About
Kari Guillen
Kari Guillen (last name pronounced ghee-yin) graduated in 2018 from Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine in Gainesville, FL with a concurrent Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree. She is a board-certified Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac) by the state of Maine and a certified Diplomate of Oriental Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Having grown up on MDI, Kari returned to the island to set up her practice to serve the amazing community that raised and supported her over the years. Kari started her journey with a background in massage therapy (Acadia School of Massage, Maine state Licensed Massage Therapist, 2011), nutrition (Institute for Integrative Nutrition, 2014), and yoga (200 hour Yoga Alliance Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training, Breathing Room Yoga & Movement, South Portland, 2013).
In 2013, she fell in love with acupuncture/East Asian Medicine while studying alternative medicine in an internship with an acupuncturist in Ecuador. She was drawn to the nonlinear, poetic, holistic nature and the ancient, time-tried wisdom of the medicine. She had known that she wanted to provide more for the people she worked with, and an education in East Asian Medicine created this more extensive and expansive foundation to support Kari’s already wholesome perspective and view on the human body and health. She has since acquired the addition of a certification in Biomagnetic Pair Therapy (Biomagnetism USA, 2018) to complement her other modalities. Kari strives for a gentle, intentional, intuitive, and inquisitive approach to her healing. She aims to be a guide to integrate balance into her patients’ already full lives and health journeys.
In her spare time, Kari loves hiking, being outside in nature, reading, traveling, expanding her healing arts studies, and motorcycle camping.
The Office Space
Located at the heart of the island, Kari's office is tucked away in a cozy historical farmhouse on the main street of Somesville.
In the warmer seasons, you are given the opportunity to experience your acupuncture session outside. Kari has cultivated a beautiful living willow enclosure on the back of the property looking out over the forest. This option has been a favorite for patients, as many feel extra healing benefits when being out in nature, and Kari often notices that people's nervous systems tend to settle in quicker and deeper when acupuncture takes place outdoors.
Testimonials
It has been the greatest blessing to have found Kari as she has helped me so much on my own healing journey. She creates such a safe, gentle, nurturing space and it is so clear how deeply she cares about each and every one of her clients. Her practice is a beautiful blend of both rooted knowledge and intuition. It has been hard for me to find practitioners with integrity that I can trust especially without their own understanding of what it’s like to walk through health challenges, but with Kari, she gets it, and I always feel so seen and heard. I highly recommend her! -TM
Kari Guillen is an absolutely gifted practitioner! I consider myself blessed to have been both her patient and her colleague. Rarely have I met someone that is more grounded, more joyful, and more intuitive than she is. Kari always makes sure that her protocols and interventions are well researched, and will always make you feel at home. She is a fantastic listener, with a gentle, caring touch. Specifically, I have seen her reduce symptoms of mental/emotional disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, infectious diseases, neurological disorders and women's health issues, as well as relieve chronic pain. And all the while, she will keep you smiling! Keep up the great work, Kari! -SB