Licensed Acupuncturist
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
NCCAOM Provider: PDA Provider #160
California Acupuncture Board, CEU Provider: #1576, Category 1 courses
NCTMMB Provider: #1000670
My book, The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner’s Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment, written with Kathy Kain, integrates the Five Elements, the five steps of self-protection found in animal predator-prey relationships, and the transformative science of polyvagal theory. The Tao of Trauma, with more than 15,000 copies sold, is the foundation for my workshops and classes attended by acupuncturists, bodyworkers, somatic psychotherapists, and medical doctors. Innovative treatment approaches emerge out of this East-meets-West approach that enhance observation, interaction, and touch skills to support core regulation in a clinical setting.
Here are some The Tao of Trauma endorsements from key figures in neurobiology and vibrational medicine:
- Stephen Porges, Ph.D. “Thank you for building the bridge that will enable my work to help explain Chinese medicine within a western science perspective.”
- Peter Levine, Ph.D. “The insights from this clearly written volume are tremendously important for therapists, bodyworkers, acupuncturists, physicians and other healers.”
- Peter Eckman, M.D., Ph.D., L.Ac. “I highly recommend The Tao of Trauma to therapists of all disciplines. It is a unique synthesis of Eastern and Western scholarly research and clinical experience.”
- Tara Brach, Ph.D. “In this pioneering book, Duncan and Kain draw on the wisdom of nature and chart a rich and trustworthy path for working with trauma.”
- Angela Hicks, L.Ac. “Alaine Duncan’s compassion, sensitivity, and skill as a practitioner shines through from every page.”
Education
- Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now Maryland University of Integrative Health), Masters in Acupuncture, 1990
- Somatic Experience Practitioner, 2007
- Post-certification: Touch Skills Training with Kathy Kain, 2011
- Post-certification: Somatic Regulation and Resiliency Training with Kathy Kain and Steve Terrell 2015
- B.S. Family Services, Northern Illinois University, 1975
Research/Clinical Experience
- Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 2005-2012
- DC Veterans Administration Medical Center, 2007-2017
- Research studies exploring the impact of integrative medicine on compassion fatigue in military caregivers; acupuncture for treatment of combat-related PTSD, chronic headaches in Veterans with traumatic brain injuries, pain in Veterans of all conflict; and for the treatment of Gulf War Veterans Illness.
- Charter member of the DC VAMC’s Integrative Health & Wellness program, which moved from a small office on the third floor in 2007 to having a foot-print in the primary care wing of the hospital during my tenure
- Samueli Institute
- Consulted on design andimplementation of study evaluating two forms of acupuncturefor treatment of chronic headaches among combat veterans with mild to moderate traumatic traumatic brain injury. Wayne Jonas MD, CEO, Samueli Institute, Principal Investigator.
- HealingWorks, Restore & Renew Wellness Clinic. 2007 – 2008
- Designed intervention and directedresearch evaluating the impact of integrative medicine stress-reduction program on caregiver health and wellness, morale, and job satisfaction. COL Richard Ricciardi, Chief, Nursing Research Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Principal Investigator.
- Acupuncture and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Study, Deployment Health Clinical Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 2006 – 2007
- Interview, examine and evaluate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related symptoms in OIF and OEF deployed Service members from perspective of Chinese Medicine.
- Board Chair and Volunteer clinician with Acupuncturists Without Borders of the National Capitol Area (AWB-NCA). 2017 – present
- A 501©4 social welfare organization whose mission is to offer acupuncture and integrative medical care to restore vitality and renew the spirit of people suffering from traumatic stress arising from their migration experience, refugee status, or exposure to racial or ethnic bigotry. We create peace for one family, one community, one world – one person at a time.
- Provide free weekly acupuncture treatment to immigrants, refugees, and neighbors in need in collaboration with CASA de Maryland, then CCI Wellness, a Federally Qualified Health Care Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland and currently with Joe’s Movement Emporium, Mt. Rainier, MD.
- Clinical Practice in Maryland, 1990-present
My Clinical Tip
All healing rests on embodied experiences of kinship.
Healing and the World We Long For
The boundary between me and military families, immigrants, refugees, and survivors of natural and human-made disasters has grown more and more thin – and that is a gift of spirit. I love our medicine and what it can explain about life and how it can reach people whose life and health resides at the margins. I’m in the Earth phase of life – the time of collecting and distributing the harvest of my experience.
Speaking/Teaching Engagements
The Tao of Trauma: 5 Module Series Taught Over The 5 Seasons
- 2025-26 Cohorts in Hamilton Township, NJ, and Silver Spring, MD
- 2023-25 Cohorts in Thousand Oaks, CA, Silver Spring, MD and Live/Virtual
- 2022-23 Cohorts in Ojai, CA, Silver Spring, MD and Live/Virtual
- 2021-22 Cohorts in Ojai, CA, Silver Spring, MD, and Live/Virtual
- 2019-21 Cohorts in Ojai, CA, Silver Spring, MD, and Live/Virtual (Covid time)
- 2016-2018 Cohorts in Silver Spring, MD
Pacific Symposium – Pacific College of Health and Science, San Diego, CA, November 2024
- Five Elements And Trauma Survivors: From Repair to Resilience
- The Tao of Trauma: Finding the Issues in the Tissues
Eastern Currents FLOW Conference – Vancouver, Canada, March 2024
- The Tao of Trauma: East meets West for Restoring Balance and Regulation
- Toxic Stress, Allostasis, and Complex Multi- System Illness
eLotus Seminars, February 2023
- Ethical Considerations for the Treatment of Trauma Survivors
Great River Symposium – Northwestern Health Sciences University, Minneapolis, MN, 2023
- Inflammation In Our Bodies; Inflammation In Our World: The Tao of Trauma
TCM Academy – Berlin, Germany, 2023
- Revolutionize Healing From Traumatic Stress: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology Four pre-recorded videos and two live training sessions on Zoom
Pacific Symposium – Pacific College of Health and Science, San Diego, CA, 2022
- Five Element Applications to Manage Challenging People and Circumstances
- Five Element Strategies for Trauma Survivors with Complex Multi-Symptom Illness
- Transforming Trauma: Cultivating Capacity in the Kidney/Heart Axis
TCM Academy, 2020 – 2022
- Tao of Trauma: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology to Revolutionize Healing From Traumatic Stress
Pacific Symposium – Pacific College of Health and Science, San Diego, CA, October 2021
- Trauma As Vibrational Illness and Acupuncture As Vibrational Medicine
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Polyvagal Theory, The Self-Protective Response, and the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine
Great River Symposium – Northwestern Health Sciences University, Minneapolis, MN, 2021
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology to Revolutionize Healing from Traumatic Stress
- Ethics of Treating Trauma Survivors
- Covid 19, Community Arousal & the Kidney Heart Axis
American Education Research Association – Peace Education Special Interest Group Annual Webinar, 2021
- Inflammation in Our Bodies; Inflammation in Our World: The Tao of Trauma
TCM Academy – Berlin, Germany, 2021
- Inflammation in Our Bodies; Inflammation in Our World: The Tao of Trauma
- Trauma, Fear and Polarization: Healers Can Help
Pacific College of Health and Science – Annual Guest Speaker in public health class, 2018 – 2021
- Trauma and Public Health: A Healer’s Role
- Trauma Disasters, Our Nation
Great River Symposium – Northwestern Health Sciences University, Minneapolis, MN, 2020
- The Ethics of Treating Trauma
Pelvicademy – Jersulalem, Israel, 2020
- Using the Diaphragm System to Restore Balance Regulation in the Pelvic Floor
Acupuncturists Without Borders – Guest Lecturer, Oakland, CA, 2020
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology to Revolutionize Healing from Traumatic Stress
Visiting Faculty – Maryland University of Integrative Health, Laurel, MD, 2020
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology to Revolutionize Healing from Traumatic Stress
Northwestern Health Sciences University; The Won Institute of Graduate Studies; Acupuncturists Without Borders; Crossings Healing and Wellness, 2020
- Covid 19, Community Arousal and the Kidney/Heart Axis
American Education Research Association – Peace Education Special Interest Group Annual Webinar, 2020
- The Impact of Trauma on Learning: An East Meets West Approach
Maryland University of Integrative Health – Laurel, MD, 2016-2020
- Supervised Advanced Clinical Practice
Virginia University of Integrative Medicine – Fairfax, VA, 2019
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology to Revolutionize Healing from Traumatic Stress
- An Introduction to The Tao of Trauma
DC Veterans Administration Medical Center, monthly workshops for Clinicians, 2014-2017
- Restoration & Balance: Chinese Medicine’s Gift to Survivors of Trauma
Acupuncturists Without Borders, 2013-2014
- 12 Points for Restoration and Balance
- Designed and filmed asynchronous class for this semi-standardized auricular acupuncture protocol, 2013
- Ethics of Treating Trauma Survivors
- Designed and filmed asynchronous class, 2014
- Restoring Relationships
- Designed and filmed asynchronous class, 2014
Podcasts and Webinars
- Podcasts and webinars can be found here.
A Personal Note
Perhaps the most meaningful dozen years of my professional life was in military medicine, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the DC Veterans Administration Medical Center. I was fortunate to serve on research studies exploring the impact of integrative medicine on compassion fatigue in military caregivers; acupuncture for treatment of combat-related PTSD, chronic headaches in Veterans with traumatic brain injuries, pain in Veterans of all conflict; and for the treatment of Gulf War Veterans Illness. I was a charter member of the DC VAMC’s Integrative Health & Wellness program, which moved from a small office on the third floor in 2007 to having geography in the primary care wing of the hospital during my tenure.
The other dimension of my “Earth” phase of life is volunteering with the National Capital Area chapter of Acupuncturists Without Borders. AWB-NCA currently provides free weekly acupuncture treatment at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainier, MD. We have worked in partnership with CASA de Maryland, the Samba Travao Brazilian Cultural Arts Center, and CCI, a federally qualified healthcare center. Our mission is to offer acupuncture and integrative medical care to restore vitality and renew the spirit of people suffering from traumatic stress arising from their migration history, refugee status, or exposure to racial bigotry. We create peace for one family, one community, one world – one person at a time.
It couldn’t be a more meaningful time in the world to be of service to trauma survivors.