History isn’t always something you study from a distance. Sometimes, you find yourself in the middle of it—shaped by the events, people, and unexpected turns that unfold around you. Those moments influence destiny, and over time, they become the foundation for how you see and practice your work.
In this conversation with Craig Mitchell, we trace those threads through his unexpected entry into Chinese medicine during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the formative years at ACTCM, and the serendipitous encounters that led him to Taiwan and the translation of the Shang Han Lun. His path weaves together scholarship, clinical practice, and the kinds of opportunities that appear when you’re willing to say yes.
Listen into this discussion as we explore the realities of practicing during a public health crisis, surprising opportunities that arose when pursuing medicine in Taiwan, the challenges and losses inherent in the process of translation, and why flexibility in clinical thinking is essential for treating real people in the real world.
In This Conversation We Discuss:
- How the HIV/AIDS crisis in the late 1980s sparked Craig’s first encounters with Chinese herbal medicine.
- Studying at ACTCM in the early 1990s and navigating the cultural differences of San Francisco’s counterculture scene.
- Treating seriously ill patients during a Ryan White Grant program and making house calls to those in end-of-life care.
- The clinical realities of reusing and autoclaving acupuncture needles before disposable needles became standard.
- Moving to Taiwan to study Chinese language and immersion in a clinical and cultural environment.
- Meeting Nigel Wiseman and collaborating with him and Feng Ye on a comprehensive English-language translation of the Shang Han Lun.
- The challenges and inevitable losses involved in translating classical Chinese medical texts into English.
- How language study deepens understanding of Chinese medicine and shifts clinical perspective.
- Reflections on shifts in acupuncture education over the past three decades and concerns about clinical readiness of graduates.
- The importance of adaptability and using multiple methods to meet the needs of different patients.
- Avoiding ideological rigidity in clinical practice and drawing from diverse traditions within East Asian medicine.
- The role of chance, timing, and willingness in shaping both scholarship and clinical careers.
Take your patients seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.
Craig Mitchell, Ph.D, L.Ac
My journey into East Asian medicine began at the American College of TCM, which I graduated from in 1993. From 2003-2006, I studied under Dr. Nie Hui-Min in Beijing, earning my PhD at China Academy of TCM.
A significant part of my work involves bridging the gap between ancient texts and modern practice. My translation of the Shang Han Lun, published in 1999 with Feng Ye and Nigel Wiseman, aims to make this foundational text accessible to contemporary practitioners. Alongside this, I’ve translated numerous modern Chinese medical texts, including A Walk Along the River by Yu Guo-Jun, contributing to a broader understanding of Traditional East-Asian Medicine.
As President of the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine, I’m dedicated to educating the next generation of practitioners. My teaching encompasses a wide range of subjects, including medical Chinese, Shang Han Lun, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na, and qi gong. My goal is to empower students to become skilled and compassionate practitioners, ensuring the continued vitality of Traditional East Asian medicine.
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