“Chiyu” means “healing” in Japanese. Our name is a nod to the roots of one of our very first integrative therapies.

The story of Chiyu | Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine (Chiyu Center) is one that spans generations, scientific systems, and vastly different medical cultures.

Erika F. Marie, DACM, LAc, graduated the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Psychology, conducting research and studying systems engineering. While she was on active duty, her father was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. To everyone’s surprise, he eliminated his cancer with a pioneering determination to use what we now call Integrative Medicine. His journey inspired Erika to investigate energy medicine, natural health, and herbal therapies. She was so impressed with the possibilities that she changed career paths from pursuit of an MD degree to earn a Masters and Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

Shortly after completing national board-certification in acupuncture, Dr. Marie’s infant daughter, Adahlia, received a devastating diagnosis of Diamond Blackfan Anemia, an ultra-rare blood disorder. At this same time, Dr. Marie was hit with kidney failure of unknown origin. In this seemingly hopeless situation, Dr. Marie used an integrative approach to put her autoimmunity symptoms into remission and help Adahlia thrive despite monthly blood transfusions and severe cardiac iron overload. In 2019, Dr. Marie was selected to advise and start the acupuncture clinic of the Kansas City VA Hospital. She was published in EXPLORE medical journal in 2021.

In 2024, Dr. Marie worked with her daughter’s bone marrow transplant team in an integrative capacity. The result? Adahlia experienced an astonishingly gentle, quick, and complete BMT. Even with an unrelated stem cell donor and a hospital-acquired c. diff. infection at a critical time, Adahlia experienced neither mucositis, GVHD, post-transplant infection, nor peripheral neuropathy. She did not require an nG tube, was able to eat and drink normally throughout transplant, had quick engraftment, was discharged to her home and pets just 23 days after transplant, with her central line removed just 54 days later. Her quick healing thrilled her BMT team as she continued to surpass any expectation of vitality before every milestone, taking only a low-moderate dose of immune suppression. In less than 6 months, she was completely off all pharmaceutical medications. Just 9 months post-transplant, Adahlia began alpine skiing, doing blue and black diamond runs at high elevation in the Rocky Mountains, a sport she had never been able to enjoy previously due to the effects of anemia in DBA.

Today, Dr. Marie consults with people suffering from complex conditions in Colorado and remotely, wherever they need help. She also speaks, advises, and educates the public and health providers on the effective integration of medicines.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Marie and Adahlia act as advocates for multiple humanitarian organizations, encouraging blood donation and stem cell registration, with the National Marrow Donor Program, the American Red Cross, and the Department of Defense’s Salute to Life Program.