About Kim Nguyen, L.Ac.

Kim Nguyen was raised in Fairfax County, VA and moved her practice to Richmond in 2018. With a great-grandfather as an herbalist in Vietnam and a father as surgeon in the US Army, Kim’s mission is to apply evidence-based ancient medicine to modern day diseases, conditions and ailments. 

Kim attended James Madison University and earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. During her studies, she was a part of a team that led an independent research study on smoking cessation, with a focus on cognitive behavioral group therapy in conjunction with ear acupuncture versus the nicotine patch. This experience gave her a glimpse at the vast realm of knowledge that Chinese Medicine has to offer, and led her to complete her Master’s of Science in TCM following a four-year program at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, CA. From there, Kim traveled to Hangzhou, China to complete an advanced study program at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. She recently traveled to other major cities in China such as Beijing, Xi’an and Chengdu and visited Taiwan to see the birthplace of her mentors. 

Her enthusiasm for Traditional Chinese Medicine fuels her thirst for knowledge, continually learning from world-renowned doctors and teachers to improve her practice. Kim is a Premier Level Certified Balance Method Acupuncturist by The Academy of Acupuncture, a student of the late Grand Master Dr. Richard Teh-Fu Tan, and disciple of Dr. Eileen Yue-Ling Han. Kim obtained this specialized level of expertise, completing thousands of hours of continuing education through advanced coursework as well as an internship, making her a top-tier practitioner. 

Kim is licensed in acupuncture by the Medical Boards of Virginia. She is certified by the National Certification Commission in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) in acupuncture and Chinese herbology and by the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) in clean needle technique. She is a member of the Acupuncture Society of Virginia and American Society of Acupuncturists.

In May 2019 and February 2020 she traveled to Costa Rica for a humanitarian trip and provided acupuncture treatments to hundreds of people in underserved areas with Worldwide Healthcare Initiative. This experience has affirmed her trust that acupuncture can be used in all communities, inspiring her to create a public/private hybrid treatment space for acupuncture in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Kim has participated in lobbying for East Asian Medicine at the Virginia State Capitol by providing treatments to legislators and staffers as a member of The Acupuncture Society of Virginia. Educating elected officials about the benefits of acupuncture, specifically as an alternative treatment for pain management regarding the Opioid Crisis, is an important cause she feels strongly about and hopes that complementary medicine will continue to thrive in the United States of America.

She was honored to receive The Best Acupuncture Award in Northern Virginia Magazine in 2017. Effective Wisdom was chosen as a Best Acupuncturist in Richmond in 2019 and 2020, and was voted as Top 3 Acupuncturist in the Richmond Metro Area in 2025, and also received a Silver Award by 2025 Community Votes.  

In her free time, Kim loves to spend time with her family. She enjoys traveling, playing piano, eating delicious food and promoting mindful and healthy living.