Pacific Symposium is the most highly attended Chinese medicine and acupuncture conference in the United States. Every fall, nearly 1,000 practitioners, educators, and students gather in beautiful Mission Beach, California for an energizing blend of continuing education, clinical insight, community, and renewal.
The Symposium features inspiring keynote presentations; immersive one- and two-day workshops; a vibrant exhibit hall; and abundant opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the field. Just as important, the beachfront setting invites restoration—whether through daily outdoor qigong sessions, ocean air between sessions, or lively social gatherings.
Over the years, Pacific Symposium has welcomed many of the field’s most influential voices, including Ted Kaptchuk, Giovanni Maciocia, Kiiko Matsumoto, Jeffrey Yuen, Alex Tiberi, Mazin Al-Khafaji, and Lillian Pearl Bridges.
Pacific Symposium 2026 is pleased to welcome new to Symposium speakers Tracy Gaudet, Executive Director of the Veterans Administration Office of Patient Centered Care and Transformation; Angela Lorbeck, from Rush University Medical Center’s Integrative Oncology program in Chicago; Poney Chiang, leading expert from Toronto, in peripheral neuro-modulation needle techniques; Troy Lavigne, recognized Pain Science authority from Quebec; Nurse/Researcher federal grant recipient Lisa Taylor-Swanson on Menopause Acupuncture Group Education; Michael Berletich, speaking about clinical applications of twelve tidal hexagrams and more. We welcome back Point Combinations author David Hartmann from Australia, discussing incorporating concepts like numerology into point combinations, and Yvonne Farrell, inspiring us about how to use the eight extras for resilience. Returning veteran speakers include KMS (Kiiko Matsumoto style acupuncture) founder Kiiko Matsumoto, Holly Guzman with anxiety and digestion grand rounds, worldwide integrative medicine/herbal medicine expert John Chen, with new information about herb/drug interactions, stroke expert Claudia Citkovitz with a toolkit for acupuncturists and home care, and Classical Chinese medicine senior practitioner Heiner Fruehauf as well as internationally recognized integrative medicine dermatology and auto-immune specialist Mazin Al-Khafaji. Back by popular demand, we also have Heidi Lovie on women’s health topics, classical cycles and menopause; Shellie Goldstein and Yueying Li, who will demonstrate TCM lymphatic drainage for beauty and health; and Clayton Shiu on hard to treat tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo. Crowd favorites Bill Helm and Dan Halpain will lead qigong on the lawn by the bay, and Roger Jahnke will deepen our understanding and experience of qi gong and its roots. What a line up! And you here makes it all the better!!
Cynthia Neipris, Pacific Symposium Director
Rob Nadeau, Pacific Symposium Operations Manager