About Dr. Peter

Peter has done a lot of incredible and interesting things in his life, and each of these unique experiences has shaped the compassionate and detail-oriented way that Peter practices Chinese medicine. Peter’s path toward medicine began over 25 years ago with the desire to serve and help others in a meaningful way. Being both naturally analytical and artistic, Peter found a happy medium in the art and science of medicine.

After pursuing his Bachelor’s in Fine Art as a painter, Peter found that something was missing. Although he felt called to help people in a deep and meaningful way, he had difficulty fulfilling that desire through a career in the arts. In order to try to make a bigger impact, he began his journey towards medicine. He enrolled in post-Bachelor, pre-medical studies, and within two years completed all the necessary prerequisites and was accepted to medical school. Though he excelled academically, he was uncertain whether it was the right professional/peer group for him. And the end of the first year, he decided it was not.

Medicine faded into the background over the following decade, when after a multi-month overseas traveling adventure, he discovered his entrepreneurial self and embarked on what would become an 18-year international textile business, where he designed, in conjunction with direct weaving manufacturers in India, a fine-art scarf line, which he wholesaled to women’s clothing boutiques and museum stores all around the US. Several years in, the business afforded him the opportunity to renew my interest in medicine, and in particular, acupuncture and Chinese medicine. 

Peter had experienced first hand that Western medicine was fragmentary and ended up isolating both doctors and patients.  From his own experience with holistic mind-body-spirit practices, he knew that any medicine he pursued would have to acknowledge the fundamental mystery of life, and the vital force that powers us all. Through his exploration of healing arts, his developing interest in Eastern philosophy, and his own familial Chinese roots (he’s actually a quarter Chinese!), he naturally became curious about acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Migrating to western NC, he enrolled in acupuncture studies, while still carrying on his scarf trade. After four years of rigorous schooling, he graduated, passed the national examination board, and became licensed to practice acupuncture in NC.

Having gained significant traction in his business by this time, he decided to step things up and really try to make his mark. He continued to grow his business and perfect his design acumen until several years later, having achieved what felt like peak success, he decided to retire and open up space for new endeavors. Now, after all this time, he’s found myself presented with the remarkable opportunity to further his acupuncture training and skill set under Dr. James here at Rutherford Family Acupuncture, where he’s excited to be pursuing his longtime dream of compassionately serving others through the art and science of medicine, here in his now 15-year home of beautiful Western NC. 

In his medical practice, Peter above all wants patients to feel that he is caring, connected, and invested in their growth. He believes that healing happens when people are truly seen as they are, for who they are, and what they’ve been through. For Peter, sometimes healing happens through acupuncture, or through Chinese bodywork, but other times it just happens through attentively listening to his patient’s stories, and to where they’re at today. He believes that when patients feel seen and understood, they can begin the sometimes difficult process of returning to who they were really meant to be, without sickness, without disease. He hopes that all of his patients walk away from treatment feeling like a deeper, more authentic version of themselves.

When he’s not at the office, Peter enjoys taking daily hikes in the mountains, and continuing his decades-long practice of yoga. After many years away from painting, Peter has recently begun painting again.