About Dr. Shah

Dr. Tara Shah, DACM, LAc

Dr. Tara Shah is a California Licensed Acupuncturist, nationally certified by the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM) and the founder of Tara Acupuncture & Wellness.

Dr. Shah’s path to acupuncture began with a background in science. After earning a degree in Chemistry from Columbia University, she spent five years working in the pharmaceutical industry before deciding to pursue work that felt more personal and more closely connected to the way she wanted to think about health and healing.

That decision brought her to San Diego, where she completed more than 3,500 hours of academic and clinical training at Pacific College of Health and Science and earned both a Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine and a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

Her scientific training still shapes the way she reads research and considers new information, while her clinical work remains grounded in the principles of East Asian medicine. She pays close attention to patterns, how they change and how symptoms may connect with the broader circumstances of a person’s life.

Her treatment style is gentle, observant and adaptable. Rather than relying on a fixed routine, she adjusts treatment based on what she is seeing and hearing at each visit.

She is especially drawn to Japanese Meridian Therapy, a refined style of acupuncture based in classical theory that uses subtle needling, careful palpation and detailed diagnosis. As she began using the style more extensively, she noticed a meaningful difference in the results she was seeing with patients. It has since become an important part of how she treats.

Dr. Shah sees continued study, self-cultivation and humility as essential to practicing this medicine well. She recognizes that the practitioner is only one part of the process and that patients remain active participants in their own healing.

What matters most to her is that people feel comfortable, listened to and genuinely cared for when they walk into the clinic. Many patients continue seeing her over the long term, and she values the relationships that develop as their needs and treatment change.

Outside of the office, Dr. Shah maintains a daily meditation practice and enjoys puzzles and spending time with her husband and dog.