With 25 years of experience, Illya Borreson, R.Ac, has treated an extensive range of conditions, symptoms, and signs. His work spans neurological disorders (from Bell’s palsy to stroke recovery and shingles) as well as gastrointestinal issues such as IBS, poor digestion, and constipation. He also treats cardiovascular and respiratory symptoms, including palpitations, chest tightness, and chronic cough. Illya has extensive experience with pain disorders of all kinds, supporting patients through surgery recovery, cancer care, and post-cancer surgery rehabilitation. His practice also addresses skeletal and structural conditions, including misaligned vertebrae and scoliosis, as well as stress, anxiety, and depression, and fertility issues and menstrual disorders. Throughout his career, Illya has developed the skill and confidence to treat almost any condition that comes through his door, drawing on a deep and versatile clinical experience.

Illya obtained his Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine Diploma at the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Victoria, B.C. in 2002, concluding his studies with an internship at Tianjin Second University Hospital in Tianjin, China. This intensive experience sparked a profound appreciation for Chinese culture, philosophy, and tradition, fostering a strong commitment to Chinese Medicine that he has been devoted to ever since.

Upon his second trip to China in 2006, Illya worked in the Traditional Chinese Medicine and sports medicine departments at the renowned Shanghai East International Medical Hospital. Working alongside a dedicated team of Western medicine specialists, including physiotherapists and chiropractors, he treated inpatients, gaining hands-on experience integrating TCM with modern clinical care. He also served as the attending sports medicine practitioner and first-aid provider for the Shanghai International Football League.

He then moved to Southeast Thailand, joining the team at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa Resort, recognized as one of Asia’s leading holistic medical spas for its Traditional Chinese Medicine department and signature health retreats. There, Illya worked alongside doctors from Naturopathic, Ayurvedic, and Western medical backgrounds, collaborating across disciplines to meet the health and wellness goals of an international clientele. It was here, under the mentorship of an esteemed Chinese Medicine doctor, that he refined the specialized techniques in facial cosmetic acupuncture that would eventually become the foundation of Acusculpting®.

Upon returning to Canada, Illya expanded this expertise into a full-spectrum practice in Victoria, BC, where he founded Victoria Community Acupuncture + Spa in 2011, and spent five years building it into a thriving multi-disciplinary clinic, and honing Acusculpting®. He now teaches the protocol in person at Pacific Rim College, where he has been on faculty since 2014, and through his online course approved by the NCCAOM for continuing education in the United States, reaching an international community of practitioners who study and practice his protocol.

In 2016, he launched his private practice, Aculoft, in Victoria, where he still practices today. After visiting Pender Island for decades, Illya officially made it home three years ago, growing to love its quiet, island pace — a peaceful complement to the vibrant energy of Victoria. He is now excited to open a part-time practice on North Pender, dividing his time between the two communities he’s proud to call home.

The beauty of Chinese medicine is that every symptom is unique to the individual, offering the opportunity to treat each person with precision, drawing on thousands of years of TCM theory and practice.

With 25 years of experience, Illya Borreson, R.Ac, has treated an extensive range of conditions, ... Read More