Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Turner-Parker.
Hi Bianca, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always known I wanted a career helping people, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like. After earning my undergraduate degree in sociology, I worked a few desk jobs, but I quickly realized something was missing—I wasn’t fulfilled. (Such a millennial notion, I know!) That longing for meaningful work eventually led me to explore esthetics and therapeutic massage, and for the first time, I felt aligned. I had found a career where I could directly support others—helping reduce their pain, improve mobility, and relieve stress.
There’s truly nothing like being someone your patients look forward to seeing—someone they trust to help them feel better, even if only for a moment. Over time, I developed a high level of skill in therapeutic massage, but I also noticed that many of my patients needed deeper support—beyond what massage alone could provide. That realization is what ultimately led me to discover the profound healing power of acupuncture.
In fact, my journey into acupuncture was catalyzed by a deeply personal experience. On April 8, 2021, my beloved Chihuahua, Lio, suffered a spinal cord injury while playing with one of my other dogs. He became partially paralyzed and could no longer stand or hold himself up. At the emergency vet clinic, I was told he might never recover—and was even encouraged to consider euthanasia. But I couldn’t accept that outcome. He was otherwise a healthy dog, and his bloodwork showed no abnormalities. His condition didn’t seem like a reason to give up.
In a moment of grace, a veterinarian at the clinic mentioned electroacupuncture as a possible treatment. It involves inserting fine, sterile needles at key neurological and muscular points and applying a mild electrical current to stimulate healing. We gave it a try.
By April 14—after just four sessions—Lio began walking again. He was still wobbly and occasionally fell, but it was nothing short of miraculous. We combined his acupuncture treatments with red light therapy and underwater treadmill rehab, and by July, he was walking upstairs unassisted. In August, he was jumping on the bed—and eventually, he was discharged from physical therapy. Lio went on to live a full, happy, and mobile life until his passing at age 13.
That experience opened a new door for me. Seeing firsthand how acupuncture helped restore my dog’s mobility and quality of life made me realize how much more I could offer my human patients. It became clear that this medicine—rooted in centuries of wisdom—was a natural and powerful extension of the healing work I was already doing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely not been smooth, but I believe the challenges are what helped shape me into the practitioner I am today.
One of the biggest struggles was balancing school and work. I attended Texas Health and Science University, where I completed 2,625 hours of didactic training along with a two-year clinical internship. During that time, I was also working full-time to support my family. It required immense discipline, time management, and sacrifice—but it taught me how to show up fully even when things weren’t easy.
Later, I continued my education at Pacific College of Health and Science to complete my doctoral degree, which deepened my understanding of integrative care. To practice acupuncture in Texas, I had to sit for four national board exams—each one four hours long and covering subjects like biomedicine, acupuncture theory, point location, and herbal medicine. It was incredibly rigorous.
Beyond the academic and logistical challenges, I also had to learn to think in an entirely new paradigm. Traditional East Asian Medicine is rooted in a different cultural philosophy—it requires seeing the body, disease, and healing through a completely different lens. Learning how to respect and understand that cultural framework, and then apply it meaningfully in a clinical setting, was humbling and transformative.
Looking back, none of it was easy—but I’m grateful for every step. The struggle helped me grow not just as a clinician, but as a more grounded, empathetic human being.
As you know, we’re big fans of Aloe Me Integrative Health. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m the co-owner of Aloe Me Integrative Health, an acupuncture and wellness clinic in San Antonio that I co-founded with my partner, Allie. We specialize in sports medicine and pain management, offering targeted, results-driven care that blends Eastern medicine with modern therapeutic techniques.
Our services include acupuncture, acutherapy, cupping, gua sha, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage, integrative skincare, red light therapy, and postural assessments with corrective exercise. Every treatment is tailored to the individual, designed to support functional movement, reduce discomfort, and improve overall wellbeing.
While we’re known for our expertise in pain and performance, at the core of Chinese medicine is the goal of restoring homeostasis—creating the conditions within the body for it to do what it does best: heal and regulate itself. By providing the body with the right support, we’re also able to help patients with concerns like fertility, digestive issues, stress-related conditions, and much more.
What sets us apart is our ability to deliver clinical care in a deeply nurturing environment. We’ve created a space that feels more like a retreat than a clinic, and our patients often comment on how grounded and refreshed they feel after each visit—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.
We’re also proud of how we’re expanding our mission beyond the treatment room. Through community wellness events, curated seasonal offerings, and accessible education, we’re helping people integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine principles into their everyday lives.
At Aloe Me, our work is about more than treating symptoms—it’s about offering thoughtful, effective support that helps people reconnect with their own capacity for balance and vitality.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
For me, the most important quality behind my success is that I genuinely love what I do. Because I love it, I pour my full energy and heart into helping people feel better every single day. This work isn’t just a job—it’s my passion and my purpose.
I’m also deeply committed to lifelong learning. I’m constantly seeking out new knowledge and approaches to better serve my patients, whether that’s through advanced training, clinical experience, or listening closely to what each individual needs. That curiosity, combined with a desire to be of service, keeps me growing and evolving.
At the end of the day, I believe that when you truly care—and when you’re doing work that aligns with who you are—it naturally leads to connection, trust, and positive outcomes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aloemeintegrativehealth.com
- Instagram: @aloemeintegrativehealth
- Facebook: @aloemeintegrativehealth
