Korean Hand Therapy Essentials: A Three-Part Introduction for Patient Care and Practitioner Wellness

Part 1 – Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Part 2 – Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Part 3 – Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Barbara de la Torre is board-certified in Family Medicine with additional training in psychiatry, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture, and holds a seven-year Master’s certification in Medical Qigong from the Ling Gui lineage. She has over 30 years of experience with Eastern and Western medicine, serves on AAMA’s Board and CME Committee, and is a faculty member at the Helms Medical Institute.

Dr. de la Torre integrated Traditional East Asian medicine into various clinical settings, from primary care to obstetrics to urgent care. Her training in hand microsystems began in college when her mother sent her a unique care package with silver-colored press pellets and hand microsystem maps. Dr. de la Torre trained under acupuncturist Dan Lobash, and medical acupuncturist Lowell Kobrin. She is dedicated to continuing “Dr. Dan’s” mission to teach Korean hand Therapy (KHT) to lay people and practitioners.

In 2022, Dr de la Torre left corporate medicine to found and direct her company, Third Opinion MD, to spark a wave of change in the practice of medicine and how people can best navigate the existing healthcare system. She has a private practice in Portland, Oregon, and teaches East Asian self-care and preventive courses on qigong, hand microsystems, systems theory, and the history of medicine.

Part 1 – Introduction to Korean Hand Therapy (KHT) – A Correspondence Microsystem for Patients and Practitioners

Korean Hand Therapy represents one of the most clinically practical microsystems available to medical acupuncturists, offering immediate applications for both clinical practice and self-care. This foundational webinar introduces core KHT principles and provides an overview of correspondence therapy. Participants will explore the historical development of KHT by Dr. Tae Woo Yoo, and experience firsthand how correspondence therapy can enhance their current practice.

A portion of this session focuses on self-care applications, with live demonstrations of techniques that practitioners can use for their own health maintenance. Select clinical cases will illustrate KHT’s potential, while discussion of current research highlights opportunities for evidence-based integration. This session provides a taste of what comprehensive KHT training offers, focusing on immediately applicable techniques for both patient care and practitioner wellness.

Objectives:
1. Identify the fundamental principles of KHT correspondence therapy and their clinical applications
2. Demonstrate basic KHT self-care techniques for practitioner health maintenance
3. Analyze available research on KHT and recognize opportunities for further
investigation
4. Apply basic KHT techniques to enhance current medical acupuncture practice

Part 2 – KHT Meridian Therapy, Diagnostic Techniques, and Clinical Integration

This session introduces KHT’s unique diagnostic framework and meridian system, demonstrating how these methods can enhance clinical assessment and treatment planning. Participants will gain exposure to 3-constitution diagnosis and yin/yang pulse diagnosis, understanding their role in KHT practice. The webinar will explore how these diagnostic techniques can be applied for patient assessment and practitioner self-care. While full diagnostic mastery requires dedicated study, this webinar provides essential context and preliminary skills. Clinical examples will showcase the power of KHT diagnosis, which provides immediate feedback. The key similarities and differences between KHT micromeridians and body meridians will be explored, with emphasis on meridian nomenclature, trajectories, and clinical applications.

Objectives:
1. Recognize KHT diagnostic methods and their clinical significance
2. Describe the micromeridian naming system and pathways
3. Identify the therapeutic value from using KHT diagnostics
4. Appreciate the application of KHT to clinical and self-care settings

Part 3 – Advanced KHT – Returning to the 5-Element Roots of Korean Medicine

This advanced session introduces a groundbreaking approach to KHT 5-element
treatment that bridges two pillars of Korean medicine. While traditional KHT 5-element methods have proven challenging for Western practitioners, this webinar reveals how principles from Sa’am acupuncture—another renowned Korean medical tradition—can revolutionize 5-element application in KHT. Participants will receive a brief introduction to Sa’am’s elegant approach to diagnosis and treatment, followed by an exploration of how these principles can replace complex traditional KHT 5-element protocols. Both KHT and Sa’am share deep roots in Korean medicine, making their integration natural yet innovative. While 5-element self-care is possible for practitioners, it requires extensive training to apply safely and effectively. Selected case studies demonstrate the clinical advantages of this simplified approach. Discussion includes current research opportunities and why this innovation makes advanced KHT accessible to more practitioners.

Objectives:
1. Discuss the basic principles of Sa’am acupuncture and how both Sa’am and KHT share Korean medicine roots
2. Compare traditional KHT 5-element methods with this innovative Sa’am-based approach
3. Recognize that advanced self-care applications require comprehensive training
4. Identify opportunities for advancing KHT practice through this integration