Dawn Flynn, ND, LAc has over 20 years of experience as a naturopathic physician and 15 years as an acupuncturist using holistic approaches to help people struggling with depression, anxiety, orthopedic conditions, addiction, trauma, women’s health concerns, and chronic pain using therapies including acupuncture, whole foods nutrition, botanical medicine, fasting/detoxification, hydrotherapy, lifestyle counseling, and the body-mind practice of Focusing.
Dawn earned her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA, in 1999. She continues learning and teaching the vitalistic tradition of Naturopathic Medicine, which recognizes that life is more than biochemical and physiological reactions; it is a dynamic, intelligent, animating force constantly changing, growing, developing, and supporting health and healing. In her practice, Dawn uses therapies that help remove obstacles to this intelligent force and stimulate, support, assist, and enhance the natural healing process.
Dawn earned her Master’s in Acupuncture from Tri-State College in New York, NY, in 2008. There, she learned Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM) assessment and treatment, trigger point acupuncture, and dry needling from the school’s director, Mark Seem, PhD.
Since then, Dawn has extensively studied the connection between trauma, illness, and health recovery. She completed Lonny Jarret’s two-year program in Five Element acupuncture and continues to study classical Chinese medicine and pulse diagnosis developed by the late psychiatrist and Chinese medicine practitioner Leon Hammer, MD, LAc. She holds two certifications as a trainer in the bodymind practice of Focusing developed by Eugene Gendlin, PhD.
Dawn enjoys teaching virtual courses to the public on the gut-brain axis, a wholebody approach to addiction treatment, decreasing inflammation through diet, mindful practices for pain management, and optimizing mental health through nutrition. She regularly leads in-person workshops and retreats and teaches continuing education courses on the practice of Focusing at Bastyr University. She has had articles on addiction, mental health, trauma, and healing through Chinese and naturopathic medicine published in books and journals. She enjoys writing monthly articles for physicians, students, and the Naturopathic Medicine Institute members.
Dawn has been actively engaging with her new community since her recent move from the Seattle area to the Skagit Valley, enjoying the abundance of farm-fresh food, numerous trails for walking, high mountain peaks for climbing, and cool water for swimming. She loves crossing the water by ferry to meet with friends and family in the nearby forests and coastal towns.
