Frequently Asked Questions

The Living Patterns Certification is a professional training program that teaches TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioners how to interpret laboratory data through the Five Element framework. It bridges classical Chinese medicine — pulse, tongue, pattern diagnosis — with modern functional laboratory testing to give practitioners an objective, quantitative layer that verifies and deepens their clinical findings.

The program consists of four core courses (See, Read, Investigate, and Treat the Pattern) plus an optional fifth course, ‘Specialize and Thrive: The Tao of Sustainable Practice.’ Upon completion, graduates gain access to the Living Patterns Readings Workflow App.

The program is open to any licensed health practitioner, though it is initially marketed toward acupuncturists and TCM practitioners (L.Ac., DAOM, DOM) since the framework is built on Five Element theory.

The methodology applies to anyone who wants to integrate functional laboratory data with a systems-based, pattern-oriented clinical framework — integrative medicine practitioners, doctoral students, and established practitioners looking to differentiate their practice and add high-value services.

You do not need an acupuncture license to participate. However, the more fluent you are in Five Element theory and TCM pattern diagnosis, the faster the material will integrate.

A working knowledge of TCM pattern diagnosis and Five Element theory is beneficial. Course 1 covers Five Element physiology in clinical depth, so it is also suitable for practitioners who want a stronger theoretical foundation. No prior functional medicine or laboratory testing experience is required.

The Living Patterns Readings Certification Program runs as a six-month cohort. The four core courses total fifty hours of instruction — Course 1 See the Pattern and Course 2 Read the Pattern at fifteen hours each, Course 3 Investigate the Pattern and Course 4 Treat the Pattern at ten hours each. Cohorts begin twice a year, in June and January. Live cohort sessions run weekly with monthly group case-review sessions; self-paced material is released alongside the live calendar. The optional Course 5, Specialize and Thrive: The Tao of Sustainable Practice, adds approximately ten hours and can be taken alongside the certification or after.

The certification program is being prepared for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) approval with both the California Acupuncture Board (CAB) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The four core courses are designed to provide fifty hours of continuing education credit upon approval — sufficient to satisfy the full CAB two-year continuing education requirement, of which at least fifty percent will be delivered live (synchronous cohort sessions and livestream practicums). Each additional specialty track is designed to provide approximately twenty-five hours of continuing education credit. CEU approval status will be posted on this page as each board confirms. Practitioners outside California should verify with their state board whether CAB-approved or NCCAOM-approved continuing education transfers to their jurisdiction.

The founding cohort is planned to begin in June 2026, with a second cohort starting January 2027. Enrollment is not yet open. Join the waitlist using the form on this site and you will be notified as soon as the first cohort is announced. Waitlist members receive priority enrollment access and early-bird pricing details.

The full certification program (Courses 1–4 plus your first Specialty Track) is $5,500.

Payment plans are available: 6 × $965/month or 12 × $485/month.

A Certification + Done-For-You Practice Build-Out Bundle is available starting at $8,500 (payment plans: 6 × $1,400 or 12 × $700). This includes the full certification plus a complete practice infrastructure build-out conducted by Marc.

Additional Specialty Tracks (add-ons after completion) are $2,000 each (4 × $500). Course 5 — Specialize and Thrive — is $1,000 standalone, or $750 when bundled at certification enrollment.

Yes. Certified students who refer a colleague who enrolls receive a $550 credit toward their payment plan. Details are provided at enrollment.

Refunds are available in full within seven (7) calendar days of enrollment payment, no questions asked. After the seven-day window but before Course 1 begins, a seventy-five percent (75%) refund of the program fee is available; the twenty-five percent retained covers administrative and cohort-planning costs. Once Course 1 begins, the program fee is nonrefundable. Specialty track and Course 5 add-ons follow the same seven-day refund window from purchase, with no refund afterward. Documented medical emergencies and other extraordinary circumstances are reviewed case-by-case and may qualify for credit toward a future cohort or specialty track. Refund requests must be submitted in writing to admin@livingpatternsreadings.com.

The Workflow App (app.livingpatternsreadings.com) is a HIPAA-compliant, standalone practice automation tool built around Marc Ryan's clinical methodology. It is not a charting software — it is a dedicated workflow layer that sits alongside your existing practice systems.

Key features include: • Storage and tracking of each patient's Metabolic Assessment Form (MAF) • A visual progress bar showing exactly where each patient is in the care cycle • Automated patient reminder emails at key workflow stages • Auto-generated Test Recommendations Report (based on MAF scores) • Auto-generated Treatment Plan & Assessment Report (includes top TCM diagnoses, recommended supplements, number of treatments, lifestyle and dietary recommendations — hand-crafted by Marc Ryan and Seann)

Yes. The Workflow App is built to HIPAA standards as a standalone product. It does not connect to any EHR or charting software. Patient data is stored and transmitted securely.

Access to the Workflow App is invite-only and granted upon successful completion of all four core courses. A public demo is available at app.livingpatternsreadings.com/preview so you can explore the interface before enrolling.

Yes. A public demo of the Workflow App is available at app.livingpatternsreadings.com/preview. You can explore the interface and see the report generation features without a login.

The Living Patterns Readings ecosystem has three interconnected sites:

1. livingpatternsreadings.com (this site) — Certification program, practitioner and patient services, enrollment. 2. app.livingpatternsreadings.com — The Workflow App, available to program graduates. Public demo open to all. 3. blog.livingpatternsreadings.com — Clinical articles, case studies, and research updates from Marc Ryan.

All three are part of the same platform. The main site is the entry point; the app is the operational layer for graduates.

Practice Better is a health practitioner management platform used for course delivery, patient bookings, and enrollment management. Booking and enrollment happen directly on this site via an embedded Practice Better widget — you never need to navigate away. After booking or enrolling, you will receive a login to the Practice Better client portal where your course materials, session history, and records are managed.

Fullscript is a professional supplement dispensary platform used by health practitioners to recommend and fulfill professional-grade supplements to patients. Marc Ryan uses Fullscript as his supplement store, allowing him to recommend specific products that integrate with patient treatment protocols. Practitioners in the program learn how to integrate Fullscript into their own practice as a supplemental revenue stream.

Yes. Marc Ryan offers patient services including lab interpretation, consultation, and complete case reviews. See the Patient Services page for current offerings and pricing.

A Living Patterns Reading is a comprehensive functional medicine lab interpretation conducted through the Five Element TCM framework. Your bloodwork is analyzed not as isolated values but as expressions of underlying TCM patterns — revealing connections between systems that conventional lab interpretation typically misses.

Every reading follows the 3-Report System: a pre-test clinical assessment, a post-test lab interpretation report, and a follow-up treatment protocol that includes herbal recommendations, supplements, dietary strategy, and lifestyle prescriptions.