New entry level seminar: Foundations of Constitutional Facial Acupuncture Renewal
In keeping with their continuing educational outreach, Ms. Wakefield and her partner, MichelAngelo, recently trained their first group of international and North American Certified Teachers in a newly designated entry level seminar in Foundations of Constitutional Facial Acupuncture Renewal.
Foundations of Constitutional Facial Acupuncture Renewal™ is a comprehensive seminar which provides the practitioner/advanced student with the basics for all the other facial acupuncture protocols created by Mary Elizabeth Wakefield, L. Ac., M. S., M. M., featured in her 3-tiered Practitioner Certification Program offered through Chi-Akra Center. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Participants will be introduced to safe, painless and effective protocols for renewing the face as well as the body. This course will teach the acupuncturist how to customize a facial acupuncture treatment by ascertaining the 5 Element constitution and meridian imbalances involved in the aging process of the patient.
This new course is a pre-requisite to all advanced levels of training offered by Chi-Akra Center*. The following teachers are certified to offer this this new course only in the indicated areas:
Carol Hennessy: Texas, New Mexico (to be shared with Diana Horowitz)
Julie Shillabeer: CANADA
Marney Murray Commens: AUSTRALIA
Jo Cruz: NEW ZEALAND
Denise Rainford: UNITED KINGDOM and REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Dona McGlennen: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois
Diana Horowitz: Colorado, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico (to be shared with Carol Hennessy)
Listing of Chi-Akra Center Certified Teachers:
Diana Horowitz, L. Ac.,; CO, AZ, UT, NM (with Carol Hennessy)
Diana Horowitz, L. Ac., graduated from Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City in 2003, and moved to Denver shortly afterwards to open her acupuncture practice, Opal Acupuncture, LLC. She knew she’d found her mentor when she attended a seminar taught by Mary Elizabeth Wakefield, L.Ac., at Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 2007.
Diana has assisted Mary Elizabeth and her teaching partner, MichelAngelo, in seminars and conferences in a variety of locations in the US, and is a graduate of the 1st International Gold Standard Facial Acupuncture Certification held at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN, 2012-2013.
Diana maintains her acupuncture practice at A New Spirit Wellness Center in Northwest Denver, where she delights in nurturing and guiding her patients towards experiencing greater vitality and radiance.
Jo Cruz, Reg. Acup. (PAANZ), Physiotherapist (NEW ZEALAND)
Jo Cruz is a qualified and highly respected Physiotherapist who has had a thriving practice in Upper Hutt, NZ (outside of Wellington) for more than 20 years.
Jo Cruz trained as an acupuncturist at Otago University in 2005 and has further training in Manaka, a Japanese style of acupuncture, and has been able to add this to her treatment regime over the last 10 years.
Her early involvement in hospitals and volunteer experience in Zimbabwe working closely with plastic surgeons to provide treatment and support for burn victims and the prevention of dysfunctional scarring has led to her desire to further her interest and education in improving the outcomes for people with facial/body scaring and disfigurement.
After meeting Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo at a Facial Soundscapes seminar in Sydney in 2010, Jo provided assistance in several subsequent seminars in Australasia and elsewhere, and was invited to participate in the 1st International GOLD STANDARD FACIAL ACUPUNCTURE® Certification program, a 200-hour, two year course of study, which she completed in October 2013.
She completed the GOLD STANDARD FACIAL ACUPUNCTURE® Certification programme in 2014 and teaching certification in 2015. Jo is the first acupuncturist to complete this course in New Zealand.
Dona McGlennen, L. Ac., M. S. (MN, WI, IL)
Dona McGlennen graduated from American Academy of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) in Roseville, MN. She is a nurse practitioner, a massage, shiatsu and cranio-sacral therapist, reflexologist and a Reiki master.
After meeting Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo at a seminar that they taught at the future home of the GOLD STANDARD® Program, Northwestern Health Sciences University, in 2008, Dona was later invited to participate in the 1st International GOLD STANDARD FACIAL ACUPUNCTURE® Certification Program. She completed the Program in 2014 and her teaching certification in 2015.
Facial acupuncture is Dona’s specialty and passion. Early in life, she was struck by the idea that an unexamined life was not worth pursuing, and that, as her journey continues towards the fulfillment of her personal destiny in mind, body and spirit, she can also help others to achieve that aim. Dona maintains a private practice in Roseville, MN, and teaches at her alma mater.
Julie Shillabeer, R. Ac. (CANADA)
A graduate of the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine Program at International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Vancouver, BC, Julie completed her 7 year training in 4.5 years.
Following her clinical practice in China, Julie trained with the prestigious Steiner Academy London and worked with Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, becoming one of their top five Acupuncturists internationally. Due to the high volume and variety of clients in this environment, Julie’s 10 years of experience rival 14 or more years for other practitioners.
Following her initial meeting with Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo at a seminar in Vancouver, Julie provided assistance with a number of subsequent events in Vancouver, Santa Fe, and elsewhere, and, in 2012, was invited to participate in the 1st International GOLD STANDARD FACIAL ACUPUNCTURE® Certification program. She completed the Program in 2014 and her teaching certification in 2015.
Marney Commens, Adv. Dip. TCM (AUSTRALIA)
Marney is a graduate of Perth Academy of Natural Therapies, from where she received an Advanced Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2004. In that same year, she completed the Clinical Internship Programme at the Hangzhou Hospital in Hangzhou, CHINA. She also volunteered at the Sir Charles Gardiiner Hospital on the research project for Complimentary Medicine efficacy for Cancer support.
Following her initial meeting with Mary Elizabeth and MichelAngelo during a series of seminars in Sydney, Marney attended a number of seminars in Australia, Bali and elsewhere, and was awarded the Jeanie Gonzales Memorial Scholarship for Facial Soundscapes training in the United States in 2011. In 2012, she was invited to participate in the 1st International GOLD STANDARD FACIAL ACUPUNCTURE® Certification program. She fulfilled her academic requirements in 2015, after having attended the first teacher training seminar in NEW ZEALAND in October 2014.
Her interests have been in internal medicine, womens’ health, pregnancy & IVF support, Facial Acupuncture Renewal and Vibrational Therapy. She has been practicing in Sydney, Brisbane & Gold Coast (currently), over the last 11 years. Marney is also a member of AACMA (Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association) and AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioners Regualation Agency).
Denise Rainford, BA(Hons), Lic. Ac., MBAcC (UNITED KINGDOM/REPUBLIC OF IRELAND)
Denise Rainford is a Licensed Chinese & Japanese Acupuncturist and member of the British Acupuncture Council and Acupuncture Fertility Network (AFN). Since originally training as a 5-Elemental Traditional Chinese Practitioner, Denise developed a deep interest in Japanese Acupuncture and has now trained in several styles of Japanese Acupuncture, namely Manaka, Toyohari (based in Amsterdam) and Kiiko Matsumoto. Denise is also a Facial Soundscapes Practitioner and ITEC Therapist in Massage.
Denise first met Mary Elizabeth and MichelAngelo in London whilst attending a seminar in Constitutional Facial Acupuncture Renewal. She then traveled to Amsterdam and attended the Advanced Course. This was quickly followed by her participation in a Soundscapes Intensive in Santa Fe, NM, where Mary Elizabeth offered Denise a place in the 1st International Gold Standard Facial Acupuncture Certification Program.
Denise’s clinic is based in Leicester where she specialises in Male & Female Infertility issues; Emotional Issues & Constitutional Facial Acupuncture.
*Please contact Chi-Akra Center for information about availability of this course in your area, and exceptions to this requirement. You’ll also find a course flow diagram on the Practitioner Certification page.