meet our Team
At The Buddha's Medicine, healing is a collaborative process. Our team brings together Ayurvedic, integrative, and lifestyle medical care, mental health therapy, massage therapy and bodywork, and Ayurvedic lifestyle coaching — all working in coordination so that every aspect of your care is connected, informed, and aligned with your unique needs.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH directs the clinic as a triple board-certified physician with more than 15 years of Ayurvedic study and practice. Jamie Van Auken, MA, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, provides somatic, nervous system-informed, and neurodiversity-affirming therapy for individuals, couples, and families in Oregon and Washington. And our team of Licensed Massage Therapists — Chris Thurston, Kara Cooper, Cassandra Cantu, and Pamela Monroe — bring deep expertise in both Western therapeutic massage and traditional Ayurvedic bodywork to our SE Portland clinic.
Together, we offer something uncommon: a fully integrative team where your physician, therapist, bodyworker, and lifestyle coach can all work together on your behalf.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH, ABOIM, DipABLM, E-RYT, YACEP
Dr. Matt is an Ayurvedic, triple board-certified physician as well as the owner, founder, and clinical director of The Buddha’s Medicine.
Jamie Van Auken,
MA, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, E-RYT 500
Jamie is a relational therapist specializing in somatic, nervous-system informed, neurodiversity-affirming individual, couples and family therapy. She is an Oregon (#R11588) & Washington (MFTA.MG.70029753) Licensed and Registered Marriage and Family Therapist.
Meet Our Massage Team
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![Chris Thurston, Licensed Massage Therapist of The Buddha's Medicine standing in front of green foliage, wearing a light purple shirt over a red top, with hands in pockets.]()
Chris Thurston, Lead LMT + Administrative Assistant
11+ Years of Experience · Massage Therapy Educator · Global Training
Chris brings over eleven years of massage therapy experience and a genuinely global perspective to his work. His journey has taken him from Traditional Chinese Medicine studies in Chicago to Thai massage training in Chiang Mai, Ayurvedic treatments in India, and plant medicine traditions in Peru. A dedicated Buddhist practitioner with fifteen years of yoga practice, Chris embodies the integrative spirit at the heart of our clinic.
Beyond clinical work, Chris has served as a massage therapy instructor at the National Holistic Institute, guiding multiple cohorts of students from enrollment to graduation. His teaching background enhanced his already exceptional skill in reading bodies and adapting his hands-on care in real-time.
Specialties: Swedish · Deep Tissue · Thai Massage · Shiatsu · Craniosacral Therapy · Myofascial Release · Reiki · Integrated Bodywork
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![Kara Cooper, Licensed Massage Therapist]()
Kara Cooper, LMT
Nearly 10 Years of Experience · 10,000+ Hours of Bodywork
Kara brings a decade of dedicated bodywork experience and an intuitive, goal-focused method to every session. Her training spans the range of neuromuscular therapy, deep tissue, trigger point work, pregnancy/prenatal massage, reflexology, energy healing, silicone cupping, and dermoneuromodulation—allowing her to adapt fluidly to what each person needs.
Clients describe their sessions with Kara as both invigorating and deeply balancing. Whether you arrive seeking relief from chronic tension, support during pregnancy, or simply wholesome restoration, she meets you exactly where you are with compassion and clinical precision.
Specialties: Deep Tissue & Neuromuscular Therapy · Pregnancy Massage · Reflexology · Cupping Therapy · Reiki & Energy Work · Sports Massage
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![Cassandra Cantu, Licensed Massage Therapist]()
Cassandra Cantu, LMT
Nearly 10 Years of Experience · Doctoral Student in Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine
Cassandra's path has taken her from the mountains of Colorado to the glaciers of Washington to the halls of the National University of Natural Medicine, where she is currently working on her doctorate in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine. Her advanced training informs every session—bringing together rigorous anatomical knowledge with intuitive, heart-centered care.
Her specialized training includes Transformational Neuromuscular Therapy, Tuina (Chinese medical massage), Qi Gong, and internal organ balancing. Cassandra's heart mission is to create safe, healing, and inclusive spaces for her community.
Specialties: Therapeutic Myofascial Massage · Neuromuscular Therapy · Sports & Injury Massage · Pre/Postnatal Massage · Tuina · Lymphatic Techniques · Internal Organ & Meridian Balancing
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![Pamela Monroe, Licensed MASSAGE THERAPIST | THE BUDDHA'S MEDICINE]()
Pamela Monroe, LMT
30+ years of experience and practice for over 30 years
Pamela Monroe, LMT, has been in practice for over 30 years. She continues to love her work and finds deep fulfillment in helping others. Pamela attended massage school in Denver, Colorado, after working for several years as a cosmetologist. Her training was a 1,000-hour program with a strong focus on deep tissue and neuromuscular therapy, along with other modalities.
During this time, she met Dr. John Douillard in Boulder, Colorado, where she had a profound experience with marma therapy. Shortly thereafter, she began training in his clinic. Pamela went on to become the head panchakarma therapist and also trained other therapists at the clinic, as well as traveling to provide training. Her experiences with panchakarma have added great richness to both her professional practice and her personal life.
After moving to Portland, Oregon, Pamela continues to offer Ayurvedic therapies in addition to other massage modalities, including deep tissue, neuromuscular therapy, craniosacral therapy, and her newest passion, quantum light wave healing.
