Dr. Clifford C. Meeks
ND. and LAc with Agape Health Clinic | 503-926-9529
Dr. Clifford C. Meeks received his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) and Master’s of Science Degree in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM). His extensive training in Chinese medicine and natural medicine has equipped him with the necessary skills to treat acute and chronic diseases and provide recommendations on maintaining good health and disease prevention. After completing his studies at NUNM, Dr. Meeks chose to focus his clinical practice on Chinese medicine. He has completed additional training in Worselyian 5-Element Acupuncture in addition to Chinese medicinal herbs, homeopathy, and nutritional counseling.
Dr. Meeks considers it a privilege to provide high quality health care to patients and he provides a space where they feel welcome, heard, and empowered. His passion for medicine is a result of his personal health challenges and reading books about holistic medicine while attending Prairie View A&M University. His interest in Chinese medicine grew while attending NUNM and learning about its prominent role in community clinics established by the Black Panther Party. He is committed to making Chinese medicine and natural medicine more accessible to patients...especially those from marginalized populations and/or those experience various forms of systemic oppression.
In addition to his role as an acupuncturist and clinical practitioner, Dr. Meeks serves as the Assistant Coordinator of the Multicultural Center at Portland Community College (PCC) – Sylvania Campus and Co-Coordinator of the Men of Color Leadership Program (MOCLP), a year-long program designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and completion rates of men of color enrolled at PCC. He also teaches courses in the Health Studies Department, Counseling & Guidance Department, and Education Department.
Dr. Meeks looks forward to serving the individual and collective needs of the community through healthcare, education, and social justice. Some of the conditions Dr. Meeks treats with Chinese medicine:
Back pain, knee pain, headaches/migraines, shoulder pain, neck pain
High blood pressure, heart palpitations, high cholesterol
Asthma, common cold, flu
Fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression
Diabetes
Sita Symonette
Co-Founder of Black Pearl Wellness & Clinic Director
MAcOM, LAc, Licensed, Acupuncturist at Black Pearl Acupuncture
Sita Symonette has been a practicing Acupuncturist and small business owner of Black Pearl Acupuncture since January 2010. Sita is a graduate of Western Washington University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Psychology with a focus in pre-med. While doing her undergraduate work, she also participated in research studies focusing on neuroscience. Her work in this area was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. After completing her Bachelors’ degree, Sita then attended the Oregon College of East Asian Medicine to earn her Masters’ degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. She is excited to work daily with the goal of enhancing her patients’ quality of life. Sita has created a healing environment where her patients feel welcome, heard and receive high quality health care. Sita proudly identifies as Black and Queer and it is her passion to continue to make Acupuncture and Chinese medicine more accessible to Black, Brown, Indigenous and Latine people, LGBTQIA and historically marginalized communities.
Sita is an active member of her community and dedicates time to giving back by advocating for healthcare equity. She is the first student to serve on the board of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine board. She also served on the Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) board for 7 years from 2012– 2019. Sita is the first Black woman and first LGBTQIA person to serve as board chair in PPCW’s 54 year history. Sita then went on to serve as a board member for national Planned Parenthood Federation of America from June 2021 - 2024. Currently Sita serves on the Inatai Foundation board, giving back to her Washington state community.
Sita is passionate about helping others live their lives to their fullest potential and serving her community. Her practice focuses on menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy, headaches/migraines, acute musculoskeletal pain, chronic musculoskeletal pain, motor vehicle accident rehabilitation, injury rehabilitation and more!
Dr. Nadia English-Williams
N.D. with Onyx Natural Medicine | 971-217-7912
Dr. Nadia English-Williams is a dedicated Naturopathic Physician and Midwife, committed to empowering her patients with knowledge for optimal health. Specializing in nutrition and botanical medicine, she guides patients through various conditions from neonatal to adult stages. She pursued her passion for medicine at Spelman College before completing her training at the National University of Natural Medicine.
Driven by her passion for serving her community, she is an advocate for health and wellness for all and strives to reduce further harm to communities that have been historically marginalized and economically disenfranchised. Dr. Nadia believes that vibrant health begins with a harmonious relationship with our environment.
Through her holistic approach, she seeks to enhance the well-being of the folks that she works with, addressing not only physical symptoms but also the underlying imbalances that contribute to illness. While she believes, people are more than the diagnoses that may be ascribed to them, common complaints that her patients have include: digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders, and subfertility to name a few.
Currently pursuing a second doctorate in Applied Medical Anthropology, her research targets maternal health disparities, particularly among Black people. Beyond her professional pursuits, Nadia cherishes family time with her husband and children and indulges in gardening and nature exploration.
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Sita is a graduate of Western Washington University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Psychology with a focus in pre-med. While doing her undergraduate work, she also participated in research studies focusing on neuroscience. Her work in this area was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. After completing her Bachelors’ degree, Sita then attended the Oregon College of East Asian Medicine to earn her Masters’ degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. She is excited to work daily with the goal of enhancing her patients’ quality of life. Sita has created a healing environment where her patients feel welcome, heard and receive high quality health care. Sita proudly identifies as Black and Queer and it is her passion to continue to make Acupuncture and Chinese medicine more accessible to Black, Brown, Indigenous and Latine people, LGBTQIA and historically marginalized communities.
Sita is an active member of her community and dedicates time to giving back by advocating for healthcare equity. She is the first student to serve on the board of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine board. She also served on the Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) board for 7 years from 2012– 2019. Sita is the first Black woman and first LGBTQIA person to serve as board chair in PPCW’s 54 year history. Sita then went on to serve as a board member for national Planned Parenthood Federation of America from June 2021 - 2024. Currently Sita serves on the Inatai Foundation board, giving back to her Washington state community.
Sita is passionate about helping others live their lives to their fullest potential and serving her community. Her practice focuses on menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy, headaches/migraines, acute musculoskeletal pain, chronic musculoskeletal pain, motor vehicle accident rehabilitation, injury rehabilitation and more!
Dr. Kimberly Gutierrez
ND, RPh with Awaken Natural Medicine | 503-765-6206
Dr. Kimberly Gutierrez graduated from Purdue University Pharmacy School in 1999 and continued her development and education at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon in which she graduated in 2012. She practiced as a licensed pharmacist for 23 years and is now concentrating solely on her medical practices. She serves patients in the Portland area as well as in Tillamook. Her practice focuses on family medicine, hormone balance and disease prevention. Dr. Gutierrez treats the whole person by addressing any imbalances in the body. She uses a variety of modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, botanical medicine and homeopathy. Her vast knowledge and experience with pharmaceuticals allows her to manage an individual’s healthcare using both traditional as well as natural medicine. Dr. Gutierrez has a strong belief that a balance between body, mind and spirit are imperative to the welfare of one’s health.
Lai-Lani Ovalles
Co-Dreamer and Co-Founder of Black Pearl Wellness
Lai-Lani was grown and raised in Ka Pae Aina o Hawai’ii Nei and grew up with a deep reverence and connection to the lands, waters, elements, people and cultures. She and Sita moved to the Portland area in 2006 and developed a kinship in the Black, Indigenous and Queer communities. In 2020, when Lai-Lani and her wife Sita realized the dream of establishing a holistic healing space together, they were committed to centering the healing and access to quality care to those communities to which they belong.
She has many years of experience engaging and empowering communities for social justice through cross-cultural collective action. She has extensive nonprofit and philanthropic experience, managing programs and staff, and fostering collaboration among agencies.
Lai-Lani nurtures the people & culture of Black Pearl Wellness along with building and tending external partnerships and collaborations. She believes that the foundation of justice is healing and the foundation of healing is care - of self and our interconnectedness to all beings. She is reconnecting to Ancestral knowledge and has started her medicine journey.
Anyone interested in partnering or collaborating with Black Pearl Wellness on community wellness events, working on collective healing for liberation, contact Lai-Lani.
Essie Day Olou, LMT
Licensed Massage Therapist
Essie Day Olou graduated in 2010 from East West College of the Healing Arts where she found a life long passion in manual therapy. Throughout the years, she has focused her education in manual lymphatic drainage, Cranio sacral therapy, neuromuscular therapy and various eastern modalities.
Essie’s therapeutic flow is custom to each patient and with a nervous system supporting lens.
Rhythmic, deep and restorative; Essie’s treatments are best experienced in a series to support chronic pain, sleep issues, and nervous system regulation.
When Essie is out of the clinic, she is tending land on Wapato Island farm (Multnomah territories) learning folk medicine and ancestral ways of being with land and in community.
Essie is grateful to be in the integrative medicine community, where life long learning is standard and informed care is essential.
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His extensive training in Chinese medicine and natural medicine has equipped him with the necessary skills to treat acute and chronic diseases and provide recommendations on maintaining good health and disease prevention. After completing his studies at NUNM, Dr. Meeks chose to focus his clinical practice on Chinese medicine. He has completed additional training in Worselyian 5-Element Acupuncture in addition to Chinese medicinal herbs, homeopathy, and nutritional counseling.
Dr. Meeks considers it a privilege to provide high quality health care to patients and he provides a space where they feel welcome, heard, and empowered. His passion for medicine is a result of his personal health challenges and reading books about holistic medicine while attending Prairie View A&M University. His interest in Chinese medicine grew while attending NUNM and learning about its prominent role in community clinics established by the Black Panther Party. He is committed to making Chinese medicine and natural medicine more accessible to patients...especially those from marginalized populations and/or those experience various forms of systemic oppression.
In addition to his role as an acupuncturist and clinical practitioner, Dr. Meeks serves as the Assistant Coordinator of the Multicultural Center at Portland Community College (PCC) – Sylvania Campus and Co-Coordinator of the Men of Color Leadership Program (MOCLP), a year-long program designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and completion rates of men of color enrolled at PCC. He also teaches courses in the Health Studies Department, Counseling & Guidance Department, and Education Department.
Dr. Meeks looks forward to serving the individual and collective needs of the community through healthcare, education, and social justice. Some of the conditions Dr. Meeks treats with Chinese medicine:
Back pain, knee pain, headaches/migraines, shoulder pain, neck pain
High blood pressure, heart palpitations, high cholesterol
Asthma, common cold, flu
Fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression
Diabetes
-
Dr. Kimberly Gutierrez graduated from Purdue University Pharmacy School in 1999 and continued her development and education at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon in which she graduated in 2012. She practiced as a licensed pharmacist for 23 years and is now concentrating solely on her medical practices. She serves patients in the Portland area as well as in Tillamook. Her practice focuses on family medicine, hormone balance and disease prevention. Dr. Gutierrez treats the whole person by addressing any imbalances in the body. She uses a variety of modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, botanical medicine and homeopathy. Her vast knowledge and experience with pharmaceuticals allows her to manage an individual’s healthcare using both traditional as well as natural medicine. Dr. Gutierrez has a strong belief that a balance between body, mind and spirit are imperative to the welfare of one’s health.
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Specializing in nutrition and botanical medicine, she guides patients through various conditions from neonatal to adult stages. She pursued her passion for medicine at Spelman College before completing her training at the National University of Natural Medicine.
Driven by her passion for serving her community, she is an advocate for health and wellness for all and strives to reduce further harm to communities that have been historically marginalized and economically disenfranchised. Dr. Nadia believes that vibrant health begins with a harmonious relationship with our environment.
Through her holistic approach, she seeks to enhance the well-being of the folks that she works with, addressing not only physical symptoms but also the underlying imbalances that contribute to illness. While she believes, people are more than the diagnoses that may be ascribed to them, common complaints that her patients have include: digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders, and subfertility to name a few.
Currently pursuing a second doctorate in Applied Medical Anthropology, her research targets maternal health disparities, particularly among Black people. Beyond her professional pursuits, Nadia cherishes family time with her husband and children and indulges in gardening and nature exploration.
Dr. Meeks considers it a privilege to provide high quality health care to patients and he provides a space where they feel welcome, heard, and empowered. His passion for medicine is a result of his personal health challenges and reading books about holistic medicine while attending Prairie View A&M University. His interest in Chinese medicine grew while attending NUNM and learning about its prominent role in community clinics established by the Black Panther Party. He is committed to making Chinese medicine and natural medicine more accessible to patients...especially those from marginalized populations and/or those experience various forms of systemic oppression.
In addition to his role as an acupuncturist and clinical practitioner, Dr. Meeks serves as the Assistant Coordinator of the Multicultural Center at Portland Community College (PCC) – Sylvania Campus and Co-Coordinator of the Men of Color Leadership Program (MOCLP), a year-long program designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and completion rates of men of color enrolled at PCC. He also teaches courses in the Health Studies Department, Counseling & Guidance Department, and Education Department.
Dr. Meeks looks forward to serving the individual and collective needs of the community through healthcare, education, and social justice. Some of the conditions Dr. Meeks treats with Chinese medicine:
Back pain, knee pain, headaches/migraines, shoulder pain, neck pain
High blood pressure, heart palpitations, high cholesterol
Asthma, common cold, flu
Fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression
Diabetes
-
Throughout the years, she has focused her education in manual lymphatic drainage, Cranio sacral therapy, neuromuscular therapy and various eastern modalities.
Essie’s therapeutic flow is custom to each patient and with a nervous system supporting lens.
Rhythmic, deep and restorative; Essie’s treatments are best experienced in a series to support chronic pain, sleep issues, and nervous system regulation.
When Essie is out of the clinic, she is tending land on Wapato Island farm (Multnomah territories) learning folk medicine and ancestral ways of being with land and in community.
Essie is grateful to be in the integrative medicine community, where life long learning is standard and informed care is essential.
Driven by her passion for serving her community, she is an advocate for health and wellness for all and strives to reduce further harm to communities that have been historically marginalized and economically disenfranchised. Dr. Nadia believes that vibrant health begins with a harmonious relationship with our environment.
Through her holistic approach, she seeks to enhance the well-being of the folks that she works with, addressing not only physical symptoms but also the underlying imbalances that contribute to illness. While she believes, people are more than the diagnoses that may be ascribed to them, common complaints that her patients have include: digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders, and subfertility to name a few.
Currently pursuing a second doctorate in Applied Medical Anthropology, her research targets maternal health disparities, particularly among Black people. Beyond her professional pursuits, Nadia cherishes family time with her husband and children and indulges in gardening and nature exploration.
Dr. Meeks considers it a privilege to provide high quality health care to patients and he provides a space where they feel welcome, heard, and empowered. His passion for medicine is a result of his personal health challenges and reading books about holistic medicine while attending Prairie View A&M University. His interest in Chinese medicine grew while attending NUNM and learning about its prominent role in community clinics established by the Black Panther Party. He is committed to making Chinese medicine and natural medicine more accessible to patients...especially those from marginalized populations and/or those experience various forms of systemic oppression.
In addition to his role as an acupuncturist and clinical practitioner, Dr. Meeks serves as the Assistant Coordinator of the Multicultural Center at Portland Community College (PCC) – Sylvania Campus and Co-Coordinator of the Men of Color Leadership Program (MOCLP), a year-long program designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and completion rates of men of color enrolled at PCC. He also teaches courses in the Health Studies Department, Counseling & Guidance Department, and Education Department.
Dr. Meeks looks forward to serving the individual and collective needs of the community through healthcare, education, and social justice. Some of the conditions Dr. Meeks treats with Chinese medicine:
Back pain, knee pain, headaches/migraines, shoulder pain, neck pain
High blood pressure, heart palpitations, high cholesterol
Asthma, common cold, flu
Fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression
Diabetes
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She and Sita moved to the Portland area in 2006 and felt kinship in the Black, Indigenous and queer communities. In 2020, when Lai-Lani and her wife Sita realized the dream of establishing a holistic healing space together, they were committed to centering the healing and access to quality care to those communities to which they belong.
She has many years of experience engaging and empowering communities for social justice through cross-cultural collective action. She has extensive nonprofit and philanthropic experience, managing programs and staff, and fostering collaboration among agencies.
Lai-Lani activates the people & culture of Black Pearl Wellness along with building and tending external partnerships and collaborations. She believes that the foundation of justice is healing and the foundation of healing is care - of self and our interconnectedness to all. Anyone interested in partnering or collaborating with Black Pearl Wellness on community wellness events, working on collective healing for liberation, contact Lai-Lani.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO NAVIGATE IT ALONE
Your Wellness Journey Matters
Whether you’re new to holistic health or continuing your journey, Black Pearl Wellness is here to provide the support you need. We offer flexible, convenient, and accessible care tailored to your unique needs. Reach out to our practitioners today, and let’s take the first step together toward a brighter, healthier future.