Meet Heidi Keating | Doctor of East Asian Medicine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heidi Keating and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heidi, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I attribute our success to our ability to adapt and change as often as possible.

Much of what we do that makes our brand resilient is trying new things for a period of time to see how it is received, and then make adjustments. Sometimes we come across something brilliant, other times its a flop and we completely shift directions with a learning experience and new feeling. Our mission is to create unique healing experiences to transform the human body, mind, and spirit.

We also offer a unique menu, from our selection of services such as: Cosmetic Acupuncture, Herbal facials, Sound Healing on a 60 string harp table, Fire Cupping, Lymphatic Drainage, Deep tissue massage, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Chiropractic care, Flower essences, Hot & Cold Therapies, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Nutritional Therapy, Detox coaching, PRP, Sauna, Red Light, and Crystal Healing with Energy work, are some of our highlighted offerings.

Our success is also fueled through word of mouth. Originally the dream of Gem & Tonic was to offer a cozy sanctuary to those looking for healing with the ability to be cared for by a team of practitioners under one roof.
We noticed we had something unique here- when patients got better after years of unanswered questions, they also trusted us with their loved ones. So they would get their family members in the door, and they had a shot at changing their health outcomes with holistic medical care. We also began to see pieces of our patients puzzles that hadn’t been filled in yet just by meeting their associated community. Soon, we were treating entire families and tracing back disease through generations of family members and stopping the disease process in its tracks.

Although we care for individuals, we have morphed into a community medicine sanctuary where people send their loved ones for healing when they don’t know how to help. One of our patients recently reached their 100th treatment in 6 months, and together we had been treating this patient and the whole family as a group of 6 different practitioners. Each breakthrough was a dream come true, and the findings and progress were so valuable to the journey of this patient and family. For most families, there is a treatment for everyone that interests them or suits their style. We treat hundreds of families and enjoy being that pillar for them.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my original business in 2016 when I was renting a room from circus performers out of an old mormon church on 10th avenue in Hillcrest. I transformed the pantry into a treatment room and began seeing massage clients slowly for herbal remedies, cupping, and massage therapy while I was still in Acupuncture School. When roommates moved out by 2017, I decided I wanted to transform the rest of the 4,500 square foot church into a big healing sanctuary for community events.

After spending months decorating and building the team, a dissonance began to appear and by the end of the year we had discovered toxic mold was growing wild throughout the sanctuary. I had to move immediately because I was so sick and dizzy. It was the sickest I’d ever been, but I volunteered my time at a Goddess Event and manifested in front of all the women a space that could heal people, then I threw my prayer in the fire and watched it turn to ashes. 3 months later I discovered a vacant medical office on Morena Blvd, and that week $5,000 worth of checks from valuables I had sold came into my possession- I sold my car, my rosewood furniture, I got my deposit back from the church, and I was set. I still have the picture of all the checks in my hand from that one day of mail. That was the day I decided to open the business of my dreams, Gem & Tonic and I wouldn’t look back.

Over time, Gem & Tonic went from having 1-2 practitioners, to having several, no one really committed to anything long term. In the beginning I hadn’t figured it out yet, so I just kept investing into the building with lighting, decor, and technology. Renters came and went, but I decided if I kept loving the space and the project, the right people would gravitate in and stay for the long haul. In 2021, after 2 years of being in business, I finally manifested the dream team of really great practitioners to collaborate with long term.

Know that when you start a business, you don’t really know what challenges you will come up against, you prepare for what you can, and take the rest day by day. Our team has created our values ultimately, it wasn’t entirely up to me to invent all of it on my own, because I was limited on my experience and what I thought mattered. What truly matters is that everyone is happy to be there and on their own terms.

Another part of our success has to do with our paradigm. Our business operates mainly as an apothecary, but we provide the sanctuary for healers to do their work here with more rights and freedoms than they would as employees, so we have a team of renters that have agreed to share one platform for collaboration. This model has helped us change the paradigm to empowering the healers and giving them more value so they can give back to those they care for. We know how hard it is to give with an empty cup and we wanted to show the world what a powerful business looked like without exploitation and with powerful incentives. We think this model brings us more success and will further the brand to a model that will go all over the world showcasing innovation in medicine.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Friday: Book my friend a facial from Mo Treize of “Heal thy Goddess”,

After- Shop at Hunt and Gather in North Park, get a matcha tea from Holy matcha, and Head to Cantina Mayahuel in Northpark for Mole night and a Paloma.

Saturday: We would start out at Superbloom cafe in Bay park- grab a matcha latte and enjoy the bay view

Head to Wonderland pub in OB for Brunch (the verde chilaquiles are the best on their brunch menu)

Drive to sunset cliffs to watch the surf

Drive over to Point Loma and catch the rest view of the city from Talbot st

Head to “the Pearl Hotel”, “Bali Hai”, or “Cabrillo monument” depending on our mood

Drive to Coronado, walk to the Hotel Del and enjoy the beach.

Sunday- Get a group together and head to La Jolla- either hike to Blacks beach or snorkel the Cove (don’t worry I have gear)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my husband Dr. Andrew Keating for supporting this vision of medicine from day 1 and helping guide me into the world of integrative medicine with his colleagues, especially Dr. Humiston, Dr. Gray, Dr Silberman, Dr Koperski, Dr Nevitt, Dr Trainor, Dr Lam, and Dr Tritt. They each showed me how successful this model could be at the Center for Health and Wellbeing during my 2.5 years there interning and working as an acupuncturist.

Website: www.gemtonic.com

Instagram: @gem.and.t0nic @modern.medicine.woman