Sena is Featured on Home Care Today podcast!

Our Staff:

Our staff has a combined, clinical experience of over 97 years!

Sena Kimbrell L.Ac.
Shinai Lilly L.Ac.
Susan Pistawka L. Ac.
Gabrielle Rubin L. Ac.
Gerald Whitehawk MA, BA

Sena Kimbrell L.Ac.

Sena holds a Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ASAOM). She is licensed by the state of Arizona to practice acupuncture. The degree required extensive training in acupuncture and Chinese herbs in a clinical and didactic setting.  While in the student clinic, she held the distinction of being the most in-demand student intern at the school because of her skill and her patient care.  Her kindness and understanding have followed her into her professional life.

Sena has the rare honor of recognition by two women’s organizations: Soroptimist International of Desert Tucson (SIDT) and the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO).  She is recognized by the SIDT for her dedication and perseverance of being a single mother, caregiver, and student.  Anyone of these roles is a full-time job. They recognized her as an outstanding and inspiring woman in the community and granted her scholarships to help pay for her education and maintain her ability as a provider as she worked towards her long term goals. She eventually became one of the highlighted women for the Soroptimist International Live Your Dream campaign; it was designed to inspire women to live their dream even when faced with undue and overwhelming hardships.  She was the focus of a four-part series.

The PEO recognized Sena for her tenacity and hard work as well.  They helped her with her long-term goals of becoming an acupuncturist.  They granted her a scholarship for her dedication of working towards a career in the alternative healthcare field.  The scholarship underscored here desire to be able to one-day give back to the community.  Now she is doing just that.

Sena exudes joy and a light-hearted attitude in her work.  Aided by deep wisdom and personal experience, her insight gets to the root of difficult problems.    Her wisdom and insight comes from navigating challenging circumstances nearly all of her life.  Because of this, she is good at meeting people “where they’re at.” She quickly gains trust and confidence, because people recognize that she speaks from experience.  She finds this puts them at ease and greatly aids her clinical outcomes.

“I am from Flagstaff, AZ.  My family has been in Arizona for four generations.  My grandfather was well known and respected in Flag because of his skill and work ethic.  He was a rancher, mechanic, welder, machinist, road builder, truck driver, and all-around good guy.  He and my grandma raised me.  It was his work ethic that I adopted and carried through the many rough years that lay ahead.

I was born two months premature.  My mom, who was RH Factor positive, hemorrhaged and was flown to St Josephs hospital here in Tucson.  It was the only hospital in the state capable of handling premies like me.  I was one of the first babies to survive this circumstance before the invention of the RhoGam shot.  I was dubbed a “Miracle Baby” by the local paper. I had 7 blood transfusions and put on oxygen, because my organs weren’t fully functioning.  The intensity of the treatment permanently damaged my right eye; I am blind in that eye. My immune system didn’t develop properly either.  Due to this rough start, I was chronically, and sometimes severely, ill as a child with repeated bouts of strep throat, pneumonia and bronchitis. It never slowed me down though because I was full of life.

My grandparents raised me because of the nature of my parents’ relationship at the time.  My grandma was my guardian angel.  Truly, I would not be alive if it wasn’t for her love and dedication to me.  She protected me from others and myself (imagine a sickly, yet hyperactive and partially blind child running around), but she also encouraged me to grow and try new things.  It turned out that after putting me in many different types of activities, I took to water like fish.  I swam competitively from age 4 to 15.  My swimming career was cut short due to a shoulder injury, but I was well on my way to National level competitions.  My specialty was the backstroke and freestyle. Even though I was swimming well and seemingly doing okay I was still chronically ill. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It was at this time that I began to look towards alternative health.  This led me to my lifelong path of health and wellness.  One of my first experiences in alternative medicine was Navajo Medicine.

In the next few years, I finished high school and split my time between my mother’s house and my friends’ houses near the Navajo Indian Reservation.  One of my best friend’s father was (and still is) a Navajo medicine man.  Every time I would stay at their house, he would teach me something new about medicine and my own health.  Over the course of a few years, this contributed to my desire to pursue alternative medicine.

As many women do in situations of poverty, I got involved in a relationship that ended with a baby and abuse.  I loved my boy, but not the relationship.  I finally got up the courage and left him and fled to Tucson in 2001 to better my life.  It was here that I started school at the community college.  That same year my grandparents moved to Tucson because my grandma’s health started to go downhill and there wasn’t anyone else to help them.  Within the year, I stepped in as their caretaker.  They weren’t capable of handling bills, going to the store or doctors’ appointments, or much else.  They were in their eighties at this point.  There I was: a caregiver, single mother, full-time student, and working two part-time jobs!

The next twelve years were dedicated to taking care of others 24/7. When I wasn’t focused on my son or grandparents, I focused on my education and the long-term goal of being an acupuncturist.  My grandmother passed peacefully at the age of 93 in 2010. I am still the loving caregiver for my 91-year-old grandfather and single mother to my now 16-year-old son.

Having this array of obstacles and experiences in my life, I feel I am very insightful and well rounded. This helps me as a practitioner in the clinic because I can be empathetic to other people’s situations.  I enjoy this medicine and helping people.”

Shinai Lilly L.Ac.

Shinai Lilly is a treasured addition to our Old Pueblo Acupuncture family. Shinai has twenty years’ experience in Acupuncture along with being an accomplished Yoga instructor, Structural Realignment, and Reiki Master. Shinai’s experiences with non-invasive healing arts began early in her life when she helped her own family members cope with chronic pain issues while pursuing options for her own healing path. Traditional Chinese Medicine has become a way of life for Shinai and she credits this medicine with “saving her life” during a challenging time in her own health dealing with chronic anemia, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

After completing her training in Acupuncture in 1999, Shinai had the honor of studying under a master of acupuncture Dr. Richard Tan to enrich and broaden her understanding of acupuncture and balance method acupuncture. She has had thirty-five years of continuing education and training in a variety of alternative healing methods, including studying microcurrent and light therapy with Dr. Darren Starwynn. Shinai also holds certificates in nutrition, emotional freedom technique, zero balancing, advanced massage therapy, transcendental meditation, and the University of Arizona quit tobacco program. Shinai has studied deep tissue, movement, and emotional therapies, plus yoga teachers’ training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute.

Shinai has designed and led several workshops and training sessions that include “Total Health Lifestyling” and “How to Heal Yourself” with much success.

Her beautiful, well-rounded training, compassion, and drive to help ease pain and suffering makes Shinai a wonderful and exceptional practitioner. We are blessed to have access to her knowledge and experience. Shinai makes a tremendous addition to Old Pueblo Acupuncture.

Susan Pistawka L. Ac.

In October 2020 we welcomed Susan Pistawka L.Ac. to our Old Pueblo Acupuncture Clinic. We are very pleased and fortunate to have Susan on our team. Susan’s formal education includes a BSc Honors in Biology, Microbiology and Chemistry (the equivalent of a Master’s degree in the U.S.), from the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada. Susan is the third generation of her family born and raised here and comes from a long lineage of Doctors and Scientist.

For three years thereafter, she completed three years of doctoral studies and research in neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Department of Experimental Medicine. During all of her education Susan was an active athlete and competed on the women’s soccer and ski teams.

After further scientific experience and study, Susan began to realize that while she loved the intellectualism, she also wanted something that spoke to her heart and passion for helping people. During a decade of various studies that included the visual arts, Susan attended the Institute of Shamanic Studies with Michael Harper and Sandra Ingerman during the 1990s. Further trainings included Tensegrity with Carlos Castaneda in the U.S. and Mexico. In 1999 she studied Chinese herbs with Michael Harner at Omega Institute in New York.

In 2004 Susan received her Master’s in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine with a two-year certificate in Tui Na from the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Susan’s clinical focus, case studies and dissertation were on the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.

From 2005 to 2011 Susan served as teacher and clinic supervisor at Arizona School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (where Susan became one of Sena Kimbrell’s mentors.) From 2011 to 2020, Susan worked at Sierra Tucson, a pioneering, world-class psychiatric treatment hospital in Catalina, AZ.

Since 2004, Susan has had a successful private practice that includes acupuncture, Tuina Massage, Yin Tuina and CST, cupping, gua sha, moxa, stone-healing therapies, and herbal, dietary and life counseling. The focus of her work has been the esoteric spiritual aspects of Chinese medicine and metaphysical aspects of healing.

Susan believes that we are innately and naturally designed to heal, so her treatments help her patients identify and remove any obstacles to the innate flow of energy, or Qi, which has its origins in Spirit. She says, “In Spirit we always remain perfect, so no matter how far our life has deviated from this original blueprint, this innate template of our being remains intact and unharmed. Thus, all healing can proceed from this inner source, and I believe accordingly, that the healing of all things is possible.”

Susan has a gift and talent infused with her Traditional Chinese Medical training that gets to the root of issues. She utilizes her training, intuition, palpation, and multiple modalities to address your health issues.

Gabrielle Rubin L. Ac.

As of September 2021, we are pleased to welcome Gabrielle to our Old Pueblo Acupuncture community. Gabrielle Rubin (LAc, M.Ac) received her Master’s Degree in Acupuncture from the New England School of Acupuncture in Boston, in 2004.

Her studies emphasized the Japanese style of acupuncture, which uses fine needles and shallow insertion to balance and restore the energy system of the body.

Gabrielle’s treatments are tailored to meet the needs of each individual person. Her work is very gentle and often includes a combination of treatment modalities, such as Tui Na (Chinese massage), auricular acupuncture, and Cole Magbuana Body Mapping Acupuncture for the treatment of pain. Gabrielle has a wonderful passion for traditional Chinese Medicine and is exceptional at her craft.

Gabrielle has also worked extensively with people suffering from eating disorders, substance abuse, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Gabrielle is a proud mama to a ten-year-old boy. She has a very nurturing and caring personality and brings this to her practice.  In her spare time, she loves to paint and make music. She is also currently studying to be a kundalini yoga teacher.

Rev. Gerald Whitehawk MA, BA

We are fortunate to work with Gerald and have him as part of our Old Pueblo Acupuncture team.

Gerald pioneered the art and science of esotherapy ™ (see link below).  He is a US-trained transpersonal therapist, empath, and mindfulness meditation instructor with close to 16 years of counselling expertise in the US and Australia.  He practices transpersonal counselling in Australia, where he is licensed, and life-coaching and esotherapy™ in the US.  He holds a MA degree, graduated with Highest Honors in Psychology from the prestigious University of California, Davis, and is a Registered in Australia as a Level 4 Counselor (highest level) with the Australian Counseling Association.

Gerald’s approach is holistic, transpersonal, eclectic, spiritual and pioneering in terms of the methods he uses for dealing quickly with emotional distress and suffering.   Transpersonal psychology is concerned with the attainment of levels of health which surpass what is commonly accepted as normal.  Gerald’s special talent is to meet you where you are and compassionately guide you to these peaks of optimal wellness and self-actualization.

Therapy with Gerald goes beyond managing symptoms, which are nothing but indicators of underlying  stunted growth potential.  He counsels with an eye to personal development for the transformation of the self and freeing  your potential from the grip of self-limiting beliefs.  By investing yourself in therapy with him you can truly expect to engage on the journey to the miracle of your True Self and begin the life you were meant to live.

Gerald uses Esotherapy® as part of a multi-disciplinary treatment team to help cement treatment outcomes into stable transformation. His therapy is centered on esoteric wisdom and his approach goes beyond the limitations of what is thought possible for the individual consciousness.  He provides Esotherapy® individually and in groups, for topics ranging from trauma and chemical/sexual addictions to codependency, mood and eating disorders.

Previously, Gerald worked as a Residential Therapist at another premiere mental health facility, Sierra Tucson, where he provided individual and group therapy to patients with addictions, trauma, mood and thought disorders.  Before that, he worked as a Level 4 Registered Counselor (LPC equivalent) in Queensland, Australia.

Gerald graduated with highest honors in psychology and religious studies from one of the top 15 schools in the world, University of California at Davis.  There, the Director of American Psychological Association, Dr. Emil Rodolfa, commended him for his original, post-doctoral research and theories called “a template for further psychological research”.   He also obtained a MA in integrative religious studies, excelled in pre-nursing, and studied Clinical Hypnotherapy and NLP.

Watch: Sena Kimbrell Lives Her Dream webisodes: