Helm is the director and lead instructor at the Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego and the former department chair of the massage and bodywork program at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. He has been studying Chinese martial and healing arts since 1965, specializing in taijiquan, tui na, qigong, and herbal medicine. Helm is a 20th generation Indoor Disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and holds a 6th Duan Wei from the Chinese Wushu Association. He has also studied with taijiquan masters Chen Xiaoxing, Chen Zhiquang, Ren Guangyi, and Chen Bing. Helm studied traditional Chinese Medicine at the Shanghai College of Medicine and the Beijing Olympic Training Center in China and in the U.S. with Taoist Master Share K. Lew and Dr. Yu Da Fang.
Teacher Bios
Susan Johnson
Susan Johnson, LAc, has been studying acupuncture since 1982. She is an esteemed teacher of Master Tung’s Magic Points, a potent system of acupuncture handed down as a treasured family secret for generations and made public by Master Tung Ching-Chang.
Susan graduated from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, California, was licensed in 1984, and began an internship with Dr. Miriam Lee. She became Dr. Lee’s primary student and trained extensively with her for many years. In 1987, they traveled to Hefei, China, to study bleeding techniques with Dr. Wang Xiu Zhen. Susan studied Master Tung’s Magic Points with both Dr. Lee and Dr. Wei-Chieh Young. During the 1980s she also worked with Dr. Lee, lobbyist Art Krause, and elected officials to pass legislation expanding the scope of acupuncture in California.
Susan Johnson practiced acupuncture in San Francisco until 1988, specializing in the treatment of HIV, and has maintained an acupuncture practice in Santa Cruz ever since. Susan continues to work on innovative ways to share Master Tung’s Magic Points with a global audience. Her passion for Tung’s points and her desire to share this remarkable system with other practitioners has inspired her to guest lecture worldwide, write articles, and produce webinars and tutorial DVDs. Her newest book is Tung’s Magic Points, Volume One: A Definitive Clinical Guide, which will soon be followed by Tung’s Magic Points, Volume Two: The Clinician’s Best Friend.
Deirdre Courtney
Deirdre Courtney, MTCM, CAc (China), DiplAc, came to acupuncture and face reading through her passion for cooking good, healthy, macrobiotic food. In the 1980s, she was in demand as a chef, working in French, Italian, vegetarian and macrobiotic restaurants in her home town of Dublin, as well as in Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles. She also became a teacher, showing other cooks how to use the healing power of healthy food to help people recovering from alcohol, drug abuse, and obesity.
Seeking to develop her healing talents further, she earned her master’s in traditional Chinese medicine from Yo San University and opened a private practice. Courtney has since lectured and conducted workshops worldwide, been published in journals, magazines, and newspapers, and made many appearances on TV and radio. She was the head of the acupuncture department at the College of Naturopathic Medicine CNM Ireland for 12 years and Chairperson of the Irish Register of Chinese Medical Herbalism for four.
Dustin Dillberg
Dr. Dustin Dillberg, DACM, LAc, is a speaker, writer, and educator specializing in sports medicine, myofascial systems, lymphatics, pain management, and functional medicine. He is a graduate of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Egoscue Institute, and Pettibon Spinal Technologies. Dr. Dillberg has extensive clinical experience working with many top professional athletes and co-authored the book Body and Soul with Bethany Hamilton in 2014. Dr. Dillberg lives and works on the island of Kauai, where he runs the Pain Free Kauai clinic, providing traditional Chinese medicine along with postural corrective exercise, laser therapy, and functional medicine. He is a speaker and consultant to healthcare professionals on integrating posture-based exercise and functional medicine into practice.
Jason Prall
Jason Prall, founder and CEO of the Human Longevity Project, is an optimal health and longevity practitioner who works remotely with individuals around the world who are those struggling with weight loss or suffering from complex health issues that their doctors have been unable to resolve.
He shares his unique and innovative approach as a nationally-recognized speaker and radio host, transforming the lives of thousands with simple, practical, powerful solutions to combat chronic health conditions and improve quality of life. In 2016, Prall was honored with the Community Award by the National Association of Nutrition Professionals. He is also the author of the forthcoming book Longevity: Living Beyond 100 with Abundant Energy, Happiness, and Vitality by Applying the Secret Wisdom of the World’s Healthiest People.