About AKARA
AKARA Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine is a San Francisco clinic at 977 Valencia Street, led by licensed acupuncturists and grounded in evidence-informed, integrative care.
Our Mission
At AKARA, we blend ancient healing traditions with modern wellness practices to help you take real control of your health. Every care plan treats you as a whole person, not a collection of symptoms, and evolves alongside your health journey.
Our Story
AKARA was founded by two licensed acupuncturists, Lauren Dunn and Dr. Yen Man, who trained together and shared a conviction that San Francisco deserved a clinic where Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern clinical care could exist under one roof.
That vision was shaped under the mentorship of Joelle Dussuyer, L.Ac., our mentor, whose decades of clinical experience continue to guide our work. Today, Dr. Keith DesRochers, MD, serves as our Medical Director, providing medical oversight for our microneedling aesthetic treatments.
Our approach is integrative. We collaborate closely with our patients' broader care teams, including fertility clinics, primary care, and specialists. In addition to acupuncture and herbal medicine, we incorporate functional lab testing and targeted supplementation when appropriate.
Our home in the Mission District reflects who we are, rooted in a neighborhood with deep healing traditions and serving a city that values both ancient wisdom and modern evidence.
What Guides Us
Every treatment at AKARA is shaped by three commitments.
Modern life requires a thoughtful approach to health, one that considers the whole person, not just individual symptoms. Each session is customized to your current needs and evolves as your health does.
Our practitioners hold graduate and doctoral training in East Asian medicine and maintain California licensure, with physician oversight for our microneedling aesthetic treatments. Tradition, held to modern standards.
We work alongside your physicians, physical therapists, and specialists, not around them. Integrative means integrated: your acupuncture care should fit your medical care, and we make sure it does.
Who We Are
Licensed acupuncturists, herbalists, and physicians united by one standard of personalized care.
Lauren is a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist practicing orthopedic and internal medicine acupuncture. She specializes in nervous system regulation, fertility, digestive disorders, holistic aesthetics, and chronic pain, and how these are intertwined with overall wellbeing.
Yen holds a doctorate in Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine with dual California and UK board certification. She specializes in sports medicine and orthopedic acupuncture, herbal medicine, and skincare, with externship training alongside the San Francisco 49ers.
Sophia is a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist practicing orthopedic acupuncture and internal medicine, including reproductive health, digestive health, and hormonal balance, with sports medicine experience treating Olympic and collegiate athletes.
Dr. DesRochers provides physician oversight for our microneedling aesthetic treatments, supporting safety and a high standard of care.
Our mentor, now retired from clinical practice, whose decades of experience shaped the clinical philosophy AKARA practices today.
AKARA Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine is an acupuncturist-led acupuncture and integrative medicine clinic at 977 Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District. We blend Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern, evidence-informed practice across acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, gua sha, and holistic aesthetics.
AKARA was founded by two licensed acupuncturists: Lauren Dunn, L.Ac., specializing in nervous system regulation, fertility, digestive disorders, holistic aesthetics, and chronic pain, and Dr. Yen Man, L.Ac., DAIM, specializing in sports medicine, orthopedic acupuncture, herbal medicine, and skincare. Dr. Keith DesRochers, MD, serves as Medical Director, providing medical oversight for our microneedling aesthetic treatments.
AKARA is led by licensed acupuncturists trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, orthopedic care, and integrative clinical practice. We work closely with our patients' broader care teams, including fertility clinics and medical providers, and bring a shared clinical language to that collaboration.
In addition to acupuncture and herbal medicine, we incorporate functional lab testing and targeted supplementation. Care plans are individualized and evolve with your progress. See our full FAQ for treatment questions.
We're at 977 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110, in the Mission District. Book online at akaraintegrative.janeapp.com, call (415) 754-9442, or reach us through the contact page.
Whether you're managing pain, stress, or simply investing in your long-term health, we'd love to meet you.
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