“Chiyu” means “healing” in Japanese.

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

In 2002, Erika graduated the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in pre-medicine, experimental research, and 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 Usui Reiki, natural health, and herbal therapies. She was so impressed that she changed career paths from pursuit of an MD degree to earn a Masters and Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

In 2008, after becoming certified as a Traditional Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master and Teacher, Dr. Marie opened Chiyu Center. In 2012, her infant daughter Adahlia received a devastating diagnosis of Diamond Blackfan Anemia, an ultra-rare blood disorder, and Dr. Marie was hit with kidney failure of unknown origin. Over the next few years, Dr. Marie used integrative methods to put her own autoimmunity into remission and help Adahlia thrive despite severe anemia and cardiac iron overload. In 2019, Dr. Marie was selected to advise and start the acupuncture clinic of the Kansas City VA Hospital, and she was published in EXPLORE medical journal in 2021.

In 2024, Dr. Marie worked with her daughter’s bone marrow transplant team to integrate cutting-edge therapies with traditional medicine to help Adahlia experience an astonishingly gentle and successful BMT for DBA. Even with an unrelated stem cell donor, Adahlia experienced no mucositis, no GVHD, a quick engraftment, no post-transplant infections, and instant resolution to early peripheral neuropathy. Adahlia did not require an nG or G tube, was able to eat and drink throughout transplant, was discharged home only 23 days after transplant, and had her central line removed at Day +77. Adahlia’s recovery astonished her BMT team as she continued to surpass all expectations of vitality and health well before each milestone, only ever requiring a low-moderate dose of tacrolimus, and coming off all pharmaceutical medications less than 6 months after transplant. By 9 months post-transplant, Adahlia was downhill skiing blue and black diamonds at high elevation in the Rocky Mountains, a sport she had never previously attempted due to the anemia of DBA.

Today, Dr. Marie and her team consult with and treat patients suffering from complex disease in Colorado and around the world. She also speaks, advises, and educates the public and health providers alike on how to effectively utilize integrative medicine.