Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Stukey.
Hi Jennifer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey into acupuncture began as a patient, before I ever thought of becoming a practitioner. In 1998, I was living with chronic pain from a herniated disk after a car accident that happened in high school. I had tried everything Western medicine offered, including physical therapy, medication, and specialists, but nothing was helping. To this day, I try to remember how I first heard about acupuncture, but I can’t recall. At that time, I was exploring meditation, tai chi, and reading a lot about spirituality and alternative medicine.
I found an acupuncturist, and after my very first treatment, something shifted. The pain wasn’t gone, but I felt lighter and more at ease in my body than I had in years. Over time, not only did my pain improve, but I noticed I was sleeping better, had more energy, and even felt old emotional burdens start to release. Acupuncture helped me realize that healing is more than just addressing symptoms; it’s about treating the whole person and getting to the root of the problem.
That experience changed my life and led me to pursue a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health, formerly known as the Tai Sophia Institute. Since 2004, I’ve been a licensed acupuncturist, and over the years, I’ve performed more than 10,000 treatments. My work focuses primarily on women’s health. However, once a woman comes in, it’s often not long before her spouse or partner wants to experience the changes they see happening in her.
My practice has treated patients with infertility, menstrual issues, pain, insomnia, stress, and emotional challenges.
In 2009, I opened Awaken Wellness, an integrative wellness center in Columbia, Maryland, which grew into a thriving practice. I loved creating a community where practitioners could thrive and patients could find a variety of healing services under one roof. After more than 15 years of running the business, I recently transitioned Awaken Wellness into a worker-owned cooperative. It’s a model that allows my mission of supporting integrative wellness practitioners to continue while also empowering my colleagues to step into ownership. This cooperative approach is the first of its kind in the U.S. within an integrative wellness business.
Today, I’m back in private practice, bringing everything I’ve learned, both as a patient and as a practitioner, into my work. I believe deeply in relationship-centered healing, where each treatment is rooted in compassion, respect, and the belief that people can truly transform their lives. My path has been full of risks and growth, but at its heart, it’s always been about one thing: helping people feel more at home in their bodies and more joy in their lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Opening a wellness center during the 2008 recession was a huge leap of faith, especially as I signed on for a large commercial space and took on a significant loan from the SBA. There were years of long hours, financial strain, and constant pressure to keep both my own practice and a team of practitioners afloat. Like many small business owners, the challenges of balancing being both a healer and an entrepreneur were not easy.
The COVID-19 pandemic was another major challenge. Closing our doors, shifting how we served patients, and navigating the uncertainty of that time tested me and my team deeply. And more recently, selling my clinic was a complex, emotional, and at times discouraging process. After investing in legal fees and pursuing buyers who walked away. I finally discovered the cooperative model, heart-centered, values-aligned way to transition the business.
While these challenges were difficult, each one ultimately shaped me into the practitioner, leader, and person I am today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is rooted in supporting women through all stages of their health journey, but I have a special passion for helping patients struggling with infertility and other women’s health concerns. Over the last 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside women and couples as they navigate one of the most vulnerable and emotional chapters of their lives: the desire to grow a family.
I specialize in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, often integrating these tools with lifestyle guidance to support fertility, menstrual health, perimenopause, and beyond. Many of my patients come to me after feeling unheard or dismissed in conventional settings, and I take pride in offering them compassionate care, time to be truly listened to, and a holistic perspective.
What I’m most proud of is not just the number of babies born, but the way my work helps women reconnect with their bodies, find hope again, and move forward with more ease and confidence. I believe what sets me apart is my combination of deep clinical experience, my psychology background, and my heart-centered approach. My goal is always to help people not just “get through” their challenges, but to live a life of greater joy, connection, and possibility.
How do you think about luck?
I have never really thought of luck showing up for me until you asked this question.
But looking back, I can see a few places where luck played a role in my journey, both in the challenges and in the unexpected blessings. When I first set out to open my wellness center, it felt like every door was closing. No one wanted to rent to me, and banks weren’t willing to offer a loan. It was discouraging, but I was persistent, and eventually my luck shifted. A commercial broker finally said “yes” to renting me a space, and in a business class, we found a woman from a local bank who believed in the business plan and helped me secure an SBA loan.
Years later, during COVID, luck showed up again in ways I couldn’t have predicted. The pandemic brought so much uncertainty, but the business was able to access the PPP and EIDL loans that allowed us to keep our doors open. Just as important, practitioners and patients trusted us to keep them safe. That trust meant we could continue providing healing and meaningful work during a time when so many people were facing fear and uncertainty..
Looking back, I see luck was moments where the right people, opportunities, or support showed up just when I needed it most. Of course, there’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes, but it always amazes me how the universe lines things up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.JenAcupuncture.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenacuherb
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenacuherb/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JenAcuHerb
