WHO WE ARE

Our team is Rachel, Alyssa, Lauren and Julie.

At the heart of our clinic is a team of passionate, highly skilled practitioners - each bringing deep expertise in women’s health and a shared commitment to personalized, integrative care.

Rachel Schaefer

Meet The Team

RACHEL

ALYSSA

LAUREN

JULIE

  • Founder

    Rachel is the founder of Gingko Integrative Medicine (GIM). In practice over two decades, she is a multi-disciplinary clinician, with certification in as Functional Medicine clinician, licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist in the State of California, a current candidate for doctorate degree in Integrative medicine (completion 2026) and an expert in Women’s health across the full hormonal arc. A sought-after lecturer on topics of Women’s health and a true clinical detective, Rachel and her team specialize in the N of 1 study. Precision lab testing and evaluation from an optimization lens rather than pathology. GIM aims to illuminate patients’ unique physiology and administer treatment across modalities (acupuncture, nutritional medicine, HRT, herbal prescription and personalized dietary plan) to draft a care as unique as each woman we care for.  

    She is a founding member of NoCal fertility, a clinical cohort of providers in integrative medical care for infertility (www.norcalfertility.com).

    She received her BS in Biology from Mills College in Oakland, California in 1999 and went on to a four Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches Institute in 2005. Rachel has since completed numerous certifications, a two year apprenticeship in Nutritional medicine, a fellowship in Reproductive medicine resulting in her diplomacy as an ABORM fellow. (www.ABORM.org) She is one of the first providers to complete the rigorous CFMC, a certification in Functional medicine from the prestigious Kharrazian institute.  

    (www.kharrazianinstitute.com)

    At GIM, we offer state-of-the art Functional medicine testing, alongside conventional serum analysis and clinical interaction focused on the "n of 1".

    Rachel applies a highly developed Food-As-Medicine lens and prescribes dietary approaches to further optimize patient’ metabolic health. 

  • Alyssa began her certification process through the IFM towards becoming an IFM Certified Practitioner in 2021. She currently holds certification in Application of Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice, with full certification expected in 2025. She is also pursuing the CFMC certification through the Kharrazian Institute. 

    Always expanding her clinical knowledge base, Alyssa has already completed several courses in 2025, including the Rachel Rubin HRT course, Jackie Piasta’s BHRT course, and multiple masterclasses covering topics such as hormone imbalance, weight loss resistance, gut microbiome analysis, genetics in precision medicine, mood and mental health challenges in perimenopause, and more. 

    She is a skilled root cause investigator, dedicated to uncovering the underlying factors that drive health outcomes and providing personalized, N-of-1 programming to meet the immediate and long-term health needs of her patients.  She employs a food-and-movement-as-medicine approach, utilizing advanced laboratory testing as needed and applying a nuanced lens to conventional labs.  Her ability to listen to a patient’s entire story, combined with her extensive clinical knowledge, has helped many women improve their overall health metrics, quality of life, and sense of well-being. She has expertise in gut health, the microbiome and metabolism, adrenal and thyroid conditions, and hormone balancing throughout the lifespan.

  • Lauren is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist specializing in holistic aesthetics and healing the body from the inside out. Her journey into Chinese medicine began with healing her own digestive and skin concerns. Through personal experience, she discovered the profound power of holistic therapies—including acupuncture, functional nutrition, herbal medicine, advanced skincare, and lifestyle changes—that address the root causes of imbalance rather than just the symptoms.

    She holds a BA from the University of San Diego and earned her Master of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine from AIMC in Berkeley. During her extensive clinical training, she focused on holistic aesthetics, digestion, hormones, and pain management—areas that remain central to her practice today.

    Lauren provides compassionate, personalized care, integrating innovative techniques and evidence-based tools with ancient healing practices. This unique approach allows her to optimize skincare and overall wellness by truly remodeling the skin from the inside out—offering results that go far beyond surface-level beauty.

  • Julie is a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy.  She specializes in guiding clients through diet, lifestyle and behavioral changes using a root-cause approach grounded in functional medicine principles. 

    Her goal with each client is to create a supportive space to discuss provider treatment plans, define health and wellness goals and develop personalized strategies to implement sustainable and meaningful change.

Together, we’re here to guide, support, and empower you through each phase of womanhood.

PERSONALIZED CARE FOR YOUR UNIQUE JOURNEY

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