Acupuncture Practitioners

Laura Christensen, M.A., M.Ac., L.Ac.

Laura Christensen is a graduate of Oberlin College, where she earned her BA in Biology and premedical studies. In 1984 she earned her Master’s in Acupuncture (M.Ac.) at the New England School of Acupuncture in Boston, and has over 3500 hours of training in acupuncture and professional Chinese herbology. She is a Nationally Board Certified Acupuncturist, Diplomate of Acupuncture (NCCAOM), and Iowa Licensed Acupuncturist (current).

Laura also has a 1986 Master’s in Holistic Counseling Psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge Massachusetts. Certified in Japanese Acupuncture by Miki Shima, OMD, and certified in Chinese Herbology by Ken Morris, LAc, she has studied with Susan Johnson LAc (Master Tong’s Acupuncture), Sharon Weizenbaum LAp (4 yrs Graduate Mentorship in Chinese Herbology), and has just completed a 150 certification program in Kiiko Matsumoto Style acupuncture with Kiiko Matsumoto LAp and her colleagues Monika Kobylecka LAc (Japanese Acupuncture).

Currently Laura is training in Engaging Vitality, with Charles Chase, Marguerite Denkins, and Dan Bensky. This gentle system of acupuncture enables the practitioner to accurately assess the currently active acupuncture points and thus design highly effective treatments. It combines principles of osteopathic assessment and treatment with ancient Chinese medicine principles.

Japanese Acupuncture: Laura specializes in the practice of Kiiko Matsumoto Style acupuncture. She has found it to be the most gentle, effective and rapid method of acupuncture for most patients. Using this style, patients have seen results far beyond what any other method of acupuncture has produced in our clinic. She has been studying this approach consistently since 2007.

To learn more, go to http://www.kiikomatsumoto.com/kiiko-style-acupuncture.html

Laura also serves as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Iowa Global Health Studies program. She presents a course titled: Studies in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In this course, students are introduced to a variety of complementary medicine modalities, and are asked to do their own inquiries in the field.

Since 2010 Laura has been on the faculty of the East West School of Massage and Integrative Studies. There she presented a 14 contact hour course called Eastern Theory, which introduces and develops the basic ideas and theoretical structures of Oriental Medicine. The course teaches a number of assessment techniques appropriate for massage therapists who might be applying shiatsu or other oriental modalities in their clinical practice. She also teaches two other courses: Eastern Nutrition, an introduction to the application of Oriental medicine concepts in nutritional therapy;  and Cupping and Gua Sha for massage therapists. These courses are taken as curriculum elements or CEUs at the school.

Laura is a long time member of the American Association of Oriental Medicine and is a member of the Iowa Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Association. She receives ongoing training in  acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapies from a highly scientific perspective. Laura has also been trained in a variety of other holistic approaches, including Functional Medicine, deep tissue massage, Aromatherapy, Upledger Craniosacral therapy, Applied Kinesiology, Reiki II, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, guided imagery, Hakomi therapy, Bodytalk, Healing Touch, and Reconnective healing. In addition she has training in Yuen Chinese Energetic Healing with Mary Fox, Matrix Energetics, and dowsing with Raymon Grace. She weaves these techniques into her acupuncture sessions when appropriate.

She has ten years experience in medical research, 6 years experience as a mental health counselor, and over twenty-five years experience in private practice in oriental medicine and acupuncture in Iowa City. Laura is an Iowa City native and comes from a family background of doctors, scientists, gardeners and classical musicians. She was also trained as a musician and her non-work activities include photography, gardening, dog activities, family gatherings, singing, meditation and spiritual study, healthy cooking, and home improvement. She has three grown step-children and one charming toddler grandchild.