Tucked away off Ridgeback Road, there’s a little acupuncture and wellness clinic with a big heart, sending ripples through the Chula Vista community and beyond. Though unassuming, the team at Urban Sage Acupuncture and Wellness walks their patients through some of their most transformational moments in life—a tremendous responsibility that they handle with deep intention and genuine care.
Patients arrive at Urban Sage for all kinds of reasons. Some are seeking relief from chronic pain caused by injury, some arrive for help with their dysregulated nervous system, some are dealing with the effects of emotional or physical trauma, and others with hormone imbalances, menopause, or PTSD. Whatever the reason behind their arrival, what they find when they get there is a team of loving and joyful integrative health professionals offering a pathway to a pain-free and purposeful life.
It’s unfortunate, but research shows that there is a significant disparity between effective medical intervention for men and women in the Western world today. It’s not uncommon for women's issues to be minimized, attributed to anxiety or emotions, or even dismissed entirely, leading to unresolved pain and confusion and a host of physical and emotional disruptions. This creates an impossible choice for women: Fight hard to advocate for your health and wellbeing or risk giving up your quality of life due to a lack of answers for unexplained pain, a devastating experience.
Dr. Jillian Imilkowski and her team at Urban Sage reject the notion that medicine has to be this way. In their practice, they treat patients with care, intention, and love. They listen deeply and explore treatment plans that address the full spectrum of a patient’s experience, every step rooted in practices that have been studied and developed over thousands of years.
As CEO and doctor at Urban Sage, Jillian holds a PhD in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and has spent years working with patients to alleviate their pain, improve their mental health, and lessen the effects of stress and anxiety in their lives. Her perspective is rooted in the idea that you don’t have to become hardened to become successful. “I am really proud of what I’ve built at the clinic,” she shares. “It’s a place that reflects my values of high standards, deep compassion, inclusivity, accountability and a belief that healing spaces can be both scientific and safe and powerful.” In her lifetime, Dr. Jillian has been a pastry chef, a baker, a restaurant owner, a wine sales rep, and even a Lyft driver, but her work now, as an acupuncturist and lover of people, is her true purpose. More than anything, she wants her patients to know that medicine doesn’t have to feel cold and overwhelming. Real care can feel warm, welcoming, and still rooted in effective science.
Dr. Jillian’s path to where she is today was anything but simple. In her twenties, a severe car accident left her in debilitating pain, unable to stand or walk for more than ten minutes at a time. When seeking help, she felt abandoned by the lack of answers from her doctors and let down by the medications prescribed to her without any understanding of the root cause of her issues. When she started receiving acupuncture and regular massages, everything changed. Her pain began to dissipate and she was able to take steps toward living her life normally again. In many ways, acupuncture and caring holistic medicine gave Dr. Jillian her life back. Today, she does the same for others, giving her patients care that awakens their body to its natural healing and allows them to live with more vibrancy, more movement, and more joy—a legacy that anyone would be proud to leave behind.
The Care you Deserve
At Urban Sage, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. When a new patient comes in, Dr. Jillian and her team complete a comprehensive intake including full medical history and a detailed consultation to fully understand their unique situation. They then develop a customized plan for integrative healing to inform each patient's path forward. Her goal is not to have patients for life. While some routine care is necessary, Dr. Jillian’s job is to fully heal each of her patients' problems, so that they can move on with their lives. From acupuncture to massage therapy, infrared light therapy, ear seeds and auricular therapy, and cupping, The Urban Sage team creates magic in their patients with a wide variety of services offered as a blend of ancient Chinese medicine and modern technologies, each step stemming from a place of joy, care, and community.
Her favorite part of the work? Watching the incredible transformations. When people heal, she says, it not only changes their relationship with themselves, but their relationship with their partner, their colleagues, their children, and their community. The ripple effect of effective integrative care is building a better Chula Vista community—a better world— through listening, care, and actually effective medical solutions. Urban Sage is here to help people feel better, feel more themselves, and feel more whole so that they can truly live every moment of their lives as they are meant to. Are you ready to rediscover a life filled with movement, vitality, and joy yourself? Visit the clinic and experience what’s possible.