ryan Bemis, DOM
Licenses & Certifications
Doctor of Oriental Medicine – State of New Mexico
National Certification – NCCAOM
NADA International Trainer
Certified TRE Provider
Certified Heroic Coach
Certified Kundalini Fusion Yoga Instructor
Licensed Behavioral Health & Harm Reduction Supervisor and Trainer (NADA Acudetox)
I am a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (fancy name for “acupuncturist”). I teach people how to use acupuncture, meditation, yoga and somatic release work for themselves and for their people.
- Ryan Bemis, Executive Director, Crossroads Community Supported Healthcare
Clinical Experience
With over 25 years of community health and outreach experience, Ryan has trained over 650 providers across the U.S. and Latin America in acupuncture, meditation and somatic release work. He also served as an acupuncturist with active military soldiers at the PTSD Warrior Resilience Center and the Interdisciplinary Pain Management Clinic at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, TX. Prior to working as an acupuncturist, Ryan worked as an addictions counselor at Hooper Detox Center in Portland.
From
The Streets
to barefoot
Steps of
Solitude
After high school, I left my home state of Wyoming to volunteer at a Catholic Worker shelter for the homeless and recovering addicts in Oakland, CA. Over the next decade, I spent every chance I could in places like this — shelters, syringe exchange programs, and base Christian communities in Latin America. Listening to people’s stories of transformation humbled and inspired me to become an addictions counselor. Through their experiences, I began to see how trauma sits at the root of many struggles — from substance use and conflict to the prisons of the mind that keep people stuck.
These were the first heroes I ever met: people who had been broken but hadn’t given up on themselves. Acupuncture had a tremendous impact on reducing people’s defensiveness, meeting them where they were, and helping them reconnect to their best selves.
While working at Hooper Detox in Portland, Oregon, I was introduced to a model of recovery that placed acupuncture at its core — helping people reclaim their dignity by stepping back from the chaos of their lives and rediscovering their inner strength. That awakening became a bridge that eventually led me from Portland’s streets to the borderlands of Mexico, where I began teaching nuns how to offer acupuncture for tens of thousands of refugees in Ciudad Juárez.
What it’s like
working
with Ryan
“I infuse a variety of acupuncture methods — including scalp, auricular, Tan, Japanese, and TCM — and my technique is gentle. I also offer Trigger Point and Dry Needling where appropriate. I tailor every session to each individual and their unique needs.
Above all, I use a trauma-informed approach, which means I pay close attention to how the body holds stress and to each person’s sense of safety, choice, and control during care. My goal is to help your nervous system unwind at its own pace, so healing feels grounded rather than forced.”
Gentle
Bilingual
Trauma-informed
Rooted in science and soul
Clinical Experience
Everyday Resilience within Everyday People
As our clinic in Las Cruces has grown, a large number of people diagnosed with PTSD and/or who have a history of trauma or domestic violence have come in for care. We had one patient from Juarez who had recently been shot in the head, survived, heard of our clinic and having access to our services several times a week over a month we were able to significantly help increase his neurological functioning. We treat patients for very sensitive health conditions like menstrual problems as well as prostatitis or even a woman trying to leave an abusive spouse and struggling with trauma and depression.
What began with training community workers in Juárez has grown to serve Indigenous health programs across Central America, offering over 140,000 treatments for veterans, refugees, incarcerated people, and neighbors throughout the borderlands.
“I’m passionate about walking with people as they discover the best version of themselves…Walking with communities as they rise up and shine into their brightest and biggest potential for the common good. Immersing myself in these realities, leaning into the struggles and fears and working together to move forward with hope: This work perpetually challenges me to keep growing too.”
Taking refuge
from the
crazy world.
By no means are these therapies and protocols a cure for all conditions and all people at all times. Acupuncture excels in treating any condition where stress is involved. It’s no secret that stress makes most health conditions and psychiatric illnesses worse. Back pain is made worse by stress. Same with anxiety. Same with asthma, diabetes: all common problems for people in the borderlands, whether they’re a maquiladora worker in Juarez, or a soldier returned from Afghanistan, or a sales clerk at Wal-Mart. Acupuncture helps people calm down, which can help a variety of body organ systems to function better. So it’s no surprise that we’ve found acupuncture to be helpful as an adjunctive component in managing a broad spectrum of health problems worsened by stress.
People are extremely resilient with a few supports in their lives and a few safe spaces to take refuge in. Acupuncture can be one of these supports. I witnessed These community centers offering acupuncture throughout the borderlands naturally create this type of trauma-informed environment. Because it is everyday people volunteering within their own communities
These were heroes: people who had been broken but hadn’t given up on themselves. Acupuncture had a tremendous impact on reducing people’s defensiveness, meeting them where they were, and helping them reconnect to their best selves.
While working at Hooper Detox in Portland, Oregon, I was introduced to a model of recovery that placed acupuncture at its core — helping people reclaim their dignity by stepping back from the chaos of their lives and rediscovering their inner strength. That awakening became a bridge that eventually led me from Portland’s streets to the borderlands of Mexico, where I began teaching nuns how to offer acupuncture for tens of thousands of refugees in Ciudad Juárez.
“I stepped out of just being a healer — I pivoted out of the rescuer role and handed the tools to the people.”
— Ryan Bemis, 2018 Keynote, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
Social entreprenuer
Cofounder:
— Barefoot Health Promoters School, Catholic Diocese of CD Juarez, Mexico
— Crossroads Acupuncture, First ever Community Acupuncture Clinic in the Las Cruces/El Paso Region
— Barefoot Acupuncture Movement
—NADA Guatemala and Nicaragua
From Theology School to Teaching nuns how to needle
My journey towards carrying Oriental medicine supplies with me everywhere I go..
…began here in Portland, 20 years ago, as an undergrad studying Theology. I took this class on solitude and social change, and about this monk named Thomas Merton. Back in the 1960’s he was this hermit who was also an activist who taught nuns and priests about the practice of Zen and meditation and he worked to bridge this divide between the east and the west. And he believed that silence and stillness are radical acts that can change the world.
And in one of his journal entries I read, he wrote:
“Under the surface of glitter & trash in the midst of all the mess of traffic, There are the people: sick & distraught, drunk, mad, melancholy, anguished or simply bored to extinction. It is the people I love and not the roles in the city, not the glitter of business and of progress. Can’t we give them something more than air conditioning?”
Can’t we give the people something more than air conditioning?
What a challenge!
Can’t we give them something more than any material thing? More than food? More than shelter? More than a hand out, more than just our spare change. More than a pat on the back And a... “I’m sorry; I can’t help you.”
And these questions led me eventually to Juarez, in a project where these needles bring people together. Believe me: It’s certainly not the air conditioning that brings us together. Because there is no air conditioning in in the summertime when it’s 114 degrees in these churches in the far corners of Juarez. There's nothing at all fancy or shiny or waterfall-ey about it.
It’s simple: People come into churches. The churches provide sanctuary. And ordinary people there offer acupuncture after mass.
Education
Master’s in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Outreach Training Institute, Queens, NY
Certified in Acudetox, Lincoln Hospital, South Bronx, NY
Bachelor’s in Theology, University of Portland
Heroic Coaching Program
(ABOVE) Take this Free Master Class with Dr. Ryan Bemis on the use of acupuncture for refugee and incarcerated populations
Ryan’s writing
Educator
Through the Barefoot Acupuncture Movement, he has trained health workers and doctors, prison guards and nuns, preachers and teachers, from the borderlands to Central America he puts trauma-release tools in the hands of community leaders to care for their own people.
A frequent keynote speaker and master class teacher, he is known for blending humor, heart, and hands-on wisdom. In 2018, he delivered the commencement address for the Master’s and Doctoral graduates of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.
He currently co-facilitates a medical anthropology research project on the roots of acupuncture and somatic healing within Indigenous medicine in Guatemala.
Ryan also co-founded the first acupuncture school within Catholic Churches in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and continues to consult with rural New Mexico jail programs, integrating acupuncture into recovery and behavioral health services.
Join Ryan in Guatemala
Feb 8-15 2026
Roots and Bridges
A Weeklong Immersion into Grassroots Healing, Acupuncture, and Cultural Solidarity in Guatemala
devoted Dad
“Outside of Crossroads life, you’ll find me in the mountains, on the dance floor (blues, latin, ecstatic, you. name it) or chasing my son, Dre, on his bike. When we’re not, we’re playing trucks or at the skateboard park, we’re wandering in the desert mountains or shaking it off with our spontaneous dance parties in our living room listening to Where the Streets Have NO Name, by his favorite band, U2.
Being a dad is my most fulfilling — and most challenging — arena for personal growth. Every day with my son invites me to slow down, listen, and lead with connection from the small, daily moments of mindfulness, through the silly toddler laughter spells and nature all the way up through our pre-bedtime meditation, gratitude sharing, and serenity prayers.”
—PEDIATRIC ACUPUNCTURIST
—YOGA CALM FOR KIDS INSTRUCTOR APPRENTICESHIP
—YOUTH MINISTER
—NZONE SPORTS CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR
—NATIONAL CATHOLIC YOUTH CONGRESS DELEGATE
“My sleep is more restful, my mental balance is improved, my emotional well being is enhanced, my energy level is high, and my creativity is improving! Oh and recently my libido is quite heightened! I appreciate Ryan’s bedside manner. He is thoughtful, compassionate, awesome listener and he always makes me feel special, always! Thank you Ryan for introducing me to this amazing ancient healing way!”
Google Review,
Patient of Ryan Bemis
HEROIC COACH
“These are hard times for all of us to trust. And it’s important we don’t stop giving it a try.”
Ron Hering Award, 2020 – Mankind Project
Hand in Hand, Peer Support for Fathers
Certified, International Coaching Federation (ICF)
peer support
Ryan is a dedicated believer in the power of peer support. He supports men in recovery from addiction and trauma — including those healing as survivors of domestic violence. Through Resilience Coaching, he walks alongside men and women that want to build resilience, integrity, and emotional intelligence. He sees this work as a collective journey toward becoming the best versions of themselves — grounded in honesty, mutual accountability, and the recognition that hurt people hurt people.
story teller
Ryan is passionate about traveling, learning from other cultures, and documenting the human condition through writing and photography. His writing has appeared in America Magazine, Mad in America, AcuTake, Latina Lista, Frontera List, and other publications.
Ryan believes that healing isn’t something given — it’s something shared. This philosophy guides the mission of Crossroads: creating a world where everyone has the tools and capacity to care for themselves and for one another.
“Behind walls, outside walls, on either side of the border walls of this world, each of us spends our days pacing around the boundaries of our limited cells of influence, bearing our heavy weights of inherited and accumulated trauma and regularly compelled to reckon with our reliance on and rub with others that edge our spheres.”
Request a Free Consult With Ryan.
Have questions about how Ryan can help you with acupuncture?
Wanting to get training, supervision or apprentice with Ryan?
Wanting to book Ryan as a speaker?
Send him a message directly to him, and we’ll see how we can support you.
Listen to Ryan’s commencement Address at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine’s Doctoral and Master’s graduation ceremony
“Ryan is an excellent teacher, trainer, and social justice warrior.
Crossroads Acupuncture offers an amazing auricular acupuncture course and NADA certification.
The class was bilingual which added greatly to the overall experience. Ryan’s presentation was evidence-based and highly engaging. The prep material laid the groundwork for an exceptional learning experience.
I was fortunate to complete my internship in Mexico. I count this training as one of the best clinical experiences of my career.
As a social worker, I gained deeper insights into cultural humility and the strengths-based perspective discussed in my academic training.”
– Suzanne Stern Brant, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Clinical supervisor, consultant and coach
Ryan has worked as a policy and public health program consultant and advocate for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association and other public health and addictions programs. He is certified as a supervisor for New Mexico behavioral health programs that utilize ear acupuncture. He also offers consultation, mentoring and coaching services for acupuncturists, doctors, therapists, and church leaders working within community clinics. He assists providers and administrators with project development, business planning, non-profit support, entrepreneurship as well as policy advocacy and legislative assistance.