicesMy naturopathic medical training also includes prescription medication management and minor office procedures, which I am licensed to provide in Washington State.
Core principles that guide my practice:
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The healing power of nature: supporting the body’s innate intelligence rather than overriding it
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Treating root causes: identifying patterns beneath symptoms
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First, do no harm: using the least forceful intervention necessary
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Doctor as teacher: fostering understanding, agency, and self-responsibility
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Treating the whole person: physical, emotional, mental, environmental, and social factors are inseparable
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Prevention: cultivating resilience and long-term health
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Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine has been part of my personal and clinical life since my late teens. It was my first exposure to a medical system that viewed symptoms not as isolated problems, but as meaningful expressions of deeper patterns within the body.
I work with acupuncture through both scientific and subtle lenses.
From a biomedical perspective, acupuncture is used to support:
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Nervous system regulation
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Pain modulation
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Tissue healing and recovery
From a traditional perspective, acupuncture supports the movement and direction of qi—helping restore flow where things have become stuck or dysregulated.
Acupuncture is not automatically the right tool for every person or every phase of care. Part of my work involves discernment: at times leaning more heavily on acupuncture, and at others prioritizing movement, mind-body practices, or manual therapies.
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Herbal medicine represents the more systemic, organ-centric arm of Chinese medicine in my practice.
I work fluidly between Eastern and Western herbal traditions, including:-
Classical Chinese formulas
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Western herbal formulation theory
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Custom-compounded tinctures and granules
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Prepared formulas when appropriate
Herbal medicine is used thoughtfully and strategically, with attention to timing, tolerance, and the broader context of a person’s physiology and life circumstances.
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In addition to Chinese medicine, I draw from Ayurvedic medicine and classical yogic philosophy where relevant. These systems offer complementary ways of understanding energy, regulation, and the relationship between emotion, belief, stress, and physiology.
While the language may differ—qi, prana, nervous system regulation—the underlying intelligence is remarkably aligned. I use these frameworks as interpretive tools to bring nuance, coherence, and lived meaning to the healing process.
My training includes classical Chinese medicine, study of the philosophical foundations of the medicine, and mentorship in Japanese-style acupuncture. I continue to study and work under mentors, including a skilled herbalist and acupuncturist, whose influence shapes how I think about pattern recognition, treatment strategy, and long-term healing.
Chinese medicine serves as a framework for integrating complexity. Concepts such as roots and branches help distill a person’s health history into what is primary, what is secondary, and where intervention will be most effective. Meridian theory informs not only acupuncture, but also how I approach musculoskeletal and orthopedic issues, reinforcing the understanding that pain is rarely confined to the area where it appears.
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A Unified Approach
Whether through naturopathic medicine, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, or movement practice, my work is guided by the same principle: health is restored by supporting flow, regulation, and relationship within the body.
Clinical medicine provides structure and diagnosis. Eastern medical systems offer pattern recognition and depth. Movement and embodiment translate insight into lived experience. These are not separate services, but different expressions of a unified approach to understanding and supporting the human system.
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Integrative Care Disclaimer
The Center for Embodiment provides integrative and complementary services, which may include acupuncture, botanical medicine, movement-based practices, lifestyle guidance, and holistic health consultation.
Dr. Lance Westendarp is licensed in Texas as an acupuncturist (L.Ac.) and licensed in Washington State as a naturopathic physician (ND). Naturopathic physicians are not licensed to practice medicine, diagnose disease, or prescribe pharmaceuticals in Texas.
Services provided in Texas are complementary in nature and do not constitute the practice of medicine as defined by Texas law. Clients are encouraged to maintain an ongoing relationship with a Texas-licensed primary care provider.
Information shared through this website or within services is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical care from a licensed medical professional.
Use of this website or participation in services does not establish a physician–patient relationship.
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