Our Staff

The staff of Isthmus Acupuncture Center, LLC (IAC) is dedicated to providing the best quality products and services for our clients. We believe our team approach best serves our clients’ needs and we share information and treatment strategies whenever possible. We view healthcare from a holistic perspective and incorporate several healing modalities to help our clients meet their health care needs.

All practitioners are trained in Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) theory and incorporate other specialties to offer the most effective treatments possible.

Our staff is always looking for and sharing information that affects our lives, our loved ones, and our planet. Staff members contribute articles, healthy recipes, and pertinent information via articles, newsletters, and our web site. Please let us know if you find important information you would like us to share with others.

Acupuncturists

Michelle Buchanan, CA

Certified Acupuncturist

Michelle Buchanan specializes in treating male and female infertility and gynecological disorders. Michelle uses acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutritional supplements alone or in conjunction with western Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Michelle has helped many women conceive and sustain successful pregnancies. Treatment plans are individualized to the patient’s needs and medical concerns.

Michelle learned about acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine after struggling with many health problems following two serious auto accidents. After five years of poor health, Michelle was able to heal her body and became healthier than she had been her entire life.

Michelle graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine from The Midwest College of Oriental Medicine. Michelle is board certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Michelle is certified in Traditional Chinese Medicinal Gynecology by the Blue Poppy Institute specializing in women’s health, infertility, and custom herbal formulas. She is a contributing writer for Achieving Families Magazine and the international infertility support newsletter FertiliE-Cycle. Michelle is also on the advisory board for Achieving Families and speaks on acupuncture and infertility at RESOLVE and other community events.

Kathleen Stoneman, CA

Certified Acupuncturist, Certified Herbalist

Kathleen (“Kat”) has interest in multiple holistic modalities including acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, yoga, meditation, and Reiki. She has a passion for working with people to implement lifestyle changes for greater health. Kat incorporates multiple modalities, providing the finest care, and specializes in pain management, fertility enhancement, and pregnancy care. She provides acupuncture treatments to support western fertility treatments and works with western clinics in the Madison area.

Kathleen is Yoga Alliance registered, and certified in Yoga of the Heart for people with coronary heart disease and cancer. Kathleen is a Reiki Master/Teacher and a Divine Coding practitioner. She believes the calming and healing effects of energywork can be beneficial to patients coping with pain, stressful lifestyles, fertility issues, and other chronic health conditions.

Kathleen graduated Summa Cum Laude from Midwest College of Oriental Medicine with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. Her training includes a foreign internship at Guangzhou University in China. She has attended seminars in Japanese-style acupuncture, fertility enhancement, pregnancy and labor support, and pain management.

Kathleen enjoys being out in nature, dancing, music, yoga, reading, and playing with her dog and cat.

Chandon Williams, CA, CMT, MSOM

Certified Acupuncturist, Certified Herbalist, Certified Massage Therapist

Chandon received her Masters in Oriental Medicine and Bachelors in Nutrition from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in 2007. Prior to acupuncture school, she graduated massage school from East West Healing Arts Institute and specializes in Maya Abdominal Massage for reproductive and pelvic health.

Chandon's focus is in acupuncture for women’s health, fertility enhancement, pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care. Chandon uses a gentle style of acupuncture and incorporates her massage knowledge and skills to enhance her acupuncture treatments. She also received additional training in facial rejuvenation acupuncture so that her clients can use natural approaches to beautification instead of harsh treatments and chemicals on the face. The facial rejuvenation treatment uses a series of Chinese herbals topically, acupuncture points, and facial massage to enhance skin health. Chandon began her own product line, Chandón Chíc, to help meet her clients' natural skin needs.

Acupuncture, herbs, and healthy nutrition improved Chandon’s quality of life and her goal is to help others have the same great experience. “I feel the use of acupuncture, herbs and massage greatly improved my health during pregnancy and helped my child have a healthy start. I experienced a wonderfully natural and short delivery.”

In her spare time, Chandon enjoys the arts, cooking, and movement. She enjoys the change of seasons and spending time with her friends and family.

Massage Therapists

Lisa Shepherd, CMT

Certified Massage Therapist

Lisa Shepherd incorporates body, mind, and spirit while treating clients with Reiki, massage, and other body work.

Lisa utilizes eastern and western massage techniques including Swedish massage, Chinese therapeutic massage (Tui Na), acupressure, pregnancy massage, and hot stone massage. She blends these techniques based on individual needs and requests.

Four years after graduating with a B.S. degree in fine arts, Lisa went back to school and studied art education and art therapy. During this time Lisa discovered Reiki. While receiving Reiki treatments, Lisa was guided to help herself and others, and pursued classes to become a certified Reiki Master. She finds Reiki to be a whole new level of therapeutic expression and loves to see the positive difference treatments make in her clients’ lives.

Lisa has been practicing Reiki since 1999 and has received certification from the International Center for Reiki Training and from other Reiki Masters. She is a Certified Massage Therapist who graduated from the East-West Healing Arts Institute and is certified in pregnancy massage through Kate Jordan Seminars’ Bodywork for the Childbearing Year®.

Sabrina Henderson, CMT

Certified Massage Therapist

Sabrina graduated from New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since then, she has been practicing Swedish, deep tissue, pregnancy, and hot stone massage. She is certified in pregnancy massage through Kate Jordan Seminars’ Bodywork for the Childbearing Year®.

Sabrina’s interest in massage started as a child, when her parents would give her “baby back rubs” to help her fall asleep at night. Her grandmother Harriet influenced her love for massage therapy by giving shoulder and neck massages to family members during holidays spend at the cottage in Powers Lake. Her other grandmother’s experience with breast cancer inspires her to take further courses in lymph drainage, mastectomy, and breast massage.

While attending Southern Illinois University, Sabrina received her first professional massage and realized she wanted to become a massage therapist. She was amazed at how effective massage therapy was at improving her emotional and physical well-being, and knew she wanted to help others feel better with massage.

Sabrina believes massage therapy is an important and powerful healing art. She uses intuitive and nurturing touch to leave her clients feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Shawn Armstrong

Certified Massage Therapist

Shawn integrates several healing modalities including acupressure, Swedish and relaxation massage, deep tissue therapeutic massage, and Maya Abdominal Massage. Shawn strives to enhance her clients’ psychological and emotional wellbeing, as well as help heal the physical body. She promotes the integration of the three centers of the body – physical, mental and emotional – in order to harmonize body and mind.

Shawn began her massage career in 1989 as a self-employed massage technician, following her training at the Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing, San Diego, CA. Her passion for travel and adventure led to a three-year study of Eastern culture while traveling throughout 12 Asian countries where she practiced Shiatsu massage, Tai Chi, meditation, and the healing power from within one’s self. In 2006 Shawn expanded her training with acupressure massage at East-West Healing Arts Institute where she graduated. She began her work with Isthmus Acupuncture in 2007 and added training in Maya Abdominal Massage through the Arvigo Institute.

Maya Abdominal Massage benefits both men and women in many ways including realigning a displaced or prolapsed uterus and/or bladder; helping regulate menstrual cycles, ovulation, and painful menstruation; and assisting with endometriosis, infertility, cysts, fibroids, prostate problems, and digestive disorders.

Shawn is committed to continuing education and plans to enhance her massage skills with cranial sacral and lymphatic drainage techniques.

In her free time Shawn enjoys reading, yoga, biking, and spending time with her husband, two daughters (ages 5 and 6) and their kitty and collie.

Support Staff

Jill Kiesow

Receptionist

Jill Kiesow is the center’s full-time receptionist. She likes the mind/body/spirit approach to healing that IAC uses, as well as the proactive, forward-thinking attitude of the staff.

Jill graduated from the UW-Whitewater with a BA in writing and journalism, and enjoys writing fiction. She has worked for a national nonprofit animal advocacy group, as well as an animal shelter and an advertising agency. Jill’s primary passion is helping animals, and she volunteers for a group that places shelter animals into loving homes. She and her husband share their home with their rescued cats, an adopted dog, and occasional foster animals.