Michael Dunbar, N.D., L.AC.
Michael Dunbar is a Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist at Awakenings Health.
Born and raised in Raleigh, NC before going to UNC-CH and graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health – Nutrition. Michael then moved to Oregon to pursue a dual degree of a Naturopathic Doctorate and Masters of Acupuncture. During his time at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR, he also received his Oregon massage license specific to Shiatsu (acupressure) massage.
His path began with a desire to find treatments that did not just mask symptoms but instead help cure disease or avoid becoming sick all together. This search is what led to the significant study and personal testing of a number of dietary regimen. He’s settled on a whole food based approach which can be customized to the needs of each individual.
At NUNM, Michael’s education led him to understand that certain lifestyle factors including nutrition, sleep, exercise, and stress management are the keys to health and by focusing on these basics many of the health issues people experience can be avoided or reversed.
Another basic principle Michael has incorporated into his healing practice is the healing power of mindfulness. Michael has cultivated mindfulness through meditation, chi gong and Tai Chi, and uses this moment to moment awareness to inform his massage and acupuncture treatments. This mindfulness is how he “gets out of the way” to create a healing space for his patients.
In his personal life, Michael enjoys Contra and Blues dancing, weight lifting, and travel. He looks for a balance to maximize health and happiness in each day.
Valentina, a native from Colombia, graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Science in 2009 from the City University of New York, Queens college where she also played collegiate soccer. During that time and up to the present, she has worked as a Recreational therapist at a Nursing and Rehab facility and has volunteered with the Paralympic Movement (Colombian and Americas Paralympic Committees.) During her studies of Massage Therapy and Acupuncture at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, she travelled a few times with a group of practitioners and students to Guatemala to provide acupuncture and massage to indigenous people from the region. Those unforgettable and life changing experiences has reiterated that she is pursuing her passion. Valentina believes that muscles go through tremendous amounts of stress during daily activities and especially when one is practicing a sport or working out. They contract and stretch over and over again but without proper help or care, they do not always return to their “natural” state of being strong yet pliable. Therefore, her goal is to help her clients achieve a better quality of life so that they can perform at their optimum level either on the field, at work and at home.