Foundations of the Balance Method

About Jim Westmoreland

Born and raised in Griffin, Georgia. Education: Griffin High School, North Georgia College, University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

In 1970 he formerly apprenticed to Dr. Tsoa Wang as an apprentice of Classical Chinese medicine and as an apprentice of Chinese Martial arts. He completed his classical apprenticeship in 1977. During and after the apprenticeship Jim practiced under the supervision of Dr. Wang and afterwards as an autonomous practitioner.

In 1980 Jim returned to Georgia and was shocked to learn that only licensed MD’s or those supervised by licensed MD’s were able to legally practice acupuncture in Georgia. He arranged to be supervised by an MD and started practicing in Georgia. He continued practicing in Georgia Under MD supervision. 

As the practice under MD supervision grew, more MD’s were interested in supervising him and over the years Jim was supervised by many. 

In the late 1990’s along with John Bishop, Michael Ard Kelly, Jim and others formed the Georgia State Oriental Medicine Association. Jim served the association for two terms as Vice President and one term as President of the association. Part of the primary mission of the Association was to obtain autonomous licensure for the practice of acupuncture in Georgia. We worked closely with the legislature and with the help of a lobbyist hired by the association, autonomous licensure for acupuncture in Georgia became a reality. Several years after autonomous licensure was passed the board of the association decided we had accomplished our primary mission and determined that since there were two other acupuncture association in Georgia, we would dissolve the GSOMA. Largely due to the actions of GSOMA autonomous Licensure was obtained in Georgia in 2000.

In 2000 Jim began an private acupuncture practice, during the same year he was accepted as an apprentice of Dr. Richard Tehfu Tan, Jim studied extensively under Dr. Tan and in 2012 was one of the first five people formerly recognized by Dr, Tan as a legacy holder of Dr. Tan’s balance method. Jim continued to follow Dr. Tan until Dr. Tan passed away in 2015. Jim remains as one of the few people personally certified by Dr. Tan to practice and teach his methods.

In 2013 Jim began a practice in North Carolina and currently maintains licenses in Both Georgia and North Carolina. Jim teaches and has taught seminars on acupuncture, herbs and Tui Na internationally. Jim currently maintains a primary practice in Denver, North Carolina.