About
Brendan Murray-Nellis R.Ac. (Registered Acupuncturist)
Brendan opened Raven Acupuncture in tiny Kaslo B.C. in 2013. A year later he expanded his practice to the Slocan Valley. He is committed to rural practice, has family in the area and grew up in a similar rural environment. It can be difficult to get good healthcare in areas far from hospitals and he is here to help as a general practitioner with any non-emergency health concerns.
Brendan is a Registered Acupuncturist with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA). He received his B.A. from Bard College in New York and later graduated with honors from Pacific Rim College with an Acupuncture Diploma in Victoria B.C. He has also taken classes in western herbology through Pacific Rim College and Dominion Herbal College where he got a Chartered Herbalist Diploma.
While in Victoria, Brendan volunteered as an acupuncturist at a weekly acupuncture clinic at Our Place Society, treating vulnerable and homeless populations for addictions, pain and post-traumatic stress. He has done similar work locally at ANKORS in Nelson. Brendan has an interest in treating trauma from a physical and emotional perspective which is what drew him to Chinese Medicine after beginning studies in Psychiatric Nursing. His path to becoming a healer began after living in New Orleans Pre and Post Hurricane Katrina.
Brendan is invested in helping to build a healthy community in the West Kootenays by making acupuncture an accessible treatment option for everyone. His commitment to accessibility means that he provides direct billing for his services for those on low-income or disability MSP. Since he began his practice he has hosted a monthly Community Clinic Day where he has treated thousands of people by donation. Brendan began doing community work volunteering at a soup kitchen in Montreal as a little kid setting tables and with Food Not Bombs as a young adult.
Inspired by the old time image of a travelling doctor, Brendan braves winter storms and mountain roads. The wild Kootenay landscape is important to him as it is a treasure trove of wild medicinal species used in herbalism.
