Vladi Bender is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbalist, and natural health practitioner in Sonoma County who comes from a lineage of women healers in Bulgaria. From an early age, she was fascinated by her grandmother’s stories about herbs, healing, and medicine. She always knew this was her calling, and in her teens became interested in Eastern philosophy, meditation, and Yoga. While pursuing her BA at Boston University, a friend suggested she see an acupuncturist for a medical condition. She was instantly intrigued by the holistic way this treatment led to miraculous results and addressed the entire human being. This experience, along with her first class in Chinese Medicine in college, helped set her on a path of healing and study.
Vladi has been practicing as an acupuncturist for over a decade, since 2010, successfully addressing a wide variety of health conditions. She loves to help people who are ready to Flourish! Vladi is committed to facilitating and supporting her clients in their powerful transformation. She has helped people with diverse pain conditions, fertility trouble, pregnancy-related complaints, emotional problems, PMS, skin and digestive issues, and many others. She has had more than 5,500 hours of academic and clinical training in Chinese Medicine theory, Western Medicine, Acupuncture, Herbology, Medical Qigong, and Nutrition and is a graduate of the prestigious Five Branches University. Vladi, an expert Santa Rosa acupuncturist, holds extensive training in the areas of pain, women’s health, fertility, Ayurveda, and psycho-spiritual emotional balance. Before founding Flourish Integrative Health in Santa Rosa, Vladi graduated from the renowned Doctorate Program at the International Institute of Medical Qigong and earned DMQ status (Doctor of Medical Qigong). She has had the honor to study for five years with the renowned Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson in Taoist mysticism, Medical Qigong, and TaiJi. Vladi loves to integrate “the best of the East” and has pursued deeper training in Ayurveda. She is also a Certified Massage Therapist, with specialties in Asian Bodywork. She is also the founder of Women’s Spirit Circles, which are spiritually-based online women’s groups that meet weekly and monthly.
Originally from Europe, she now loves living in California and enjoys being a mom and wife, hiking, dancing, singing in harmony, meditating, doing Yoga and Qigong, studying Buddhism, traveling internationally, and growing.