Sean Guinan, LAc, AEMP, MTCM (pronouns: he/him)
Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist
Everyone has a story…here’s how mine started.
If you had told me 15 years ago that I would be an Acupuncturist, I would have told you that you were crazy.
You see, I was a wildlife ecologist, through and through. My wife & I were in graduate school for environmental biology. I was embarking on a life changing adventure to the Peruvian Amazon to conduct my master’s thesis research.
All was on track until one day, while in a small village in the Amazon, far removed from anything resembling the modern world, we were approached by a young man asking us for medicine. He went on to explain that his newborn daughter was sick, and had come down with a high fever. We shamefully explained that not only did we not have medication to help his daughter, but we didn’t even know the first thing about sick kids. It was the first time I felt truly unable to help another human being.
Fast-forward several months, we return to the States, continue on in our graduate program and then unexpectedly receive a phone call telling me that my father needed to go in for brain surgery. He had a tumor, and it was big. My wife & I quickly stopped everything, traveled to see him, and heard the worst news ever. He had terminal brain cancer. Again, I felt helpless.
A short while later my wife & I had our first daughter. Although we were awe-struck by parenthood we quickly became overwhelmed by this new frontier. Our daughter began to have reactions to her “routine” vaccines, she developed hives, allergies & persistent stomachaches. All we got from our doctor was “it’s fine”. I, once more, felt like I could not help someone I cared for.
At that moment, I felt called to medicine. As if I didn’t have a choice.
But I needed to learn some new skills and conventional medicine wasn’t my jam. I wasn’t looking for the latest technology, fad diet, or questionable intervention. I was yearning for some time tested, nature-based medical model that helped me make sense of the world. The next thing I knew, I stumbled upon acupuncture…and I was hooked.
Before long I found myself signing up for a 4 year medical degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Fast forward to the present. After treating thousands of people in clinical practice I’ve learned & grown as a healer. I’ve seen first hand how powerful Traditional Chinese Medicine can be. And I now understand that modern humans have no idea how to take care of their bodies and prevent disease. Luckily, I can help with that.
And that’s why you’re here. To have a trusted place to learn, grow, and thrive with traditional healing wisdom. I’ll do my best to share what I’ve learned and give you the best care possible.
A More Professional Go Of It
Sean is an acupuncturist, herbalist, & Eastern Medicine practitioner. Having worked in the health and wellness field for over a decade, Sean is a board licensed acupuncturist with a medical degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He also holds a Master’s degree in Biology and has traveled the world as a conservation biologist & wildlife ecologist.
Pulling from the fields of traditional medical knowledge and ecological anthropology, Sean is highly curious about the myriad ways in which people meet and engage with their environment. His focus rests in restorative medicine and how to help heal people and place. Applying body, relational, and ecological practices in culturally-sensitive ways has become the center of his work.
When he’s not busy treating patients or teaching online courses (at the Yin Medicine School), Sean can be found spending time with his wife, their four children, and a host of animals on their 5-acre homestead. As a family they love being in nature, refining their organic gardening skills, and exploring the bounty of local farms. Sean lives on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington state on the ancestral lands of the Chimakum and S’Klallam people. His own ancestors hail from Ireland & Italy, and these days he’s feeling quite a connection to his Celtic roots so is learning the Irish language (Gaeilge) as a homage to his people.
Here’s a run down of my educational experience:
- Master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine (MTCM) – Five Branches University, Santa Cruz, CA
- Master of Science in Biology (MS) – Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental & Forest Biology (BS) – SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse, NY
And this is a bit of my clinical experience:
- Adult & Pediatric Acupuncturist – Kingston Crossing Wellness, Kingston, WA; 2015-2021; Served as an Acupuncturist and Eastern Medicine Practitioner (AEMP) at high volume integrative medicine center in Kingston, WA. Specialization within chronic pain management, reproductive health, and family medicine using Acupuncture & Traditional
Chinese Medicine. - Pediatric Acupuncturist & Herbalist – Morgan Hill Family Wellness, Morgan Hill, CA; 2013-2015; Served as a primary care provider for Morgan Hill Acupuncture in Morgan Hill, CA. Specialization within pediatrics and family medicine using Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- Program Director – Center for Advanced Acupuncture Pediatrics, 2013-2015
And because you asked for it, here’s some additional training I’ve done:
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Integrating Functional Medicine w/ TCM – Jake Fratkin, LAc, OMD
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Environmental Health: An Integrative Approach – Arizona Center for
Integrative Medicine -
Ancestral Lineage Healing Training – Dr. Daniel Foor, PhD
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Irish Traditional Healing – Irish College of Traditional and Integrative
Medicine -
TCM Pediatrics – Raven Lang, LAc, OMD
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Obstetrics: Pregnancy & Postpartum Care – Raven Lang, LAc, OMD
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Practical Acupuncture Pediatrics – Robin Green, LAc, MTCM
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Pediatric Essentials – Robin Green, LAc, MTCM, Dipl. Ac
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Intro to Autism & Attention Disorders – Robin Green, LAc, MTCM
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Advanced Acupuncture Pediatrics – Robin Green, LAc, MTCM
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Balance Method (Pain Mgt) – Richard Tan, LAc, OMD
Address
112 Kala Square Pl Suite 2
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Book Online
Phone
(360) 474-3655
info@oakandwellacupuncture.com
Areas We Serve
Come see us if you're looking for acupuncture in Port Townsend, Chimacum, Quilcene, Port Hadlock/Irondale, Port Ludlow, Sequim or surrounding areas.