Awaken the Spirit LLC DBA
Awaken The Spirit Wellness Center
Acupuncure & Psychotherapy
for the Mind, Body, and Spirit
410-747-9743
About Sheri
About Sheri De Petro
Sheri describes her practice as the “nexus between Eastern and Western Medicine”. As such, she focuses on your total well- being. Your physical, emotional and spiritual needs will remain the primary focus of your treatment at Awaken the Spirit. Below, Sheri describes her experience and practice in her own words. To better understand her teachings for life and mother earth,click here.
Sheri as a Social Worker
In 1994, I received my Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. I am an LCSW-C, a licensed certified social worker with a clinical concentration. From 1994-2002, I served as the Executive Director of the STTAR Center; the Sexual, Trauma, Treatment, Advocacy and Recovery Center in Howard County Maryland. In that capacity, I served on several non-profit Board of Directors, including MCASA (Maryland Coalition of Sexual Assault), the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence and the Howard County Child Advocacy Center. Prior to social work school, I received my BA from Salisbury University in 1977, was a teacher and administrator for Strayer Colleges, worked in the field of development disabilities and the field of substance abuse and recovery.
I have maintained a private psychotherapy practice since 1995. Areas of clinical interest include Alternative Health, Eastern medicine, affective disorders, sexual and domestic trauma, PTSD, developmental disabilities, issues of life transitions such as aging, divorce, retirement etc., spirituality, alternative lifestyles and the field of substance use and abuse.
My practice has been influenced by self-psychology, objects relations theory, attachment theory, existential and humanistic psychology, mindfulness, Jungian psychology, hypnosis, emotional freedom tapping, and energy psychology. My trauma work has been influenced by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Christine Courtois, PhD and Judith Herman, MD.
Sheri as an Acupuncturist
I have been involved with acupuncture for the past 30 years, as both a patient and later as a practitioner. I am continually amazed at the healing and transformative power of acupuncture. A spiritual experience in 2002 led me to begin a new journey and I enrolled in Acupuncture school. In 2006, I received a Master of Acupuncture and in 2017, I graduated with a Doctorate of Acupuncture from Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) formerly Tai Sophia Institute. And now I graciously accept the title of “Dr. Sheri”.
An eclectic practitioner, I have received post-graduate specialized acupuncture training in Five-Element and Constitutional Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Sports Medicine Acupuncture, Scalp Acupuncture, Korean Hand Acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Dr. Tung Acupuncture, Auricular Acupuncture, Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders, Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Essential Oils and Stone Medicine in Acupuncture Treatment, Sound Healing, QI Gong and Zero Balancing. I completed a two-year intensive with Thea Elijah L.Ac., called Whole Heart Acupuncture. In addition, I have studied western and Chinese herbs, nutraceuticals and CBD oil.
I have studied with many excellent teachers. One of my favorite teachers is Jeffrey C. Yuen, Master of Classical Chinese Medicine and an 88th generation Daoist priest from the Jade Purity Yellow Emperor Lao Zi School. I have spent 130 hours being in his presence; listening to his transmissions of Chinese medicine in a manner that has taught me a different paradigm approach to acupuncture. My acupuncture practice has slowly changed as I have changed. From one of his lectures, my “aha” take-away moment was that ‘I am not a mechanic of acupuncture; through self-cultivation I can develop the ability to resonate with this profound medicine. As I resonate with the medicine, I change the way I interact with the world.’ A profound gem that I am only now unfolding its true meaning.
Affiliations and Awards
I am a member of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association and I serve as the VP of Internal Affairs on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Acupuncture Society. I also am a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
Since 2006, I have been Adjunct Faculty at MUIH for both the Integrative Health Sciences and the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Divisions. In 2017, I received the MUIH Faculty Excellence in Innovation and Service Award and was a Scholarship recipient to the 2016 International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health in Las Vegas Nevada.
Sheri as Practitioner of Life
I have studied alternative, indigenous and native healing modalities and philosophies for the past 30 years. I have been fortunate to work with teachers and elders from various traditions such as the Lakota, Anishinaabe, shamans from the rain forest and Tibetan, Ayurveda Buddhist and Daoist healers. I have studied plant spirit medicine, indigenous healing practices and the I Ching.
My teachings combine a Native American spiritual path with the eastern philosophy of Buddhism and Taoist. Awaken the Spirit LLC follows my vision and my dream: that we are all connected; everything in the universe s related. The Lakota term is Mitakyue Oaysin: All my relations. We must all work together to make life on earth a more peaceful and healthier planet to reside on. This philosophy begins with each of us as individuals, accepting out responsibility for our individual destinies. It is my privilege to work with each of you.
Contact Awaken the Spirit to make an appointment today.