Sarah Kabcenell, MAc, L.Ac.

Like many practitioners, my journey with acupuncture began as a patient. Initially skeptical, I agreed to try it with an open mind—and quickly experienced firsthand the profound relief and balance it can offer. Through acupuncture, I gained a deeper appreciation for my overall health and a clearer understanding of the powerful connection between mind and body. Most meaningful to me, however, is the opportunity acupuncture has given me to help others discover that same sense of relief, insight, and healing.

I genuinely enjoy introducing new patients to acupuncture and consider it an honor to guide others in learning how this medicine can support them. Acupuncture offers benefits across a wide range of concerns, including acute and chronic pain relief, orthopedic injuries, mental health, stress management and overall well-being, sleep disorders, women's health and fertility, gastrointestinal health, and aesthetic treatments such as holistic facials and microneedling. This medicine truly has something to offer everyone.

As a licensed acupuncturist of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I work with the Primary Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Vessels. If we think of these meridians as a superhighway throughout your body, I use specific acupuncture points to enable a patient's body to return to its own natural rhythm and state of flow. We think of the symptoms we experience like a backup or traffic jam in the superhighway. Acupuncture just allows the body to redirect its own resources to help that dissipate so things can run smoothly. The Extraordinary Vessels are often used to address psychological-emotional imbalances and generational trauma that lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health symptoms.

In addition to formal training in acupuncture and East Asian medicine, I bring a strong background in competitive athletics and sports performance. I was a successful scholarship athlete at The University of Virginia, competing at the ACC Championship and NCAA Championship each year. I then coached elite high school athletes before moving to coaching and recruiting at Rutgers University in the Big 10 Conference.  

As an athlete, I understand firsthand how helpful acupuncture can be for injury recovery and prevention, as well as overall performance. We have to maintain and care for our body throughout training in order to perform to the best of our abilities. Many athletes, from Steph Curry to Simone Biles, seek acupuncture to help recover faster between workouts, increase mobility, sleep better, and increase mental performance. I see athletes of all levels and abilities and utilize a variety of modalities included in my doctoral level training, such as cupping and gua sha.  

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Virginia, followed by graduate coursework in Psychology while coaching athletics at the Division I level. I later completed my Master of Science in Acupuncture at the Virginia University of Integrative Medicine, where I am currently pursuing my Doctorate of Acupuncture. During my training, I completed over 500 clinical hours, including an externship providing community-style acupuncture at Bread for the City in Washington, DC.

Education

• Master of Science in Acupuncture — Virginia University of Integrative Medicine
• Bachelor of Arts in Sociology — University of Virginia
• Doctor of Acupuncture Candidate; Expected completion Sept 2026 - Virginia University of Integrative Medicine

Clinical Training & Internships: Virginia University of Integrative Medicine Acupuncture Clinic (Vienna, VA), Bread for the City (Washington, DC)

Professional Certifications: Diplomate of Acupuncture — National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCCAOM), Clean Needle Technique — Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, Fundamentals of Oncology Acupuncture Certificate — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Microneedling Certificate — TOMA Academy

Licensure: Licensed Acupuncturist — Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC

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