Dr. Jennifer Taylor Onu Lebaka Menda (formerly Hutchison) is a licensed acupuncturist and Certified Clinical Master Herbalist. She graduated from MD University of Integrative Health with a Doctor of Acupuncture and a Master of Acupuncture degree. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College, a master’s degree in biology from Winthrop University, and a master’s degree in physiological sciences from the University of Arizona. She has over 14 years of teaching experience as an adjunct biology, zoology, and physiology professor and holds a College Teaching Certificate from the University of Arizona.

Jennifer has an extensive cell physiology research background. She’s worked as a research associate and lab manager for Nuvox Pharma LLC, the University of Arizona Cancer Biology Department, and the Cooperative Agriculture Support Services of the Citrus Research Board in Riverside, California. She’s published research in the cancer physiology field.

Although she spent much of her early career in research, she has witnessed firsthand the many limitations of Western medicine. Since becoming an herbalist and acupuncturist, she now sees the limitlessness of traditional medicine. Jennifer’s treatment philosophy is to cultivate the body’s own Qi to enhance its healing ability. She provides acupuncture, herbal medicine, qigong, nutrition, and healing presence practices to help her patients along their wellness journeys.

She owns the integrative wellness clinic AcuHerb Community Circle LLC (AHCC). She resides in Leonardtown, MD, with her husband, young daughter and son.

Integrated 5-Element (5E) + Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Approach

Her goal with acupuncture is to address imbalances that cause disharmony in the body, mind and spirit. Acupuncture restores the harmony between yin and yang, the most fundamental concept of Chinese medicine.

As a trained 5E acupuncturist, she is equipped with treatment principles that help her patients realign with their true selves—their constitution. The most fundamental principles are that we are whole, never broken, and an interrelated and integral part of nature. With adjunct training in TCM, she utilizes disharmony patterns to pinpoint and treat body-mind imbalances specifically and effectively.