Dr. Gretchen joined A Way of Life Acupuncture in 2022. She earned her Masters of Science degree in Oriental Medicine at Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque, NM in 2008. Her practical education was focused on mental health concerns, trauma relief, and pain management with an emphasis on family care.
Dr. Gretchen deepened her studies alongside her Masters program with Master T. Koei Kuwahara as well as with his senior student, Dr. Ehrland Truitt learning the gentle, yet powerful art of Japanese Hari-Style Meridian Therapy. This style of acupuncture treatment is focused on addressing the root pattern of imbalance that allows the disease process to occur primarily by the use of gentle, focused, and intricate needle techniques. (see “What Is Hari Style Japanese Acupuncture?” for more information.)
She was born in Massachusetts and spent her early years in and around the city of Boston. She is the second child in a family of 8 and has spent much of her life focused on health and the maintenance thereof. Her mother and father met as students and practitioners of Macrobiotics taught by Japanese health pioneers Michio and Aveline Kushi (students of George Ohsawa) back in the 1970s. She believes her health education began in the womb and has continued to be the area of interest throughout her life. In Macrobiotics, a great deal of attention is paid to creating balance in all aspects of life. This focus from a young age left her with a keen awareness of the effectiveness of a holistic approach to health that looks at imbalances to determine the disharmony and the treatment method to reestablish a healthy condition
Through her experience growing up in a Macrobiotic family, Chinese Medicine, a natural desire to grow and learn, she realized there are many factors that come together to create
disease. This has also taught her that there are, therefore, many factors to take into consideration when treating disharmony in the body in order to restore health naturally.
Her philosophy is that there is no one, correct way to treat every person. There is no magic bullet protocol for creating health and wellness. There is only the deep and careful consideration of all the facets of an individual person’s life and their physical, mental, and spiritual presentation from a holistic perspective and identifying the patterns of imbalance that exist, allowing disease, discomfort, and disharmony to develop. Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Bodywork, Herbal Medicine, Dietary Therapy, Exercise therapy, Lifestyle adjustments - all are considered and utilized as necessary on the path to health. Rarely will one tool be enough and she is fortunate to have studied and practiced all of these personally and professionally and will bring all her skills to work for your health. Her ultimate goal is to provide you with personalized, gentle relief for a better quality of life.
Dr. Gretchen is passionate about creating health and wellness in all aspects of life as well as the lives of others. She has been in a thriving private acupuncture practice since 2008, worked as Program Director for Acupuncturists Without Borders from 2007-2010 helping train acupuncturists in providing free acupuncture care for victims of trauma and natural disasters. She was Vice President and Program Coordinator for The High Desert Hari Society from 2008-2018 providing Japanese Acupuncture Continuing Education opportunities for professionals around the world. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Florida State Oriental Medical Association as Vice President and spends as much of her free time enjoying her two sweet dogs and sunrise walks (and runs) on the beach.
She earned her Ni-Dan (2nd-degree black belt) in Koryu-Ryu Karate-Do in 2014 and passionately continues to study and advance her skills in the art of acupuncture and life with great masters here in the states and in Japan. Her education never ends and her enjoyment of the path she is on means she always comes to her “work” happy every day and ready to help you heal.
Let us help you.
Feel Better. Enjoy Life.
Gretchen Lorenson, A.P., MSOM, Dipl. OM., A.D.S.
NCCAOM® Board Certified Acupuncture Physician
Diplomate of Oriental Medicine
Master of Acupuncture Oriental Medicine
Certified Hari Traditional Japanese Acupuncture Practitioner
Certified Taishi Shonihari Pediatric Acupuncture Practitioner
Certified Kampo Chinese/Japanese Herbal Medicine Practitioner
Certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist
Certified Koshi Balancing Structural Acupuncture and Sotai Practitioner
Certified in Clean Needle Technique
Northeast Florida's Premier Acupuncture Facility