Virtual Service Offerings
BAZI DESTINY
CONSULTATION
Using Chinese astrology to look at energetic patterns of an individual.
INTEGRATIVE
MEDICINE CONSULTATION
Personalized Medical Care, incorporating Western, Eastern, and Integrative Medicine, to predict,prevent, and manage disease.
DISTANCE ACUPUNCTURE
SESSIONS
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine consultation and treatment for illnesses, injuries or chronic conditions.
Events & News
If you wish to learn more about Dr. Chen and his unique Western and Chinese medicine methods, here are some resources:
Dr. Chen teaches class on BaZi Calendrical Constitution Calculation
March 13-16, 2025
BaZi, “eight characters” is an ancient Chinese Calendar based technique of determining an individual’s Constitution, with significant implications for Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment.
The initial process of setting up the chart, understanding the personality, and determining the base constitution is easily accessible to the public with an interest in Chinese Medicine and understanding of Yin Yang and 5 Phase theory, but will be especially relevant to Chinese Medicine practitioners to enhance their clinical acumen.
Please join Howard Chen, MD, teaching staff at Middle Way Acupuncture Institute and apprentice of Dr. Richard Tan, OMD for an enlightening 4 day hybrid workshop on the basics of BaZi Constitutional Diagnosis in March 13-16, 2025. Levels 2,3,4 will follow monthly, and will focus on a deep dive into the interpretation of the constitution.
Qiological podcast episode 376 with Dr. Chen hosted by Michael Max
Sep 01, 2024
Dr. Chen speaks with Michael Max on the Qiological Podcast about the power of the Chinese Calendar in helping to determine the nature of a person's constitution.
The Ba Zi is a description of the moment we enter this world, it’s the weather we carry with us from that first breath. It shows tendencies of expression, not unlike how DNA plays a familiar rhythm through us.
In this conversation with Howard Chen we explore the Ba Zi and in particular the influence of the Day Master, which is a helpful place to begin when sorting through the complex interrelationships of the phases, especially if you’re a practitioner of acupuncture.
Upcoming Tea Time Talk with Sabine Wilms (paywalled):
Tea Time Talk: Determining the Root - Chinese Calendar Constitutional Diagnosis and Treatment, with Howard Chen M.D., (continued)
July 13th, 2024 @ 10AM PDT
Following the Chinese Lunisolar calendar has helped me understand the path that has been laid before me. As a person with a constitution of deficient yang metal with a bit too much wood, I have found that structure and growth have been my constant life companions. At Brown University, I studied ways to integrate both Western and Traditional Health practices through my Major, “Biopsychosocial health”. The part of me that desired structure won out and I went on to study BioMedicine, eventually becoming a Family Medicine Physician. But of course, as in the theory of the Five Phases (五行), there is a time for structure and a time for growth, so I went on to study and practice Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, looking for answers that BioMedicine could not provide. On the way, I studied French Energetics, Worsley Five Element, and Tan Balance Method Acupuncture, and of course the Chinese calendar. When I realized that I needed more work on understanding and treating the Spiritual causes of disease, I went on a year long meditation retreat. When I had recovered, I established a clinic named the Chen Center for Integrative Medicine, where we tried to bring both Western and Eastern Medicine together. Most recently, when I realized I didn’t know enough about what my TCM students knew, I enrolled in the formal study of TCM at Middle Way Acupuncture Institute.
In my life cycle of establishing stability and structure, preferring growth, and then returning to establishing a new structure and stability, the practice that has been the most enduringly useful to me has been the study of the Chinese calendar in the context of the BaZi (生辰八字). After more than a decade of study and application of its principles with every one of my Biomedicine and Chinese Medicine patients, I can say for certain that it deciphers an individual’s constitution, the proverbial běn (本 of 标 and 本), which I believe is the xìng (性) that many authors, such as Wang FengYi (王凤仪) refer to. With this knowledge, we gain very specific information about an individual’s predilection for disease or health, such as where and when disease will manifest, and how to maintain health. Furthermore, through the comparison of the information from the 生辰八字and principles of TCM and Worsely Five Element, I’ve gained insight into the misunderstandings of Yin Yang theory and the Five Phases that we are all taught, and how this weakens our practice of Chinese Medicine.
Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT) Podcast, Season5, Episode 8: Everything is Related: Exploring the Ancient Wisdom of Classical Chinese Medicine for Mental Well-Being
Nov 08, 2023
Join us as we bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern mental health solutions with Dr. Howard Chen. Dr. Chen takes us on a fascinating journey through the principles and practices of Classical Chinese Medicine. He explains how emotions are connected to the organs and the interrelated nature of mental and physical wellness. Whether you’re a CCM enthusiast or new to this holistic approach, this episode promises valuable insights and practical tips for cultivating a harmonious mind-body connection.