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 10,000 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
- Touch Skills Training with Kathy Kain, 2011
- 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 geography in the primary care wing of the hospital during my tenure
- National Capital Area chapter, Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB-NCA), 2017-present
- Volunteer clinician providing free weekly acupuncture treatment to immigrants, refugees and neighbors in need in collaboration with CASA de Maryland and then CCI Wellness, a Federally Qualified Health Care Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
- 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: Strategies to Integrate Five Elements and Neuroscience
- Five Element Applications to Manage Challenging People and Circumstances
- 2022 – The Pacific Symposium, San Diego, CA, November 2022.
Five Element Strategies for Trauma Survivors with Complex Multi-System Illness
- 2022 – The Pacific Symposium, San Diego, CA, November 2022.
Transforming Trauma: Cultivating Capacity in the Kidney/Heart Axis
- The Pacific Symposium, San Diego, CA, November 2022.
- The Tao of Trauma: 5 Module Series Taught Over The 5 Seasons
- 2024-25 Cohorts now registering
- 2023-24 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
- Restoration & Balance: Chinese Medicine’s Gift to Survivors of Trauma
- DC Veterans Administration Medical Center, monthly workshops for Clinicians
- Supervised Advanced Clinical Practice
- Maryland University of Integrative Health, Laurel, MD; 2016-2020
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Chinese Medicine with Neurobiology to Revolutionize Healing from Traumatic Stress
- Great River Symposium, Northwestern University of Integrative Health; Guest Lecturer, 2021
- Acupuncturists Without Borders – Guest Lecturer, Oakland, CA; 2020
- Visiting Faculty, Maryland University of Integrative Health, Laurel, MD; 2020
- Virginia University of Integrative Medicine, Fairfax, VA; 2019
- The Impact of Trauma on Learning: An East Meets West Approach –
- American Education Research Association, Peace Education Special Interest Group Annual Webinar; 2020
- Inflammation in Our Bodies; Inflammation in Our World: The Tao of Trauma
- American Education Research Association, Peace Education Special Interest Group Annual Webinar; 2021
- TCMAcademy, Berlin, Germany; 2021
- Trauma, Fear and Polarization: Healers Can Help
- TCMAcademy, Berlin, Germany; 2021
- Using the Diaphragm System to Restore Balance and Regulation in the Pelvic Floor
- PelvicAdemy, Jerusalem, Israel; 2020
- Trauma is Vibrational Illness; Acupuncture is Vibrational Medicine
- The Pacific Symposium, Pacific College of Health and Science, San Diego, CA; 2021
- The Tao of Trauma: Integrating Polyvagal Theory, The Self Protective Response, and the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine
- The Pacific Symposium, Pacific College of Health and Science, San Diego, CA; 2021
- Covid 19, Community Arousal & the Kidney Heart Axis
- Northwestern University of the Health Sciences, Minneapolis, MN; 2021
- The Won Institute, Philadelphia, PA; 2021
- Acupuncturists Without Borders, Portland, OR; 2021
- Crossings Healing, Silver Spring, MD; 2021
- Trauma & Public Health: A Healer’s Role
- Pacific College of Health and Science, Public Health Class Guest Speaker; 2021
- Trauma Disasters, Our Nation
- Pacific College of Health and Science, Public Health Class Guest Speaker; 2020
- 12 Points for Restoration and Balance
- Acupuncturists Without Borders, designed and filmed asynchronous class for this semi-standardized auricular acupuncture protocol; 2013
- Ethics of Treating Trauma Survivors
- Acupuncturists Without Borders, designed and filmed asynchronous class; 2014
- Northwestern University of the Health Sciences; 2021
- Restoring Relationships
- Acupuncturists Without Borders, designed and filmed asynchronous class; 2014
2023 Upcoming Engagements
Ethical Considerations for the Treatment of Trauma Survivors – eLotus Seminars –
Live Online, Wed, Feb 8, 2023
Inflammation In Our Bodies; Inflammation In Our World: The Tao of Trauma – Great River Symposium – A Virtual Gathering with Northwestern Health Sciences University
Minneapolis, MN, Thu, Mar 30, 2023
Revolutionize Healing From Traumatic Stress: Integrating Chinese Medicine with NeurobiologyTCM Academy –
Four pre-recorded videos and two live training sessions on Zoom – May 12, 2023 and June 2, 2023
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 to young people in the Creative Works theater tech jobs training program at Joe’s Movement Emporium . It has 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.