About Me

Grace Granel,

M.Ac., LAc. DiplAc., Certiified Zero Balancer, Acu-Detox Specialist.

Hello! I'm Grace

I am a licensed acupuncturist in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. I have a Masters in Acupuncture from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. I hold a certificate in Zero Balancing from the International Alliance of Healthcare Educators, and I am also a certified acudetox specialist through the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association and I am a certified Diplomate of Acupuncture with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

My Experience & Expertise

Grace Ganel, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac., Certified Zero Balancer, Acu-Detox Specialist

Acupuncture and zero balancing are fantastic and complementary modalities. I believe in the power of these interventions because they have been instrumental to my own healing journey.

As a teen, I suffered from debilitating depression. I tried several psychiatric medications, but none of them helped.

I had used acupuncture for knee pain when I was a child, and finally went back to see if it could help my mood.

The results were like night and day.

I used to feel deflated and defeated butI found myself alert and excited to live my life after treatments

Since then, acupuncture has helped me regulate my mood and my hormones and supported me with allergy and asthma concerns.

Zero balancing has helped me to learn to be fully present in my body after years of emotional distress.

My philosophy of healing is that all people are whole and complete, and treatment should aim to remind them, body mind and spirit, of this truth. My practice is open and friendly towards people of all walks of life. Whether you’re straight, gay, ace, trans, non-binary, or questioning your sexuality, and no matter where your family is from or which family you choose, you are welcome on my table.

specialties

Why Acupuncture and Zero Balancing?

What do acupuncture and zero balancing treat? What are the goals of these complementary modalities? Why should you try these techniques?

Acupuncture is a system of medicine completely distinct from Western medicine. When I make a diagnosis using the lens of Chinese Medicine – I don’t diagnose “low back pain”, or “migraine”. My diagnoses are things like “Kidney-Yin Deficiency with Empty Heat,” and “Wood Overacting on Earth.”

When someone comes to acupuncture or zero balancing for the first time, they’re being seen in an entirely new light than they ever have before. One of the key features of my practice is that I don’t see my clients as sick, or broken, or in need of fixing. I observe imbalances and diagnose them, yes, but at the heart of the conversation is a whole, complete individual who is suffering.

The goal of acupuncture and zero balancing is something called “transparent functioning” which is when people are able to live their lives fully without any interruptions or barriers, such as symptoms and breakdowns in function. Acupuncture and zero balancing don’t aim to “treat” any illnesses or “resolve” any symptoms. The goal is to restore the individual and all of their functions to a state of ease. This is achieved through cultivation of the things going well for a person just as much as it is necessary to shed or diminish those things that are not. By encouraging healthy processes through acupuncture, zero balancing, and lifestyle adjustments, many people can experience transparent functioning, or at least greater comfort bearing what disruptions they must (i.e. I’m not a magician, I can’t regrow a limb, cure cancer, etc.)

In my experience, so much of the gift that acupuncture and zero balancing can provide is to be comfortable in your body. Whether you’ve suffered a trauma, you experience anxiety, pain is present, or you’re experiencing non-cis gender identity, acupuncture and ZB can help you learn to be more fully present to your body, mind, and soul so that you can take the right actions to be embodied and experience fuller understanding and expression of yourself.