Meet the Team | Acupuncturists & Medical Director

Meet the practitioners behind your care

A woman-owned team of licensed acupuncturists, herbalists, and physicians, practicing integrative medicine in San Francisco's Mission District. Trained at top California institutions, board-certified, and committed to evidence-informed, root-cause care.

5-Star Rated on Google

Woman-Owned & Operated

Board-Certified Practitioners

Physician-Supported Team

Co-Founder · Acupuncturist & Herbalist

Lauren Dunn, L.Ac.

L.Ac. California Berkeley AIMC

Lauren is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and co-founder of AKARA. She graduated summa cum laude from the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley, with advanced training in integrative medicine. Her practice blends traditional Chinese medicine with modern clinical insight to provide personalized, root-cause care. Lauren specializes in women's health, fertility, holistic aesthetics, digestive health, hormone balance, sleep, stress regulation, and chronic pain.

Specialties: Women's health, fertility, holistic aesthetics, digestive health, hormone balance, sleep, stress, chronic pain

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Co-Founder · Acupuncturist & Herbalist

Dr. Yen Man, L.Ac., DAIM

L.Ac. California Board-Certified DAIM Berkeley AIMC

Dr. Yen Man holds a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (DAIM) and is board-certified in California. She also holds a degree in Naturopathic Medicine from the United Kingdom. Co-founder of AKARA, Yen brings clinical depth across sports medicine, cosmetic acupuncture, and digestive health, with an emphasis on evidence-informed care.

Specialties: Sports medicine, cosmetic acupuncture, skin, digestive health

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Acupuncturist & Herbalist

Sophia Cantizano, L.Ac.

L.Ac. California Board-Certified Berkeley AIMC

Sophia Cantizano is a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist. She graduated summa cum laude with a master's degree in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine from the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley, and holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia University. Her practice spans orthopedic acupuncture and internal medicine, including reproductive health, digestive concerns, stress-related conditions, and hormonal balance, with sports medicine experience treating Olympic and collegiate athletes through the UC Berkeley Athletic Department. Sophia is fluent in English and Spanish.

Specialties: Orthopedic acupuncture, internal medicine, reproductive health, digestive health, stress, hormonal balance

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Medical Director · Internal Medicine Physician

Dr. Keith DesRochers, MD

MD Internal Medicine

Dr. Keith DesRochers serves as AKARA's Medical Director, providing physician oversight for our aesthetic microneedling treatments. A licensed Internal Medicine Physician, he holds these procedures to a high standard of clinical safety, supporting care that respects both Eastern and Western medical traditions.

Specialties: Internal medicine, integrative care collaboration

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Mentor · Acupuncturist

Joelle Dussuyer, L.Ac.

L.Ac. California Mentor

Joelle Dussuyer is a licensed acupuncturist and serves as a mentor on the AKARA team. With decades of clinical experience, she contributes guidance and supervision that strengthens the team's collective practice and helps maintain a high standard of patient care across the clinic.

Specialties: Clinical mentorship, foundational acupuncture practice

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Where our team is trained

AKARA's practitioners hold formal degrees in acupuncture, integrative medicine, and Western medicine, with active California licensure and board certifications.

Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley

Both AKARA co-founders graduated summa cum laude from AIMC Berkeley, one of California's leading institutions for graduate-level acupuncture and Chinese medicine education. The program is accredited by ACAHM (the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine).

California State Acupuncture Board licensure

All practicing acupuncturists at AKARA are licensed by the California Acupuncture Board (L.Ac.), which is the regulatory body that sets minimum education, examination, and continuing-education standards for the profession in California.

Doctorate in Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (DAIM)

Dr. Yen Man holds a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine, the highest clinical degree available in the profession. The doctoral program emphasizes advanced clinical practice, integrative case management, and evidence-informed care alongside Western medical providers.

Functional Medicine & Root-Cause Assessment

Both Lauren and Yen completed extensive coursework in Functional Medicine as part of their master's degree at the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College (AIMC) at Berkeley. Their training included advanced study of functional nutrition, gastrointestinal health, endocrinology, women's health, hormone balance, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, laboratory interpretation, and lifestyle medicine.

In clinical practice, this education allows them to take a root-cause approach by integrating comprehensive health histories with advanced functional laboratory testing when appropriate. By evaluating areas such as gut health, nutrient status, hormones, metabolic function, and inflammation, they can develop personalized treatment plans that combine acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle recommendations to support long-term health and wellness.

Medical Director (Aesthetic Microneedling Oversight)

AKARA's Medical Director, Dr. Keith DesRochers, is a licensed physician (MD) who provides medical oversight for our aesthetic microneedling treatments, ensuring clinical safety for these procedures.

How we practice

Patient safety, clinical quality, and informed consent guide every session we offer. These are the standards that we apply consistently across every practitioner and every modality at AKARA.

Single-use Japanese-grade needles

We use sterile, single-use, surgical-grade Japanese acupuncture needles for every patient. Needles are never reused. Each one is disposed of in regulated medical sharps containers after a single session.

FDA-cleared devices only

The aesthetic modalities we offer (such as SkinPen® Precision microneedling) use medical devices with current FDA clearance. We do not use grey-market or unbranded equipment.

Personalized treatment planning

Every patient receives a full intake on the first visit. Treatment plans are built for the individual, refined session by session, and reviewed regularly. We do not run identical protocols across patients.

Evidence-informed care

We draw on both traditional Chinese medicine theory and current clinical research. Where research supports a particular protocol or contraindication, that takes precedence in our planning.

Collaborative with your medical team

With your permission, we coordinate with your primary care doctor, OB-GYN, or specialist team. Acupuncture is most effective as part of a coordinated care plan, not in isolation.

Continuing education

California-licensed acupuncturists are required to complete continuing education hours every two years. Our team meets and exceeds the state's requirement and pursues additional certifications in specialty areas.

Care that treats the whole person

We approach health as something built over time, not fixed in a single visit. Our practice prioritizes root-cause work over symptom management, and we plan treatment around the rhythm of your life: sleep, stress, hormones, movement, and recovery.

That means our sessions usually combine modalities. Acupuncture might pair with cupping or gua sha for a patient working through pain. Herbal formulas might support an internal medicine case alongside acupuncture. Cosmetic work is supported by internal health, not separated from it.

The goal is the same across every patient: a steady, sustainable improvement in how you feel and function, anchored by a team that listens carefully and refines the plan as your body responds.

Meet the practitioners behind your care

Lauren Dunn, L.Ac.

Dr. Yen Man, L.Ac., DAIM

Sophia Cantizano, L.Ac.

Dr. Keith DesRochers, MD

Joelle Dussuyer, L.Ac.

Where our team is trained

Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley

California State Acupuncture Board licensure

Doctorate in Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (DAIM)

Functional Medicine & Root-Cause Assessment

Medical Director (Aesthetic Microneedling Oversight)

How we practice

Single-use Japanese-grade needles

FDA-cleared devices only

Personalized treatment planning

Evidence-informed care

Collaborative with your medical team

Continuing education

Care that treats the whole person

Visit our Mission District clinic

AKARA Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine

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