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Credentials

Emaline is a founder of The Light Clinic, Inc. (TLC) and a founding member of the The International Society for the Study of Classical Acupuncture (ISSCA). She has her Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) from Beloit College, Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Classical Chinese Medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM). This extraordinary school is one of the leading academic influences in the renaissance of classical acupuncture and herbalism. She and Joseph also became Doctors of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine through the Pacific College of Health and Sciences.

She has a license of acupuncture from the state of Kentucky, and has her national acupuncture certification through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).  

Joseph and Emaline are current members of the Kentucky State Acupuncture Association (KSAA), where Joseph served as President.

Emaline is also Certified Dream Worker through The Haden Institute, 

Teachers

Both Joseph and Emaline are fortunate to be disciples of some of the most talented Classical Chinese Medicine practitioners in the world. They have apprenticed for many years in Neijing acupuncture techniques and philosophy with Edward Neal, MD. They studied Chinese herbal formulas with an emphasis on Shanghan Lun and Jingui Yaolue under one of the foremost herbalists in the Western World, Heiner Fruehauf, Ph.D. and under the late Dr. Zhang Jun. 

They also maintain an active internal martial arts practice, training in a traditional style of Taiji Quan under Sifu Ko Pikshan. They also teach Jinjing Gong Qigong from the lineage of Heiner Fruehauf and Master Wang Qingyu.

In Asian tea arts, especially Chinese and Taiwanese pu-er and medicinal teas, Joseph and Emaline have worked extensively with Teamonk Po and Heiner Fruehauf. Teamonk Po continues to enliven their senses and has opened up a rare and transformative tea share with The Light Clinic. 

In the Jungian Dream world, Joseph and Emaline have learned from their beloved mentor Joyce Hudson and the Frankfort Dream Group, for which their constant community and intelligence is deeply needed, as well as The Haden Institute.

Joseph and Emaline would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all of their teachers and mentors who have masterfully illuminated their path. They hope to continue to honor them, follow them, and with their aid continue to walk an upright path.
Dr. Emaline Fiala, L.Ac., DACM

Emaline is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and general practitioner of Neijing Acupuncture and Classical Chinese Medicine. She and her husband, Joseph Fiala, L.Ac., founded The Light Clinic in 2010. ​
 Her Path to Classical Chinese Medicine 

After suffering numerous sports injuries in high school, Emaline actively sought treatment in both the Western and Eastern worlds of health. Her Western doctors thought she would need a cane by the time she was 30 years old. Acupuncture was able to provide much more than pain relief. It helped restore mobility and strength, aiding in a full recovery and opening Emaline's eyes to a whole new set of healthcare possibilities. She earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Asian Studies at Beloit College, and furthered her knowledge of holistic and spiritual health through the study of Buddhism, Daoism and meditation in India, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal,  and the Pacific Northwest.

After college graduation, Emaline worked for Habitat for Humanity through Americorps in North Carolina. This experience confirmed in her a sense of the importance of working in an essential way, providing help through a balanced home (in the case of Habitat), health, food and community. It was during this time that she decided to attend graduate school to study Chinese Philosophy and Medicine.

She sought out and enrolled in one of only two Classical Chinese Medicine training programs in the nation (a 4-year Masters of Science program on top of her Bachelors and a load of biomedical pre-requisites), The National University of Natural Medicine (NUMN) in Portland, Oregon. In addition to her in-depth study of the Chinese and Western Medical systems, Emaline expanded her skill-set in Eastern philosophy and cosmology, ancient Chinese text translation, and the fine arts.

Emaline graduated from NUNM in 2010 with her Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Classical Chinese Medicine. She was elected by her peers as the keynote speaker at graduation (and happened to be the graduation speaker at Beloit College in 2002, as well). She and her husband also got their doctorate in 2020 and became Doctors of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine through the Pacific College of Health and Sciences.

In 2010, Emaline and Joseph moved back to Frankfort, KY and opened The Light Clinic. They had their beautiful daughter, Olivia, in 2015 and son, Asa, in 2021.  As native Frankfortians, it has been their dream to bring this highly powerful medicine back to the community that they so deeply love.