Welcome to The Wellness Medical Center
Our mission is to improve the health of our patients and our community. Wellness Medical Center's pharmacy offers quality controlled herbs, supplements and nutraceuticals. We provide quality healthcare through a team of compassionate, dedicated, skilled practitioners. We approach each patient with personalized care centered in education, advocacy, respect and value. We are passionate about working with people on their healing journey.
A Legacy of Healing
The Wellness Medical Center has been a cornerstone in the Santa Cruz acupuncture healthcare community, founded by Dr. Donna Leight, LAc, OMD and Dr. Holly Guzman, LAc, OMD, dedicated providers, consistently treating patients in Santa Cruz since 1983.
Dr. Guzman is a beloved and dedicated educator, teaching apprentices in our community and speaking at conferences around the country, ushering in the future generation of traditional Asian medical providers. Dr. Holly Guzman continues to share her wealth of knowledge, offering advanced acupuncture trainings and CEUs at hollyguzmanseminars.com.
Dr. Leight passing in 2018, left behind a legacy of healing. Dr. Leight dedicated herself to the health and wellbeing of her patients, community and family. She will be remembered as a compassionate healer and pioneer in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. Her heartfelt presence left a lasting impact on the Santa Cruz community. She passed on her lineage of healing to her daughter, Dr. Maria Mitchell, LAc, DTCM who continues to see patients and serve the community at the Wellness Medical Center.
Meet Our Practitioners
Maria Mitchell, DTCM, L.Ac.
Maria Mitchell specializes in Women's Gynecological Health. She completed a seven-year clinical internship in advanced acupuncture with renowned practitioner and speaker Holly Guzman, L.Ac., O.M.D., a specialist in Women's Health and Infertility. She also studied for 17 years with Kiiko Matsumoto, a Japanese acupuncturist known for her innovation, precision, and dramatically effective use of acupuncture.
Maria has a comprehensive background in Integrative Sports Medicine and Trauma. She received a B.S. in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology from San Jose State University and served as a Firefighter for seven years, trained in emergency protocols. She worked for five years in a physical therapy setting and later received certification in Integrative Sports Medicine with Frank He, L.Ac. She specializes in the treatment of athletic injuries, musculoskeletal conditions, and pain-related issues.
She recently completed her Doctorate (DTCM) at Five Branches University.
Maria is also on faculty at Five Branches University, where she teaches TCM theory, Japanese KMS (Kiiko Matsumoto Style Acupuncture), and serves as a clinical supervisor in various teaching settings. She also maintains a private practice in Santa Cruz.
Maria is part of the Central California Alliance for Health Insurance provider network and is currently accepting new patients.
Samaya Cullerton, L.Ac.
Samaya is a California board-licensed acupuncturist and herbalist dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered care through traditional Chinese medicine. She offers acupuncture, herbal treatments, and holistic nutritional support, with a focus on personalized, evidence-based care.
She holds a Master's Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has over a decade of experience, specializing in women's health, as well as prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric traditional medicine. In addition to her clinical work, Samaya is a professor of herbal medicine, dietetics, and clinical acupuncture in the doctoral program at Five Branches University in Santa Cruz.
Samaya is part of the Central California Alliance for Health Insurance provider network and is currently accepting new patients.
