ABOUT ROBERT KELLER

Personal History / Undergraduate Education / Professional Training / Teachers / Curriculum Vitae / My Practice

PERSONAL HISTORY
My interest in and study of Chinese medicine began in 1980, when I was 14 years old. Two factors strongly influenced my involvement in this field. The first was my own health. I had grown up with colitis, and had come to realize by the time I was a teenager that diet played a significant role in how I felt physically. This spurred an interest in diet and nutrition, and led me to the local health food stores and bookstores in search of information and resources. The second was my involvement with martial arts. My training in Tae Kwon Do exposed me to Asian philosophy and practices, including acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

These two factors opened up the door to alternative medicine for me. I developed an interest in many forms of natural healing, including homeopathy, shiatsu, macrobiotics, naturopathy, nutrition, acupuncture, and herbal medicine. I began taking classes and using these therapies in my own life, and began to see practitioners for my own care. Although I loved and studied all of these systems, it was Chinese medicine that appealed to me the most. I knew by the time I was 14 that I wanted to be an acupuncturist.

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
My undergraduate degree is a BS in biology from Cook College, Rutgers University, where I graduated from with honors. My studies were focused on the biological and ecological/environmental sciences.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
My professional training was at the Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, in Stamford, CT. The school is now the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York. The acupuncture training was a 3 year program leading to a Diploma in Acupuncture (see Certification for more information concerning degrees). My herbal training was a separate 2 year program with Ted Kaptchuk. My post-graduate education continues, with special areas of interest in Chinese pulse diagnosis and pediatrics.

TEACHERS
Traditionally in China, students and practitioners were known not just for their own accomplishments, but for who their teachers were. Chinese medicine is passed on through a lineage, even if the forum for this is a school. I was fortunate enough to enter into Chinese medicine at a time when it was still young in this country. My teachers were people who brought Chinese medicine to America, and were responsible for creating a profession here.

Mark Seem is the founder of the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and was my primary teacher. He brought to America a style of French-Vietnamese acupuncture that predates the creation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) during the Cultural Revolution in China. He is also one of the founding members of the accreditation and certification boards that exist today.

Ted Kaptchuk was my herbal medicine teacher. Ted was one of the first Americans to study Chinese medicine in China. He is a scholar and translator, and his book The Web That Has No Weaver was the first English language book on TCM. It is a standard textbook in every acupuncture school in America.

Kiiko Matsumoto is a well known practitioner of Japanese acupuncture. She has studied with some of the most well known acupuncturists in Japan, and fervently teaches this information to her students. I studied with Kiiko for four years.

Arya Nielson is a student of Dr. So, founder of the first accredited school of acupuncture in the United States, the New England School of Acupuncture. Do. So was a famous practitioner, himself the student of the famous doctor Cheng Dan-An, who helped to create the modern style of TCM acupuncture. Arya teaches classic Chinese medicine.

William Prensky is one of the first American practitioners of acupuncture. He was responsible for bringing Dr. So to America. He teaches rigorous methodology and observation in the practice of medicine.

Lonnie Jarrett is a practitioner in the Five Element style of acupuncture developed by J.R. Worsley, and taught at the TAI-SOPHIA Institute. Lonnie teaches constitutional diagnosis and treatment.

Leon Hammer has spent his professional life studying and teaching Chinese pulse diagnosis. He is a true master of this skill, and was a long-time student of the well known Dr. Shen.

Bob Flaws is the most prolific writer on Chinese medicine in the United States. He has created an English language body of literature on Chinese medicine.

CURRICULUM VITAE
Below is my curriculum vitae, which documents my professional training and licensure.

EDUCATION
Certificate in Chinese Herbology, June 1993
Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Stamford, CT

Diploma in Acupuncture, June 1992
Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Stamford, CT
*Graduated with Honors

Bachelor of Science in Biology, June 1998
Cook College of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
*Graduated Cum Laude
*George H. Cook Honors Scholar

LICENSURES
Diplomate in Chinese Herbology (NCCAOM), December 2001
Certificate # 001997

Certified Acupuncturist, State of New Jersey, July 1993
License # 25MZ00005100

Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM), August 1992
Certificate # 001997

SPECIALIZATION
Post-Graduate Certificate in TCM Pediatrics, June 2005

AFFILIATIONS
American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
New Jersey Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Full-time Practice in Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medical Consultant for Independent Medical Evaluations
Lectures and Speaking Engagements
Teaching
Newspaper and Magazine Articles
Television Appearances

CONTINUING EDUCATION
Ongoing Education in Various Aspects of Chinese Medicine

MY PRACTICE
At the time of the writing of this section (spring 2006), I have been in practice for 14 years. My practice has become progressively simpler over the years. I practice Chinese medicine, and that is it. I have come to have great respect for the depth of this system of medicine. While people’s problems are typically complex, they are not usually complicated. What I love about Chinese medicine is its ability to handle complexity in a way that results in straightforward treatment. I have become increasingly clearer that my job is to evaluate and treat people from the perspective of Chinese medicine, period. During a time in history when people are searching everywhere for answers to their health problems, Chinese medicine offers a comprehensive, user friendly option.

The focus of my practice is in helping people to understand how and why they are sick, and what to do about it both in terms of treatment and self-care. I have come to realize that knowing where to place the needles is only a small part of practicing acupuncture. Medicine is also about helping people move through their illness and their treatment in a way that promotes healing. This means different things for different people at different times, and it is what I enjoy about my practice.