About Dr. Kevin Tai, DTCM, L.Ac

Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist

Dr. Kevin Tai

Bio

Dr. Kevin’s passion for healthcare started at a young age when he grew up messing around with herbs, plasters and needles at his uncle’s TCM orthopedic clinic in China and witnessing his grandmother, an obstetrician, provide integrative and effective eastern and western treatments for her patients. His interest deepened in college when he used cupping therapy to relieve a classmate's shoulder pain, solidifying his calling. The COVID-19 pandemic further fueled his desire to be on the front lines of disease prevention and treatment. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a doctoral degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University. Outside the clinic, he is a provider at Sutter Health’s Integrative Medicine unit, where he treats inpatients, and a faculty member at FBU, teaching review and assessment.

Dr. Kevin specializes in internal medicine, pediatrics and neurological-emotional disorders, utilizing acupuncture, fire cupping, herbal medicine and pediatric tuina. His ideal patients are those in not-so-ideal conditions. He thrives on the challenge of treating patients with complex, multifaceted conditions, where Chinese medicine’s holistic approach excels in addressing multiple symptoms at a time. He enjoys the challenge of the intricacies and excitement of the“unusual, unexplained and unknown” or of patients presenting with a long list of health issues.

Dr. Kevin’s treatment philosophy is rooted in the belief that physical, emotional, and social aspects of pain are deeply interconnected. He understands that chronic physical pain can lead to emotional distress, which in turn can cause social withdrawal, further intensifying the pain. His holistic approach integrates emotional well-being and social support, reflecting his commitment to providing care beyond physical symptoms only.

When not treating patients, Kevin is riding his thoroughbred, IP, swinging a mallet on the polo field, walking his pomsky, Mahjong, feeding his two cats, March and Clicker, or singing in the shower. Dr. Kevin is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.