Meet Our Practitioners
All of our practitioners are highly skilled and licensed to practice Acupuncture in the state of Washington.
Acupuncturists in Washington state must graduate from a school accredited by either the United States government or by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM).
Washington state requires that all acupuncturists have taken and passed the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) board examination. This examination is used by nearly all the states regulating the profession of acupuncture. To ensure proper needling hygiene, Washington also requires that all acupuncturists receive Clean Needle Technique certification as approved by the NCCAOM.
Learn more about each practitioner below.
Sonja Sivesind
Sonja Sivesind (pronouns she/her) started needling people in 2004 and has been loving acupuncture’s simple power ever since. As a queer, anti-racist activist, Sonja brings a commitment to accessible healthcare for all our communities and an abolitionist desire for authentic, grassroots-led change. Sonja started acupuncture school at Manhattan’s Touro College, and graduated from Kenmore’s Bastyr campus in 2008. Raised in King County, Sonja has opened three community acupuncture clinics in her hometown, co-founded the Seattle Community Acupuncture Network, and serves on leadership circles for the national coop, People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture. Sonja lives in Burien with her sweetheart, felines, and rescue pitbull, and loves to be outside on the sound or in the trees whenever possible.
Cynthia Gorsuch
Hi! My name is Cynthia Gorsuch (she/her). I grew up in the Fairwood Greens neighborhood outside of Renton in unincorporated King County. I am a first generation Colombian-American and was raised speaking English and Spanish.
I graduated from Bastyr University in 2011 with a degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as well as a Chinese herbal certificate. I attended the Community Acupuncture 101 seminar two months later at Working Class Acupuncture in Portland, OR. That's when I figured out how I wanted to practice. I have worked as an employee, independent contractor or a substitute at 7 different community acupuncture clinics in the Seattle area since then. My continuing education has included two POCA (People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture) conferences, POCA’s Liberation Acupuncture workshop, Susan Johnson’s “Tung’s Magical Points” seminar, a NADA (National Acupuncture Detox Association) training and a AWB (Acupuncturists Without Borders) seminar titled “Acupuncture and the Opioid Crisis.” I received my Acupuncture Detox Specialist (ADS) certification in 2020. I specialize in treating people aged 2 months to 95 years and older in a community clinic setting, making sure they are as comfortable as possible while providing effective, individualized, gentle treatments for many different health concerns as often as needed. I have been at CAP regularly since April 2015. I feel very lucky to work at an amazing clinic with great co-workers, lovely volunteers and a fabulous community of patients.
I live with my husband and kids in Federal Way. I'm an acupunk with young kids so I don't have hobbies outside of my chores. If I had hobbies, I think they would be roller skating, gardening and writing zines. I hope to be an acupuncturist for 40 more years because I love it.
Aiko Bailey
Aiko Bailey (pronouns she/her) is a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist. Aiko started studying acupuncture at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (now known as Pacific College of Health and Science) in New York and completed her program at Bastyr University. She is originally from Yokohama, Japan.
Through her own experience of both being treated and treating patients, Aiko has been mesmerized by the power of acupuncture. Aiko believes that the use of Chinese medicine principles can help understand each patient’s unique needs as well as promote each patient’s potential to heal and balance their bodies. Aiko hopes that many people can discover the wonder of acupuncture.
In her free time, she enjoys making crafts (drawing, sewing and design), and spending time with her husband and dog, Kuma.