About Our Practioners

Meet your acupuncturists:

Jennifer and Barclay Calvert have always shared a common dream of practicing medicine in a small family-style clinic. They believe in promoting health and well-being by focusing on prevention rather than intervention. They chose the name Nourishing Life for their clinic, which is a Daoist term for ways to cultivate health through lifestyle practices, because it embodies the essence of the preventive and practical nature of Chinese Medicine. They have found that this medical paradigm empowers individuals to gain control of their health. It is gentle, effective and time-tested. Barclay primarily treats pain, digestive issues and sleep disorders. Jennifer specializes in Acupuncture Facials and Skin Care, as well as treating children and women's issues.

A brief history:

Jennifer's path led her to Bastyr University with the intent to study Naturopathic Medicine, but the moment she came into contact with Chinese Medicine and its philosophy that all things in the world are interconnected, she realized with certainty this was her path. As a result Jennifer completed her Bachelor's Degree with a concentration in Oriental Medicine at Bastyr and then attended the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine (SIOM) to complete her Master's Degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.

There she met Barclay, who had set his sights on being a doctor from a very young age. He finished his preliminary medical studies at the University of Washington, took the MCAT's and was applying to medical schools when a Medical Internship in Ecuador profoundly changed his mind. It was there that he realized western medicine focused too narrowly on alleviating the symptoms without restoring the body to health. Barclay began to research and investigate other more wholistic medical paradigms, which led him to Chinese Medicine and SIOM. Both Barclay and Jennifer chose SIOM based on its apprenticeship-based program and unparalleled clinical emphasis. It was here they became proficient in translating Chinese Medical literature, which is a unique feature of the school's curriculum, enabling them access to current research in the field.

After establishing a successful practice in Seattle, Barclay and Jennifer decided to move to Port Townsend in hopes of becoming an integral part of a smaller community. They relocated in 2006 and opened their family clinic downtown on Water Street. At the same time Barclay took over an acupuncture practice in Poulsbo and has since been dividing his time between the two locations. In the fall of 2009 the Port Townsend clinic was moved to its current location uptown on Lawrence Street. A larger space was needed to accommodate the growing business and to allow for the opening of the Community Acupuncture Clinic.