Donna began her journey into Alternative Healing during her battle with Breast Cancer in 1996. While newly in recovery, Donna took a sabbatical from her role as a Social Worker with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and began her venture to Vermont School of Herbal Studies. There, under the guidance of Janice Dinsdale an Rosemary Gladstar an herbalist was born. In 1997, Donna opened the first Herbal Apothecary in the Historic New Bedford area. Wics and Balms remained part of the downtown area for another 6 years, winning several entrepreneur of the year awards from both the city and the state of Massachusetts.

In 2000, Donna returned to her career in social work and took on the position of Addictions Counselor for Adcare Criminal Justice System in the local prisons. She remained there for 4 years and then took a position with Kindred Health Care as Director of Social Services, in a long term care facility. Coming full circle, starting in 1985 with child protective services, Donna managed work with children and families of all age groups. This afforded her an opportunity to gain a vast amount of experience with a full spectrum of the population with numerous levels of trauma.

While director of Social Services, working with elders, Donna implemented studies using essential oils to assist dementia patients with agitation, to improve their quality of life and help with increasing appetite. This research was used to complete a Masters Apprenticeship Program with the Northwest College of Herbal and Aromatic Studies under the guidance of Jade Shutes.

As a continuing part of her journey with alternative healing and after completing 2 years of study with Cortiva Institute-Muscular Therapy Institute of Watertown, Massachusetts, she was nationally certified in Bodywork and Muscular Therapy in April of 2007. She obtained the level of Reiki Master in 2009.

Donna’s approach to bodywork comes from her many years as a Social Worker, her love of human nature and her inquisitive knowledge of how the body interrelates with the mind and spirit. She works with many modalities to not only ease the body of pain but to soothe the spirit and quiet the mind. She utilizes Essential Oils, Music, Reiki, Cranio-Sacral Therapy and of course her mixed bag of muscular techniques to include, Myofacial Release, Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage and Neuromuscular Techniquies. Her most recent learning experience was the completion of a course in “Caring for the Client with Cancer”, given by Tracy Walton, a national leader in cancer and massage.

Donna believes however, that the key to good health is a balanced and nurtured Nervous System. As the metabolic illnesses of the 20th century unfold, we recognize that they are diseases of slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disorders and nervous system disorders. This intertwining of our biology and endless ways in which our personalities, emotions and thoughts both reflect and influence the events in our bodies brings credence to the term “Stress can make us sick”. Given this knowledge and intuition, Donna’s goal is to always work on deep relaxation to sooth and nurture the Nervous System.

Donna formulates her own oils and lotions used in her massage and has also developed a line of herbal tea formulas that can be purchased and taken as further aids in healing through:

• Muscular therapist |
• Social Worker |
• Aroma Therapist |
• Herbalist | Reiki Master

• International Association of Health Care Practitioners (IAHP)
• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
• National Association Of Social Workers (NASW)
• The American Botanical Counsel
• The National Association of Holistic Aroma Therapy (NAHA)
• National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage & Body work (NCTMB)
  MA31467
  NCTMB #330581-07

Susan Phillips has been in the Medical Arts since 1975 when she graduated Cum laude from Providence Hospital College of Nursing. She moved immediately into Critical care where she found her niche. She went on to become involved in Trauma and emergency nursing as a Bayflight nurse. As much as she loved her career in western medicine she realized early on that there was an important component missing within the system that she felt was critical to healing-the mind, body, spirit connection.. In 1986 she returned to school and began studying alternative medicine. She holds a Masters in Oriental Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College, Santa Fe, New Mexico. She sat for the Board exam and received her Dr. of Oriental Medicine there after studying in Beijing, China at The Traditional School of Medicine .She recently graduated from the Academy of Five Element Acupuncture in Medical Qi Gong Therapy. She is a member of The Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Susan has a special interest in mental-emotional and autoimmune disorders, including depression ,anxiety, insomnia, post traumatic stress disorder as well as multiple sclerosis, lupus and fibromyalgia. Susan believes that every disease begins on the emotional level, therefore prevention of disease requires an ability to stabilize thoughts and a deep spiritual connection. Teaching patients how to achieve this is part of her practice.

Susan is trained in Medical Qi Gong therapy, incorporating guided meditation, healing sounds and exercises into these sessions rebalances an individual on all levels. Susan knows that the health of our bodies depends on the health of our spirits. She will use a multiplicity of Chinese Medical practices to address both acute and chronic pain, including acupuncture, cupping, guasha, electro-stimulation, moxibustion (heating of acupuncture points, topical liniments and ear seeds. She is also currently using laser in place of needle technique for those who are fearful of needles and for children as well.. The “cold” laser is a good therapy when used in addition to acupuncture for acute and chronic pain.

Susan believes we are entering into a new era where western and eastern medicine can merge and become more powerful together than apart. Her goal is to be a facilitator of this process bridging the gap to create a holistic form of healing for both the people and the planet. She knows that we cannot separate ourselves from the community or the earth and expect to heal. We are all interconnected and it is in this knowing that healing takes place.

 

• Diplomate in Acupuncture and Herbology through The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental
  Medicine (NCCAOM)
• | Certified Reiki Practitioner | Certified Medical Qi Gong Therapist | Certified in Acupuncture Injection Therapy through East West College of Natural Medicine

• American Association of Oriental Medicine
• Florida Association of Oriental Medicine
• Nationally Certified in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology